Johnstown Flood National Memorial

06/13/2026

in 1889

William Frederick Cody, also known as Buffalo Bill, held a benefit for Johnstown in Paris. He raised $2,000. The Prince and Princess of Wales were among those in attendance. They later became King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.
Cody began performing his popular Wild West Show in 1883. By 1887, he had a performance at Madison Square Garden in New York City. He performed in his show until 1916. (es)

Image: William Frederick Cody

06/12/2026

Col. Elias Unger, president of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club was at the dam when it broke. Read his account of that day below!

in1889

Survivor Story

The Indiana Progress in Indiana, Pennsylvania published an article about Colonel Unger's account of events around May 31, 1889:

“How the Dam Broke.
Colonel Elias J. Unger, president the South Fork Fishing Club, arrived at his home in Pittsburg on Tuesday. He had gone to his farm, the house of which is only 200 yards from the big dam, to prepare the place for the summer visit of the club. Of his efforts to avert the calamity the Colonel says:

‘Thursday night when I went to bed the water was no higher than usual; but it rained during the night and when I arose in the morning water was high. I went to the dam and soon found the water in the body was rising an inch in every ten minutes.

‘This alarmed me and I hastened get together a gang of Hungarians who were at work at the South Fork water works. I set them to work building a sluice way at the worst end of the dam. I also got a team and began to throw up the ground on top of the dam to make it a little bit higher.

‘We worked like heroes, but Civil Engineer Park rode up on horseback from South Park. I told him to run his horse to South Fork and notify the people, besides telegraphing to Johnstown. Away he flew, and we kept working away. The water slowly crept up on us, and at 2 o'clock it began to break over the ridge we had made with the plow. At 1:15 I gave it up and went to the house, I could stay, and soon the crash came. It was 1:45 o'clock when the whole massive wall shot outward. The water dashed out in a solid and massive column. In a second George Fisher's house and stable were rolling and tumbling down the river. A second more and George Lamb's house was caught. Then in a jiffey the iron bridge that spans the stream went down like a bridge of straw. Oh, seemed as if all the destructive elements of the Creator had been turned loose at once in that awful current of water.

‘In less than two hours Conemaugh lake was dry, and its fearful burden of water was speeding on toward its thousands of victims in the cities below.

‘As another lake will never be thought of the South Fork Fishing Club's property is practically worth less. The loss is estimated at $150,000.’”

06/09/2026

in 1889

Survivor Story

David Alfred Williams

On June 9, 1889, David Alfred Williams wrote:
“Did you think I was drowned? I thought so myself about 4:20 on that eventful Friday; but resolved to fight till I was dead...if I live to be a hundred years old; the memory of the terrible day will be as vivid as it is at present.” -The Great Flood, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, 1889, Anwei Skinsnes Law. (es)

Image: General view of flood debris.

06/09/2026

in 1889

The first church services in Johnstown were held on Sunday, June 9, 1889. Reverend Beale arranged for pastors from different denominations to hold a service. Locations varied throughout town and most churches were destroyed in the flood. People gathered in the grass for services. Reverend Beale's Presbyterian Church near Central Park was damaged but survived. The parsonage is visible on the left. (es)

Image: Presbyterian Church.

06/08/2026

Join us for an Evening on the Lake presentation on Tuesday, June 30 at 7 p.m.

We've Come a Long Way: Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site and Johnstown Flood National Memorial Through the Years.

We've come a long way in 62 years! Participants will view the photographic history of both Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site and Johnstown Flood National Memorial. This photographic timeline will take visitors from the humble beginnings of these two parks to what exists today.

This free program is presented in the Club House building by park ranger Doug Bosley. (es)

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06/07/2026

in 1889
News of the Johnstown Flood spread across the country. It provided an opportunity for people to contribute to the relief efforts.
“By Friday, June 7, two hundred carloads of provisions had cleared Pittsburgh. At the Pennsylvania depot in Johnstown, and at the B & O depot, the platforms and yards were piled with cans of biscuits, boxes of candles, cheese, lamp chimneys and matches, huge cases of soap and canned goods, bacon by the barrelful, and hundreds of sacks of corn meal. People had donated cots, mattresses, hair combs, pipes, pillows teakettles, tents, cookstoves, and more than 7,000 pairs of shoes.” -David McCullough, The Johnstown Flood. (es)

Image: Commissary at Johnstown, June 1889.

