McKean County, named for Governor Thomas McKean, was originally part of Lycoming County and was established as an independent county in 1804. The capital of Smethport was named for Raymond and Theodore de Smeth, Dutch bankers in the region. A chiefly rural county, it sits at the edge of the Allegheny National Forest, and boasts an abundance of natural resources, including timber and the oil that made Bradford famous and wealthy. Bradford is also the home of “The Zippo Lighter,” and McKean County proudly calls itself “The Black Cherry Capital of the World.” Today a thriving university— The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford— world class medical and manufacturing facilities compliment the old oil and timber economy.