E-FRIENDS: There are days, especially when it gets pretty busy
around here, that we are grateful for our online friends whose
memories of Bradford are sharp as a tack.

Here’s what we’ve learned about Ma Pete’s and other Texas hot
places that once existed in and around Bradford:

Ken Leilous of London Ohio writes, “Ma Pete’s was on the ‘crick’
side of West Washington Street kiddy corner to Taylor Roofing
located in the last building where the alley started that ran along
the ‘crick’ up to the International Garage on Barbour Street. The
building was white with red trim. Johnny’s Texas Hots was in the
building where the Corner Bar is now. I remember the front had lots
of neon lights.”

Gary Barr tells us, “Ma Pete’s was on the left as I remember not
too far from the intersection. Seems like there was a pool hall
next to it. IDs were not a ‘must have’ at Ma’s back in the
day.” 

Jim Flynn says: “I don’t remember Johnny’s but Ma Pete’s was on
the south side of West Washington Street near the intersection of
Center Street and West Washington Street. One memory of Ma Pete’s
was sometimes walking home from a football game, there would be a
cat sleeping on the hot dog grill in the front window. Hey, it was
cold in Bradford in those days.”

“Years later when I was traveling between Pitt classes at
Hampshire House and the Emery Hardware Store, I would stop in and
have a hotdog and study for a bit. There was no cat taste in the
hotdogs.

“There was also the Texas Hot Lunch at the corner of East
Washington and Mechanic Streets. And The Famous Lunch on Mechanic
Street. All were great for Greek hotdogs.”

Chauncey Kan of Panama City Beach, Fla., writes, “Ma Pete’s was
near the Army/Navy store on West Washington. My Uncle Frank Kan
used to take me there. How many remember my uncle’s place, Frank’s
Tavern on West Washington?”

BIRD NOTES: Don Parrish has some input on a different subject:
“The robins, currently being seen in McKean County, are probably
birds from Canada and this is as far south as they go. Only God
knows what they find to eat. When we were kids, the robins seen
during the winter time were said to be too old to make the trip
south.”