LOCAL LORE: For fans of the Discovery Channel’s show “Myth
Busters,” the Bradford Landmark Society had a treat in its July
newsletter – a list of Bradford’s own local myths.
In the show, two men tackle commonly held beliefs and try to
determine if they are true or false.
“Bradford is a lot like that show,” the newsletter reads. “We
have a variety of myths that have sprung up over the years, and
just like those men on TV, The Bradford Landmark Society is
determined to ‘bust’ them or prove them true.”
(Spoiler alert: Answers are in the explanatory paragraph with
each myth.)
“Myth 1: The Wizard of Oz Myth: Our first myth is one that
refuses to die. The way the story goes, L. Frank Baum, the famous
author of the book ‘Wizard of Oz,’ founded The Bradford Era. Or he
was a reporter on the Era? Or he wrote the ‘Wizard of Oz’ based on
true-life oil producers that he knew in Bradford? Truth? The
Landmark has done extensive research, and there is no record that
Baum himself ever even stepped foot in Bradford, and we know for a
fact that he did not found The Bradford Era in 1878.
“Myth 2: Henry Ford secretly visited the Holley Brothers in
Bradford to negotiate the purchase of their carburetor. Holley
Carburetors, invented by Bradfordians Earl and George Holley in
1903, were used extensively by Henry Ford during the early days of
Model T automobile production. The Holley brothers moved to Detroit
in 1907 and created the Holley Brothers Co. which manufactured
carburetors for Ford. There is no proof that Ford himself ever
visited Bradford.
“Myth 3: Solomon Dresser intended to make his mansion on Jackson
Avenue the governor’s mansion after he was elected governor of
Pennsylvania. Solomon Dresser never ran for governor and actually
died just seven years after the mansion was completed in 1904. He
was a U.S. Representative but suffered a severe stroke in late
1903, and returned to Bradford an invalid for the rest of his life.
Dresser died on Jan. 21, 1911.
“Myth 4: Babe Ruth once visited Bradford. No. But he did visit
Olean once, in the 1920s.”
If you guessed wrong on most of them, don’t worry – you’ll have
a chance to redeem your status as Bradford trivia master when the
local version of “Mythbusters” continues.
