The Richard E. McDowell Trail is a great choice for a morning run or a leisurely stroll. Well maintained, level, and paved, it’s wheelchair accessible. It’s also great for small kids on bikes. The Tuna Valley Trails Association established and maintains this and other trails, with community volunteers supplying most of the labor.

The trail is currently a 1.5 mile section between the trailhead on Campus Drive, across from the softball fields, to Clark’s Lane. Future plans call for extending the trail from downtown Bradford to the Marilla Resevoir. Click here for a map.

There is also vehicle access via the parking lots behind Pitt-Bradford’s McDowell Sports Center or Blaisdell Performing Arts Center, and at Clark’s Lane.

The trail’s ponds and fields are teeming with a wide variety of wildlife and plant life. Running parallel to the West Branch of Tuna Creek, fishing is allowed but only with artificial lures.

This part of the creek has been cleaned up considerably and is now able to support a microcosm of organisms that will only live in the cleanest water, including trout.

The whole trail is picturesque, and it’s not uncommon to see sketch or watercolor artists in the sun by the big pond.

To see lots of photos and to get a good idea of what the trail is like you can visit Bradford-Online.com’s Photogallery.

Today there’s a strong interest on the web for pictures. I’m pleased to introduce the Bradford-Online.com PhotoGallery. The intent of the photogallery is two-fold. First, to keep visitors up-to-date on events and the changing face of Bradford, Pennsylvania. The other goal will be to give visitors a sense of what Bradford is.

Take a look around. You can even send an Ecard using any of the pictures. If you have pictures or video posted on a web site and you’d like to share it, please do! Send a link from our Contact Us page.

It’s become hard to deny that summer is ending in Bradford. Thick morning fog marks the boundary between the chilly nights and still-warm days. Another sure sign of autumn is the vibrant colors of fall flowers and the changing of the leaves. The rain last weekend has set off the change and individual trees are starting to show the reds, oranges, and yellows that will soon cover the hills.

For the next couple of weeks I’ll be posting foliage photos. If you’re planning on visiting the area check back here for an idea of how the colors are progressing and when they’ll peak. If, you can’t be here, at least some fresh pictures should be the next best thing.

Josh Hatcher of the Roulette Rebel was in Bradford recently to take some more pictures. Not the usual photo subjects. You can view his pictures here.

We also heard from Julia, poet and artist. You can check out her blog here.

Recently we were asked:

“Do you have any history about the Bradford Brewing Co.??
About 30 years ago while Deer hunting with my son in Allegany State Park we found a beer bottle that stated Bradford Brewing Company, Bradford, PA. At one time just about every city int the United States had a brewery. I am familiar with Bradford, PA as I was born and raised in Olean, N.Y., but in 1963, we moved to Rochester, N.Y.”

The Bradford Brewing Companywas established in 1899 and operated until it declared bankruptcy in 1914. In 1925 the abandoned brewery was the scene of a gangland slaying. You can read more about it at the Bradford Landmark Society’s site.

Things have been a little slow for the last week. I guess that’s one of the virtues of being in a small town. It’s not that there aren’t things going on, the McKean County Fair is still in full-swing for a few more days. It’s just that everyone is doing summer things. The usual things, cook-outs, swimming, boating, and hoping summer will last. I think, with the relatively cool weather we’ve been having, it’s just dawning on some folks that spring is over, and yes, summer’s really here.

Congratulations to Miss Smethport High, Megan Woods, who was crowned 2007 McKean County Fair Queen

Artist Heather Levy will be exhibiting works from her series “RocketScience” at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford in October. Check the Events Calendar for details.

Speaking of art, The Deviant Art site has
some :thumb26304844: interesting :thumb26305036: pictures.

Since we’ve posted a video of the Zippo Car, it’s only fair to post one of the Case Chopper:

This is a chopper built in 2005 by Orange County Choppers for W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery, a subsidiary of Zippo Manufacturing Company. This vid shows the bike being started by Case President and CEO, Tom Arrowsmith, when the bike was unveiled at the Zippo/Case Visitors Center in Bradford, PA.

(Seth Gaines)

(retroced)

(markstemp58)

Allegheny National Forest…..Pennsylvania

Do you have pictures or video of the Bradford, PA area posted on the web? Send us your link in the comment box below: