PRESIDENT: The Bradford Landmark Society is such a treasure trove of information.

We got this note from curator Sally Costik, and had to share:

“With so many people now running for President of the United States, I thought the Round the Square readers might be interested in a man who ran for President five times – and never won.  His name was Eugene V. Debs. (Ironically, his name was a question on Jeopardy a few weeks ago – I was proud to say I knew the answer!)”

We’re not surprised Sally knew the answer, because Debs had a Bradford connection.

“Eugene Debs was an American Democratic socialist political activist and trade unionist, one of the founding members of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW or the Wobblies), and five times (1900-1920) the candidate of the Socialist Party of America for President of the United States,” Sally told us.   

“Through his presidential candidacies, as well as his work with labor movements, Debs eventually became one of the best-known socialists living in the United States.

“He spoke in Bradford on January 30, 1906 at the Bradford Theater on South Avenue (later known as Sheas). The special train was run between Bradford and Kane to bring people to the lecture.”

Our journalistic ancestors covered the event, she said.

“The Bradford Era wrote that Debs’ speech was ‘very interesting’ but attendance was light, possibly due to the fact that a poultry show was also being held that night in the Lyceum on Main Street, which drew in 1,000 spectators.”

So it seems like Bradfordians crossed the road to see the chickens.

“Eugene Debs opposed Woodrow Wilson as the Socialist Party candidate in the 1912 Presidential Election,” Sally explained. “His speech denouncing American participation in World War I led to his arrest in 1918, conviction of espionage and a ten-year jail term.

“He conducted his last campaign for president as prisoner 9653 in the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary. He received nearly a million votes.”