DANCE PROGRAMS: The Bradford Police Department Annual Dance programs that Bob Slike provided for us contain a treasure trove of businesses that were in the city back then.
The 1952 program lists business contributors by category, much like the telephone Yellow Pages does today. There are also display advertisers that are familiar — Zippo Manufacturing Co., Minard Run Oil Co. and Penelec to name a few.
The most striking thing about the programs, though, is the sheer volume of businesses listed. Even if we assume that most local businesses made a donation to get mentioned in the program, the number is still staggering.
The program lists three bowling alleys, 13 cleaners, 11 women’s clothing shops, eight men’s clothing shops, five news stands, seven pharmacies, 34 service stations, five flower shops, 11 furniture stores, two furriers, 41 grocery stores or meat markets, six jewelry stores, 40 restaurants and taverns, four shoe repair shops, and six shoe stores on Main Street alone. There are even three different places that sold explosives.
Granted, Bradford’s population used to be significantly larger — a bit more than 17,000 in 1950 compared with a bit less than 9,000 now.
Downtown Bradford was the business and entertainment center of the area back then. Woody Woodruff, a retired Bradford Era executive who passed along the programs from Bob, said he marveled at the activity in the city decades ago.
Friday nights and Saturdays were especially busy, he said. Many merchants closed on Wednesday afternoons and stayed open late on Friday evenings because paydays were usually on Fridays.
Before joining The Era, Woody spent some years in the local car business, first at the Oldsmobile dealer and later as the owner of the local Jeep dealership.
The 1952 program lists no fewer than 10 new-car dealers in Bradford. Some of the makes have since disappeared, like the Packard brand that was sold by Morris I. Cook on Barbour Street and the Studebakers that were sold by C.C. Brigham on East Main Street. Gone also are the Pontiacs that were the staple of the Star Garage on Barbour Street, the Plymouths that H.C. Baushcard sold on Seaward Avenue and the Oldsmobile nameplate carried by Robertson Motors on East Main.
One thing that had yet to arrive in any great numbers in the Bradford of 1952: foreign cars.
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