Johnstown Flood National Memorial

Johnstown Flood National Memorial
Location	Cambria County, Pennsylvania, USA
Nearest city	Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Coordinates	40°20′44″N 78°46′43″W
Area	164.12 acres (66.42 ha)
Established	August 31, 1964
Visitors	111,987 (in 2005)
Governing body	National Park Service

Johnstown Flood National Memorial commemorates the approximately 2,200 people who died in the Johnstown Flood of 1889, caused by a break in the South Fork Dam. Clara Barton successfully led the American Red Cross in its first disaster relief effort. The memorial is located at 733 Lake Road near South Fork, Pennsylvania, about 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Johnstown. The memorial preserves the remains of the dam and portions of the former Lake Conemaugh bed. The United States Congress authorized the national memorial on August 31, 1964.

Johnstown Flood damage.

Collapsed wall of South Fork Dam today.

The Unger house looming above the dam.

References

• The National Parks: Index 2001–2003. Washington: U.S. Department of the Interior.

External links

• Official NPS website: Johnstown Flood National Memorial
• Run for Your Lives!: The Johnstown Flood of 1889, a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan