This site was once a bustling railroad junction, where the Pennsylvania Railroad’s main line from Columbus split north to Chicago and south to St. Louis. Operators at B.F. Tower were responsible for safely directing rail traffic, delivering messages to passing crews, and communicating with regional dispatchers. The Pennsylvania Railroad replaced an older wooden tower with this interlocking tower in 1925, and new technology allowed operators to use a series of steel levers inside the tower to control switches and signals here and at two nearby locations. The levers used an interlocking design that prevented operators from throwing switches or signals in a sequence that could cause accidents, a major advancement in rail safety. B.F. Tower survived many changes but closed in 1982 when all rail traffic was moved north to the former NYC line. After sitting unused for years, the tower was restored by the Bradford Ohio Railroad Museum. Today B.F. Tower is one of the few remaining interlocking towers in the country and a rare relic of Bradford’s railroad heyday.