SNOWSHOES: We had a reader pass along a tidbit about a former Bradford resident.
She found Bradford High School grad Bill Mackowski’s name in the current Orvis catalog, where shoppers can order a pair of his handcrafted snowshoes.
According to the product description, “Craftsman Bill Mackowski builds each pair by hand using traditional Native American patterns and sturdy white ash.” In addition to white ash, they are made of nylon cord, fiberglass resin, leather and brass.
While the photo of the snowshoes in the online catalogue is beautiful, the price — $498 a pair — makes them a little out of our price range.
The name “Mackowski” may ring a bell to readers for a couple other reasons.
Our reader tells us Bill Mackowski is related to a former state representative — we’re thinking William D. Mackowski, after who the lobby in the Frame-Westerberg Commons at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford was named. Also, she said he’s related to Dr. Chris Mackowski, a professor at St. Bonaventure University.
1899: When we talked to David “Curly” Walters the other day about the Home Dairy Co., he also brought in a couple of pages someone had put together that he found interesting.
Called “What Happened in Bradford 100 Years Ago?” it was compiled in 1999 of Bradford history from 1899. We’re not sure who compiled it.
The pages said in 1899 the population of Bradford was 17,305 — about double what it is now.
One part Curly pointed out that interested him read, “On June 5, 1899 fifteen girls who work at McCrory’s go on strike. They are working 10-12 hour days, and work from 7 or 8 AM to 10 or 10:30 PM each night. Their pay is $2.00 per week. They strike for better hours and wages. They are unceremoniously fired on the spot. There are many other girls in the city willing to work under these condition.”
It’s strange to think of how much lower wages and working conditions were then.
There were many interesting stories, so we’ve picked a couple more to share here.
On Jan. 1, 1899, “The new city jail is opened in the rear of the new City Hall building on the corner of Kennedy and Boyston Streets. The first inmate is named Frank Brown, who is accused of kidnapping Grace Lee, age 14, and the murder of a DuBois man.”
On Feb. 8, 1899, “Eddie Dollivar’s (town garbageman and a local character) mule scares David Phillips’ horse, which promptly jumps off the Mechanic Street bridge to the ice 12 feet below. Neither Phillips or the horse are injured.”
