The Bradford Landmark Society, Bradford’s own historical society, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Coincidentally, it is also Sally Costik’s 25th year as Curator of the Society.

Yearlong events are scheduled in celebration of the anniversary including a history trivia contest in the Era beginning in April, Old Time Movies about Bradford at the Main Street Movie House on April 24th, a float in the Memorial Day parade, Patriotic and Popular Music Program at the Crook Farm on July 7 with Tubbers and ice cream, the Best of the Creative Women’s Workshop on July 27, the 40th annual Old Time Music and Crook Farm Country fair held, Aug. 24 & 25, a Creative Children’s Workshop in September, a “Remember When” musical program by John Kerns this fall, a Seminar Lecture Series and release and book signing of the Landmark’s newest book, The House Book, Volume One: Congress Street, South Avenue, and West Corydon Street in November, and the annual Christmas Open House and Holiday Bake Sale in December. The Landmark will also participate in First Night 2020 as well.

The Landmark Society was founded in 1969 by a group of concerned Bradford residents who believed that the history of the early oil country heritage in the Tuna Valley was being forgotten in dusty attics, basements and garages.

The city was also undergoing urban renewal at that time: older buildings were being razed, highways being built, landscapes changing — and there was a real fear that more and more history was being lost.

Once, there had been a historical society in the city. The McKean County Historical Society was founded by Rufus Stone, a noted lawyer and historian in 1903. It was located in the basement of the old Carnegie Library, and was instrumental in its efforts to collect memorabilia and historical documents from the county’s early years. In 1942, however, following the reconstruction of the McKean County Courthouse which had burned the previous year, the McKean County Historical Society moved its headquarters to Smethport, believing that a central location in the county better served its goals as a countywide organization.

Bradford was a part of that Society but as the years went by several people expressed a desire for Bradford to once again have its own historical society.

A public meeting was held May 14, 1969, in the Carnegie Public Library (now Beefeaters) and 37 people attended. By the end of the meeting, the Bradford Landmark Society was created, given a name and an organizational committee drawn up to write a set of bylaws, and find a slate of officers. Incorporation was finalized that July.

Those founders included Marion Bromeley, Bernice Lowery, and Janice Taylor along with D. Harvey Phillips, Mrs. Charles Rowe, Dan Daly, Harold Krantz, Virginia Miles, Dr. Mary Swarts, and Mrs. Bennett Friedman. Many other influential people supported the new historical society as well.

But the founders hadn’t realized the enthusiasm that the formation of Bradford’s own historical society would generate. It was soon apparent that those dusty attics, basements, and garages held a treasure in old photographs, diaries, letters, books, newspapers, advertising memorabilia, maps, journals, vintage clothing and artifacts. The Society soon expanded its vision and the search began for a building to use as a headquarters and a museum to hold all those soon to be donated items.

Mrs. Virginia Loveland Miles offered a solution. She was the granddaughter of Gus Herbig, one of Bradford’s early businessmen, who ran a “French” bakery at 45 East Corydon St. The building, built in 1876, is the oldest commercial building in downtown Bradford.

She donated the building to the Landmark, and in 1970, the Bakery became the official headquarters of the Landmark Society. Jane Stack became the first curator of the Society and was instrumental in collecting, preserving, identifying, and displaying the growing collection of Bradford history.

Those early years of the Bradford Landmark Society were busy ones, as the society raised money to support its activities and goals including the creation of a Firemen’s Museum, located over the present day fire department building on Chestnut Street and featured all sorts of fire memorabilia, uniforms, helmets and equipment. As the years went by, other fundraising activities followed, including antique shows, house tours, cooks tours, sales of yellow dogs, baked food sales, lecture series, books, and more recently, the Creative Women Workshop.

The Herbig Bakery now serves as the research center of the Historical Society, with nearly 17,000 photographs, genealogical materials, maps, blueprints, documents, books, etc. and is always looking for new “old” items to add to the collection.

After fifty years, the Society remains a vital part of Bradford and looks forward to another half century of making history.