Johnstown Flood National Memorial

From the triumphant first flight of the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk to the tragedy of the Johnstown Flood, our national historic sites honor the lives and times of those who came before us.    Today, we are visiting Johnstown, Pennsylvania (USA).   It is located 43 miles west-southwest of Altoona and 67 miles east of Pittsburgh.

According to Wikipedia, "The Johnstown Flood National Memorial commemorates the 2,209 people who died in the Johnstown Flood on May 31, 1889, caused by a break in the South Fork Dam, an earthen structure.  It unleashed 20,000,000 tons of water creating a wave of destruction that devastated Johnstown, PA.  The memorial preserves the remains of the dam and portions of the former Lake Conemaugh bed.  This 164-acre site was established as a National Memorial on August 31, 1964”.   It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966. 

We begin at the Visitor Center.  I strongly recommend seeing the 35 minute film about the flood.  It is a very well done documentary and worth the little extra time to watch it.

Visitor Center

A light rain is falling when we begin our driving tour of this historic site.  It’s appropriate weather because heavy rain (and poor dam site maintenance) is what caused this flood.