1926 Map of Bradford

About this map

Bradford serves as the industrial heart of this McKean County landscape, where the confluence of Tuna Creek and Foster Brook defines the urban core. The map reveals an intricate late industrial network of the 1920s, characterized by numerous small settlements and specialized industrial sites such as the Nusbaum Chemical Plant and Hazelton Mills. The transport infrastructure is particularly dense, featuring the Erie Railroad and the Pennsylvania Railroad, which snake through the narrow valleys and hollows. One of the most significant engineering landmarks of the era, the Kinzua Viaduct, spans the heights in the southern portion of the quadrangle near Kinzua Creek. From the scattered schools like Songbird School to small post offices such as Simpson Cyclone P.O., the map preserves the fine-grained geography of Pennsylvania’s oil and timber country during a period of peak rail connectivity.