2025 Visit Johnstown Visitors Guide - Flipbook - Page 24
The
Johnstown
Flood
Story
Learn the shocking story of the Great Johnstown Flood
of 1889 and our remarkable recovery!
Johnstown Flood National Memorial
Photo Credit: National Park Service
134 YEARS AGO in the waning years of the nineteenth century, the steel barons from
Pittsburgh enjoyed a private retreat in the mountains of Cambria County. Known as
the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club, the members included Andrew Carnegie and
Henry Clay Frick. The club boasted a multi-acre lake, boathouses, and cottages. A large
clubhouse served as a hotel and restaurant for members and their guests. Life was easy
along the lake until the rains came that day. The storm began on Memorial Day and
continued through the night. On May 31, 1889, rising water in the lake breached the
South Fork Dam, sending twenty million tons of water roaring through the Conemaugh
Valley. The massive wall of water destroyed everything in its path. Houses, railroad cars
and other debris all became part of the deadly mix that crashed into Johnstown and
literally swept the town away. When it was all over, 2,209 people were dead; but from
the destruction rose a spirit of survival and commitment that is still alive in Johnstown.
Stone Bridge Wreckage
Photo Credit National Park Service
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