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Frederick Crocker of Titusville drilled a well near the village of Bradford in 1875, and thus began the rush to Bradford. By 1881 the famous Bradford field had reached its peak, about 100,000 barrels of oil a day. Bradford was producing nearly 83% of all the crude in the US. In 1837 the US Land Company owned a quarter of a million acres of land in McKean and adjoining counties. Colonel Levitt C. Little located in McKean on Tuna Creek. Others came and Littletown was founded, which in 1858 was named Bradford. Bradford had a population of five - six hundred in 1875.
Trainloads of oilmen came and the hotels filled up and the Main Street blazed with music and dance.
The population of Bradford increased to 4,000 by 1878. The Bradford House became a meeeting place for the oilmen. Railroad traffic was tremendous. Two locomotives were engaged night and day to switch cars and as many as 250 cars were loaded on the tracks. Bradford was the oil metropolis of the world in 1880.


Photos Bradford 1880's contributed by Sheila Barr Helser

Citizen Hose Company BFD

  • G. Hulmes
  • P. Strahl
  • L. St. Germain
  • B. Weaver
  • A. Grimes
  • W. Stewart
  • John Stewart
  • C.Gethner
  • J. Larkens
  • W. Pettis
  • B. Siscoe
  • F. Rook
  • C. Davis
  • D. Stewart
  • C. McBride
  • R. Waterson
  • M. Rowland
  • F. Bean
  • B. Sackran
  • M. Myers
  • W. Toy
  • F. Putman
  • J. Turner
  • W.B. Russell
  • H. Myster
  • W. Francis
  • Hon. J. G. Greenwald
  • J. Gerry
  • R.A. Humes
  • Babe- the dog

    • Hop aboard to McKean County, Pennsylvania

    Bradford Landmark published two books on Bradford
    Around Bradford I
    Around Bradford


    Each contain 128 pages and about 228 photographs per book
    cost 17.00 each plus 3.20 postage
    buy two postage is the same as send one at 3.20

    • Book I
        • Early Bradford
        • Streets and Buildings
        • Transportation
        • Those Who Serve -Firemen and Police
        • Bradford Goes to War
        • Industry and Business
        • People and Pleasant Pastime
        • Churches and Schools
        • Old Home Week, August 8-14, 1909
        • Floods
    • Book II
        • Looking Back, Moving Forward
        • Oil, Men
        • The Century Begins
        • The Town Grows As War Approaches
        • Let it Roar ! Bradford in the 1920s
        • Sports--the Games that We Play
        • Memories Are Made of This

    Disclaimer:there may be errors due to transcription ofinformation from both early and late (current contributors) work.

    venango.pa-roots.com/ website & graphics © Sheila Barr Helser - 2021
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