06/06/2026

in1889

Survivor Story

The Clarion Democrat published a newspaper article about Reverend Chapman's experience in the flood on June 6, 1889. It read:

“Dr. Chapman's Experience
“Dr. Chapman was seen to-day by your correspondence as he was working about his house cleaning a portion of the mud out of the rooms. He gave a vivid description of his experience last Friday afternoon and night. He said "The water had been rising all day and Mrs. Brinker who lived opposite to us came over and she said she feared a flood was coming. I tried to dispel her fears, but she was very nervous and expressed the old fear that the South Fork reservoir would be caught. I could not think that such a catastrophe would happen, and told her it had stood so many years it would not break now. With Mr. Parker I started out through the city and found the water gaining in such a frightful rate that we sought safety at home. Reaching the parlor I the water coming into the yard and rising very rapidly until it reached the door step. We then concluded to tear up the carpets and began the work when all at once there was a roar and looking out I saw a boxcar coming pushing down the street with the speed of a lightning express. On the car was a man. As he reached our house he made ready to jump and with a wild spring he landed in a tree in the yard. He then swung from the tree onto the porch roof and climbed in a window. I then knew what was the matter and cried out that the reservoir had broken and urged the people to rush to the attic. We reached it in safety and then began such horrid sights as I hope never again to witness. The grinding, crashing sounds on all sides was deafening as the buildings were swept past in full sight with men, women and children on the roofs and clinging to parts of the wreckage. The dreadful havoc did not continue for more than half an hour, and then the first thought as we looked down that broad waste in front of us was, 'They are all gone. No one can survive that awful ride.' I am glad to know to-day that many of my congregation were rescued. I have sent my family away and hardly know what to do expect stay here and render what assistance I can to the poor people." (es)

Image: Chapman's Methodist Church at the top left.

06/05/2026

Read all about it!

in 1889

After the Johnstown Flood, newspaper reporters and photographers came to the valley.
The Los Angeles Daily Herald published a news article on June 5, 1889. It read:

“Photographing the Scene.
The retentive eye of the amateur photographer’s camera is gazing from every hill. There are no commonplace scenes about Johnstown, and the little camera appreciates that fact. Artists and their paraphernalia may be seen tumbling about together, absorbing all the sunlight and all the scene. There will be no lack of pictures of the Johnstown flood horror.” (es)

Image: A general view of Johnstown after the flood.

06/05/2026

in 1889

A young boy named Eddie Schoefler was found alive in flood debris. For people who had been through so much, this event provided people with hope that their loved ones might be found, too. (es)

06/03/2026

in 1889

Survivor Story

Frank McDonald

On June 3, 1889, the Evening Star in Washington D. C. published an article entitled “A Conductor's Story.” The article reads:

“Frank McDonald, a conductor on the Somerset branch of the Baltimore and Ohio, was at the Pennsylvania railroad depot when the flood came. He said that, when he first saw the flood, it was 30 feet high. It gradually rose to at least 40 feet. "There is no doubt that the South Fork dam broke," said Mr. McDonald. "Fifteen minutes before the flood came, Decker, the Pennsylvania railroad agent, read me a telegram he had just received saying the South Fork had broken. As soon as he heard this the people in the station, numbering 600, made a rush for the hill. I certainly think I saw 1,000 bodies go over the bridge. The first house that came down struck the bridge and at once took fire, and as fast as the others came down they were consumed. I believe I am safe in saying I saw a thousand bodies burn. It reminded me a lot of flies on fly paper struggling to get away, with no hope and no chance to save them. I have no idea that had the bridge been blown up the loss of life would have been any less. They would have floated a little further with the same certain death. Then, again, it was impossible for any one to have reached the bridge in order to blow it up, for the waters came so fast that no one could have done it. I saw 15 to 18 bodies go over the bridge at the same time. I offered a man $20 to row me across the river, but could get no one to go." (es)

Image: Frank Deckert, the Pennsylvania Railroad agent mentioned in the article.