Crawford’s 2nd Street Bakery blends tradition, creativity, and community
in a partnership built on passion — and plenty of bread
MARK KESZLER
Nspire Today! Feature Writer
CRAWFORD — Long before the first customer pushes open the door at 2nd Street Bakery, the heart of downtown Crawford is already warm with activity. Dough is rising. Bread is baking. Cake pops are cooling on racks. The lights of the historic 1907 building glow softly against the early-morning quiet, and the smell of cinnamon, sugar, and sourdough seems to seep out into 2nd Street itself.
By the time the bakery officially opens, the display case is filled with Tonya Gibbons’ whimsical cake pops, trays of cinnamon rolls, and loaves of Traci McClain’s meticulously tended sourdough. Kids trickle in after school, teachers swing by on their lunch breaks, and regulars settle into familiar rhythms. Strangers find themselves greeted by name on
their second visit.
What’s remarkable about this small-town bakery success story isn’t just
the quality of the food. It’s that two women who “hardly knew each other,” as Traci put it, decided to join forces on a hunch — and built something Crawford didn’t even know it was waiting for.
“We hardly knew each other,” Traci said, smiling. “But we decided to
give it a go. It’s worked out spectacularly.”
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