Bradford is a beautiful town with some wonderfully welcoming people. It used to be a big oil center, and I got the impression that oil is still a large part of their industry.
Some items of note:
- Bradford is the birthplace of the Zippo lighter. We went to their museum, and I found myself almost wishing that I smoked, just so I could have had an excuse to get a good Zippo. They put a lot of pride into the quality of their product, so much so that they guarantee a full repair on any Zippo that stops working, no matter the cause of the damage or how long it's been since you bought it.
- The Option House: This is a hotel/tavern that was first established in 1902, called the Option House because that's where high stakes investors would meet to trade oil options. It's owned by a fantastic man named Sam Sylvester, who invited us in for free drinks (even though the place was closed) when he found out that we were with Spamalot. Apparently he used to love coming here when he was young, then when he returned to Bradford from the military 40 years later, he found out it had become a real dive bar. He raised the money to buy the place himself 3 years ago, and restored it to its former splendor. It looks like an honest to god high quality 1920s speakeasy now, including a beautiful dining room called the peacock parlor. If you're in Bradford and are looking for a place to eat, I cannot recommend this place enough. It really was the best of small town America. Also check it out at www.theoptionhouserestaurant.com
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