The Bradford Era – by Fran De Lancey

Smethport Mayor Ross Porter believes the use of wood resources from the area is natural as the town looks to become a leader in biomass technology.

“There is nothing new about using wood resources in this region,” Porter said. “It’s our roots. It’s our heritage. The wood industry is what made Smethport grow and propser.”

In the 19th Century, a huge industry in McKean County was built around lumbering, from the traditional to wood chemical, but those activities were environmentally devastating. Photographs from that era show entire hillsides that were stripped of trees.

“Smethport is in a unique position to take advantage of renewable energy, which has the potential to be bigger than the communications revolution of the 1990s,” according to Porter.  Read more >>