Old Newspaper Details the Start of Electric Service in Smethport

Bradford Era — by Fran De Lancey Jim Herzog has donated to Smethport Borough two complete and original editions of the McKean County Miner from 1921 that document electricity coming to the county seat during the Roaring Twenties, a decade that saw much change and prosperity before the stock market crash in 1929. “The newspapers came from the estate of Mary Backus, a local woman who died at the…

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Harrisburg Garden Club Tours Smethport Mansion District, Kinzua Bridge State Park

Smethport Web – by Nathan Muller George Weigel writes for the Patriot-News in Harrisburg and is owner of a garden-consulting business for do-it-yourselfers. He also participates in bus tours and acts as a tour host. His wife Sue travels with him and serves as an escort. In their latest tour gig, George and Sue accompanied 54 members of the Harrisburg Garden Club to Smethport, where they visited St. Luke’s…

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McKean County Fair Kicks Off With Ag Weekend Tractor Parade

Smethport Web — by Nathan Muller The 112th McKean County Fair in Smethport, PA opened with AG Weekend on Saturday morning, featuring a tractor parade from the Isadore family farm to Main Street, and then on to the fairgrounds. This was followed by tractor games in the afternoon. About 50 tractors participated this year from communities throughout the county. The fair, which runs from August 12 to 19, includes…

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Officer Kyle Day Featured Speaker at Smethport Fire Department’s Annual Dinner

Bradford Era — by Fran De Lancey “Firefighters define courage,” said Kyle Day in remarks prepared for the Smethport Fire Department’s 135th annual Appreciation Dinner on Saturday evening at the firehall. “It’s easy to sit back and criticize, but the public must be appreciative of the volunteers in emergency services,” said Day, who has an extensive career in law enforcement before joining the Smethport Borough Police Department about a…

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Smethport Teams Take Top Honors in IU9 ‘Brain Games’ Quiz Bowl

Smethport Web — by IU9 The Smethport Area School District hosted the Intermediate Unit Nine Gifted Consortia Academic Elementary/Middle School Quiz Bowl, with the Smethport teams taking top honors. The event was coordinated by Kelly Tarbox of the Smethport Area School District and Chelsey Murray of the Otto-Eldred School District. Both Smethport teams took top honors. Quiz Bowl is an academic competition where students answer trivia questions from all…

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Smethport Borough Offers Two New Payment Options for Utilities

Smethport Web — by Nathan Muller Smethport Borough is offering two new utility payment options. In addition to sending payment by check or via bank account bill pay, residents may visit the Borough office to pay by credit card, or go online to pay securely from any location with an Internet connection. Pay Utility Bills Online With Credit Card Credit card payments will be processed immediately by Value Payment…

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Main Street – What a Difference a Year Makes

Smethport Web — by Nathan Muller A lot has changed on Main Street, since the June 2014 groundbreaking of the new building for McKean County Housing and Redevelopment Authorities. The three-story, 15,660-square-foot structure adheres to the recommendations described in the Pennsylvania Wilds Design Guide, which encourages maintaining the historic architecture in the region. Since construction started on the building, there has been a flurry of activity on Main Street….

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High Voter Turnout in Smethport

Smethport Web — by Nathan Muller Of 650 registered voters in Smethport, 414 turned out in yesterday’s primary. The 64% participation rate for a primary election is high by any standard. In Borough Council races, Ryan Yingling won on the Republican ballot for the two-year term. Ryan was appointed to the Council by unanimous vote in September, filling a seat left open by a resignation. Yingling also won on…

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Broadcast Premiere of ‘Our Town: Smethport’

Smethport Web — by Nathan Muller On Thursday, October 16 at 8 pm WPSU live-streamed the broadcast premiere of “Our Town: Smethport.” This summer, volunteer storytellers from Smethport, Pennsylvania came together for the 79th production in the “Our Town” series. Their stories captured the rich history of this friendly community. They shared stories about the McKean County Historical Society Old Jail Museum, Compton’s Mom & Pop Shop, the Smethport…

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