Although Bradford and the surrounding area is known for its
Italian population, throughout the second half of the 19th Century
the area was heavily populated by the Irish.

A majority of the first leaders of Bradford had Irish blood,
according to early Bradford directories provided to The Era by
Mayor Tom Riel. From Bradford’s incorporation in 1879 to 1898, the
first nine mayors had Irish surnames, including James Broder, Will
F. Jordan, P.M. Shannon, R.A. Dempsey, Edward McSweeney, Loyal Ward
and George C. Fagnan.

In 1889, the chief of police was Thomas E. McCrea. In business,
two Irish, Collins and Conneely, ran liquor stores, and Murty James
ran a saloon on Main Street.

The same year, there were 17 O’Briens, 14 Kennedys, 13 Kellys
and nine Rileys living in the city, along with a handful of
Donnellys, Donahues, Fitzgeralds, Gallaghers, Hannas, Sullivans and
Toomeys. There were a slew of “O” names, including O’Dell,
O’Laughlin and O’Rourke, and “Mc” names such as McCarthy, McMurray
and McNamara.

Prior to Bradford officially becoming a city, Peter Kennedy was
burgess in 1876, according to Sally Costik, curator of the Bradford
Landmark Society. The Kennedy family, which the street is named
after, was a big name in Bradford since its inception.

Costik, whose maiden name is Ryan, said her Irish ancestors
settled in the areas of Mount Alton, Big Shanty and Irishtown in
the 1850s.

Starting in the 1840s, the Irish came to the area in droves due
the Irish potato famine, she said. Many settlers worked for the
railroad or the lumber industry. Some worked in coal mining, which
eventually failed.

In neighboring Cattaraugus (N.Y.) County, an Irish settlement by
the name of “Little Ireland” came about around the 1860s, according
to a Web site created by a Cleveland Hill (N.Y.) High School
history class. The settlement is located west of Limestone, N.Y.,
in what is now Allegany State Park.

In 1867, settlers built St. Patrick’s Church, according to the
Web site. Later, a cemetery was built nearby, where many of the
Little Ireland settlers were buried.

One of those settlers, John Carmody, a railroad worker, bought
50 acres of land to start a farm, according to the Web site. The
acreage turned out to have six oil wells on it, and Carmody was
noted to be the wealthiest of all the settlers in Little
Ireland.

Although not directly linked to the Irish, breweries became
established in Bradford in the first half of the 20th Century,
Costik said. There was once a brewery where the Bradford bypass is
now.

During Prohibition, an Irish-American, Leo Scanlan, a descendent
of Carmody, made it easier for thirsty residents to access beer,
according to the history class’s Web site. Scanlan worked at
Bradford Wholesale Distributors, which was making “near beer” at
the time because making beer was illegal.

Workers threw ice into the concoction to halt the fermentation
process and avoid making it alcoholic, the Web site read. However,
workers neglected to add the ice sometimes, and Scanlan often
distributed the product to the Elks and Moose clubs in
Bradford.

Around the turn of the 20th Century, Italians settled into the
area, especially in Lewis Run, Costik said. Thus, creating the
reputation for the large Italian population.

However, even with the Irish history, Irish pride has been
largely absent in the area, Costik said. Costik said she has never
heard about a public St. Patrick’s Day parade or celebration.

“This is Bradford,” she said. “In March, it’s usually
snowing.”