JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – For the 135th anniversary of the Johnstown Flood of 1889, many visited the Johnstown Flood Museum on Saturday and others took part in a special tour from the Johnstown Flood National Memorial in South Fork to downtown Johnstown and then to Grandview Cemetery where victims are buried by the floods.
The South Fork Dam failed on Friday, May 31, 1889, releasing 20 million tons of water that devastated Johnstown, killing 2,209 people. However, visitors to Johnstown Saturday, including Mary Ellen Wolbers of Novi, Michigan, were amazed at the resilience of the people who emerged from the rubble and rebuilt the city.
“It’s very impressive,” Wolbers said. ‘Tragic, but amazing how people recovered and came together again. You would hope the same thing could happen in your city.”
Wolbers was in town for the PolkaFest in Johnstown, but made a point of visiting the Flood Museum.
Roger and Lisa May of Pittsburgh shared Wolbers’ sentiment.
“It’s a tribute to the people to even rebuild,” said Roger May.
He and Lisa also visited Johnstown for the first time on Saturday, participating in a series of events organized by the National Park Service and the Johnstown Area Heritage Association to commemorate the 135th anniversary of the flood and honor the victims of the catastrophe.
“I was completely surprised by how beautiful this town is,” Lisa May said.
Cheryl Resop of Gettysburg was also among the visitors to the Johnstown Flood Museum, 304 Washington St. in downtown Johnstown.
“I grew up knowing about the flood, but I’ve never been here, so I thought it was time to learn.”
The museum hosted a one-day special exhibit that told the story of the National Guard’s involvement in flood relief through artifacts and exhibits.
About thirty people took the tour from the former site of the South Fork Dam to downtown Johnstown, where they were met by reenactors who took on the role of flood survivors.
Dressed in period attire, Kristen Caddy of Johnstown shared the story of Anna Fenn.
“It is an honor to play the role of Anna Fenn and tell her story. The fact that she has lost her husband and all seven children makes our hearts beat faster,” said Caddy.
Nick Wuckovich played George Swank, editor of the Johnstown Tribune.
“He was an individual who had an impact on the community,” Wuckovich said. “His newspaper was one of the most accurate of its time. I am pleased to be able to portray a pillar of the community like George Swank.”
The tour was organized by Doug Bosley, site manager of the Johnstown Flood National Memorial and Deb Winterscheidt, director of development and membership services at Johnstown Area Heritage Association.
“We had a full tour of people wanting to know more about the flooding,” Bosley said. “This was a great way to partner with JAHA. Together we can do great things for the public. This reenactment is a much more interesting way to learn about the flood. It brings it to life. We are on site the flood has occurred.”
