Around Bradford Volume II further looks at the history of the area as it has not been seen before. Once one of the largest cities in Pennsylvania, Bradford relied heavily on oil production in the 1880s for its success. Author Sally Ryan Costik allows us to glimpse into the "Age of Innocence" at the turn of the century before she endeavors to examine the city's own tumultuous past. In the 1920s, it was home to KKK activity, gangster slayings, and mob retaliation--events that contrast sharply with the images of Sunday school, industrial growth, and high society from "Millionaires Row"
found in this collection. In the years following the Roaring Twenties, Costik takes a unique look at the Depression era through the eyes of sports fans. She chronicles Bradford's baseball team through the decade as they played within the PONY league circuit (comprised of Pennsylvania, Ontario, and New York). No history of Bradford would be complete without giving mention to the Bradfordians who supported the war effort on the home front.