Bradford

Bradford, city, England

Bradford, city (1991 pop. 293,336) and metropolitan district, N central England, on a small tributary of the Aire River. It is a center of the worsted industry, which dates from the Middle Ages. Bradford has an important wool exchange, along with the making of other fabrics (including synthetics). Electroplating, electrical engineering, and the manufacture of machinery and automobiles are also important. Stone quarries are nearby. The city of Bradford is home to a large number of Britain's Pakistani population. District landmarks include the memorial hall, dedicated to Edmund Cartwright, inventor of the power loom; St. Peter's Church (1458), now the cathedral of the diocese of Bradford; and the Conditioning House, a unique textile-testing establishment. The Univ. of Bradford, Bradford Technical College, Bradford Regional College of Art, and Margaret McMillan Memorial College of Education are there.

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Bradford, city, United States

Bradford, city (1990 pop. 9,625), McKean co., NW Pa., in the Alleghenies, near the N.Y. line; settled c.1823, inc. as a city 1879. The growth of the city was initiated by the discovery of oil (c.1871), but oil-related industries have been eclipsed by diverse manufacturing, including cigarette lighters, machinery, and lumber products. A campus of the Univ. of Pittsburgh is in the city. Nearby are Allegheny National Forest (with its dam and reservoir) and Allegany State Park (N.Y.); the area is popular for hunting and fishing.

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Bradford

City and metropolitan borough (pop., 2001: 467,668), West Yorkshire, northern England. The manufacture of wool products was important to its economy as early as 1311; the fine worsted trade began in the late 17th century. By 1900 it emerged as the main wool-buying centre for Yorkshire. The city remains a centre of the textile industry and is the site of the University of Bradford.