STORE LORE: We know we’ve covered the old stores and
restaurants of Bradford in many previous columns, but readers
delight in returning to Bradford’s past.
Vicki Stromberg asks, “What was the name of the candy store
across the street from where I believe was Mayer Brauser’s? I
remember going in and buying hard rock candy. Wasn’t Nick’s Red Hot
a few stores down? What was the name of the ‘train restaurant’ that
sat in a side street?”
We think the candy store she’s referring to is DeSalle’s. The
restaurant shaped like a train car was probably the Congress Street
Diner. And Nick’s Red Hots started out near Dipson’s Theater, but
later moved to the Public Square area.
MORE GAS PAIN: More evidence there’s a pattern behind our fuel
fury. Tom Harbaugh of Bradford tells us that when traveling to
Cleveland on U.S. Route 90 on July 31, gas at a truck stop in Ohio
was ,3.57, whereas gas in Bradford was ,3.97, and in Erie
,3.87.
Linda Archer of Port Allegany writes, “We paid ,3.67 for gas at
a Sunoco in Danville (Pa.) on Friday, and we saw a Gulf station
with gas for ,3.59 in a rural area without any competition.”
ROAD TALK: For a different perspective on the road, Sharon
Morse of Kane gives us her reason why she walks or bikes facing
oncoming traffic: “If a driver approaches a walker/rider who isn’t
facing him, the driver doesn’t know if the walker/rider knows a
vehicle is coming. When I am coming up on someone on the side of
the road, if I can see the face, I know the person is aware of me
and won’t suddenly pull out onto the roadway.”
AUGUST TREE: We didn’t get a vote, but the Bureau of Forestry,
Elk State Forest, tells us that the northern red oak is the August
tree of the month. They write, “The northern red oak tree is a tall
tree that dominates the Wilds of Pennsylvania. This tree can reach
heights on average of 70 to 90 feet tall. The hard wood is used for
flooring, cabinets, furniture and more. Wildlife depend on the
acorns as a food source. Red oak acorns take two years to mature
before they fall to the ground to be eaten by small and large
animals alike – from mice to bear.”
