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Johnstown Flood Museum
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3 reviews for Johnstown Flood Museum
After reading the only two standing reviews on the Johnstown Flood Museum, from out of townees, I have changed my mind for my 400th review.
Born and raised in Johnstown, Pa. I not only heard all of the real life stories of the devastating floods, I myself witnessed the last one in 1977.
The city of Johnstown is in a deep valley, surrounded by hills. When I drive into Johnstown to visit my mother and my brother, you literally climb up over Pleasanttville Mountain to an altitude of almost 3000 feet above sea level. Once you arrive at that point, the continuing drive takes you hundreds of feet higher.
The "hills" are full of different towns, like the one I grew up in. The "valley" is also full of many different towns, homes and businesses.
Johnstown is known for many things, like the great Steel Industry, the AAA-BA, the Coal Mines, Slap Shot, Submarine sandwiches, Coney Island hot dogs, Charles Bronson was born and raised there and the great flood of 1889. What you may not know is there were many floods in 1894, 1907, 1924, 1936 and the one that I witnessed in 1977.
Most of us have seen the documentaries on TV or read about the " great floods". Visiting the Johnstown Flood Museum will walk you through these disasters, but it does not put you in ones shoes.
I was in the Moxham area that day and trying to help my Mom, help her friend pack up some needed items and to gather her children and bring them to our house on the hill. I saw flood waters tearing up the macadam and ripping man hole covers off, as folks were trying to cross through these waters to find higher ground. I watched as one little boy, who was holding his fathers hand slip down into one of the man holes. You saw cars piling up on top of one another, houses literally being torn apart right before your eyes. We were parked miles up the hill and obviously made it to safety.
This last flood was the biggest destruction for Johnstown, as the Steel Mills moved out of this "flood free" city. Johnstown thrives because of great men like Pasquerilla, who had devoted so much of his time, money, heart and soul into rebuilding Johnstown, once more. As for the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club and the big tycoons, like Carnegie, who knew the dam needed fixed, he donated a new Library! As for the other floods and Dams breaking, well damn, nature has a heavy hand.
Thousands of lives were lost, bridges collapsed, homes were destroyed, businesses shut down, the few remaining stores ran out of food, all power was lost, the rats climbed the hills and grew bigger and the mud covered the railroad tracks.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Here is a hint. If you are trying to get someone to consider moving to the Johnstown area, DO NOT take them to the flood museum.
Learn from my mistake.
Looking back on it, it seems so obvious. But it is a good museum, and a good documentary. But... honestly... it's a bit terrifying.
The Johnstown Flood Museum has state of the art exhibits, artifacts and an award winning documentary. It is about the largest non-natural flood in United States history, that claimed well over 2200 people in 1889. Parking wsnt too bad, admission was $ 6.00 dollars.