Johnstown Flood National Memorial

Effective December 12, 2020 The National Park Service is working with federal, state, and local public health officials to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on guidance from state and local public health authorities, and in cooperation with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Visitor Center will be temporarily closed beginning Saturday, December 12, 2020, until further notice.... Weather permitting, all trails and grounds will remain open daily from sunrise to sunset. Status and conditions are updated at: https://www.nps.gov/jofl/planyourvisit/conditions.htm (dkb)

There are many overlapping connections between Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site and Johnstown Flood National Memorial. Another one of these overlapping connections is the Conemaugh Viaduct, found in the Horseshoe Bend of the Little Conemaugh River, in between South Fork and Johnstown. The Conemaugh Viaduct had a span of eighty feet and a rise of over seventy feet, was originally built by the State of Pennsylvania in the early 1830s for use on the Allegheny P...ortage Railroad, a part of the Pennsylvania Main Line of Public Works. Once the Pennsylvania Railroad Company purchased the Main Line of Public Works in 1857, the Conemaugh Viaduct was incorporated into the rail system of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. The connection with Johnstown Flood National Memorial is that the Conemaugh Viaduct was destroyed by the raging floodwaters. Recognizing the vital role that the railroad would play in supplying the relief efforts in the Johnstown Flood, the Pennsylvania Railroad Company quickly built a temporary wooden trestle bridge in just five days after the flood, and soon after built a new stone viaduct that is still in use today. (SJL)

There are many overlapping connections between Johnstown Flood National Memorial and Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site. One of these overlapping connections is the South Fork Dam. Originally known as the Western Reservoir, it was built by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania between 1838-1853, for use as a reservoir to help maintain the water levels of the Canal system of the Main Line of Public Works, which connected Pittsburgh with Philadelphia. The South Fork ...Dam, as we call it today, is most famous for being the dam that failed on May 31st, 1889. This failure was the cause of the Johnstown Flood. When the Pennsylvania Railroad Company purchased the Main Line of Public Works in 1857, the South Fork Dam was included in the sale. The Pennsylvania Railroad Company sold the South Fork Dam to Congressman John Reilly, who then sold it to Benjamin Ruff, who rebuilt the South Fork Dam for use as a lake resort for the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club, and was used by the club from 1881 to 1889, when the Flood occurred. (SJL)

Effective June 19, 2020 The National Park Service (NPS) is working servicewide with federal, state, and local public health authorities to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and using a phased approach to increase access on a park-by-park basis. Based on guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state and local public health authorities, access to the park is as follows: Open: The Lake View Visitor Center will be open daily from 9... AM- 5 PM. Park grounds are open daily from sunrise to sunset. This includes; the picnic area and North and South Abutment Trails Closed: Lake View Visitor Center theater

When you come to the Johnstown Flood Visitor Center, you will see many exhibits and artifacts from the time of the Johnstown Flood. The centerpiece of the Visitor Center is the model of the debris field seemingly crashing through the wall of the Visitor Center, with a teenager holding on for dear life on the side of the model. That teenager is Victor Heiser, a survivor of the Johnstown Flood. Victor Heiser was 16 when the flood occurred. He recounted his experiences in surviv...ing the Johnstown Flood in an interview that he gave to David McCullough in 1965. A portion of the interview can be heard at the Johnstown Flood Visitor Center. After the Johnstown Flood, Victor Heiser left Johnstown, and became a public health doctor, working in different parts of the world to eradicate smallpox, cholera, leprosy and other diseases. Victor Heiser lived to be 99 years old and is buried with his family in the Grandview Cemetery, where many other Johnstown Flood victims and survivors are buried, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. (SJL) See more

Flashback Friday This picture is taken near the North Abutment around the 1970s! (es)

#NPS #FindYourPark Autumn in different cultures: Autumn or Fall is generally regarded as the end of the growing season. It is also known as the harvest season, as autumn ushers in a time of celebration for many farming cultures when they gathered in their crops. The different festivals held by many a culture, celebrate the return of light, harvest, and like spring, rebirth through death. Harvest celebrations tend to combine giving thanks with prayers for future abunda...nce, to propitiate the god(s) and ensure successful crops. Some cultures regard the autumnal equinox as "mid-autumn", while others with a longer temperature break treat it as the start of autumn. Meteorologists (and most of the temperate countries in the southern hemisphere) use a definition based on Gregorian calendar months, with autumn being September, October, and November in the northern hemisphere, and March, April, and May in the southern hemisphere. In North America, autumn traditionally starts with the September equinox (September 21-24) and ends with the winter solstice (December 21 or 22). Popular culture in the United States associates Labor Day, the first Monday in September, as the end of summer and the start of autumn. Some Cultural Celebrations: The Jewish festival of Sukkot, which commemorates the time spent in exile by giving thanks. Halloween (All Hallows Eve) celebrations on Oct. 31 remind people of the connection with death, the spirits of those who have left this earth, and thus rebirth. November 1st, Christians, especially Catholics, celebrate All Hallows Day, or All Saints' Day, when people visit their departed and bring flower to their graves. In Mexico, the living celebrate their ancestors during the Day of the Dead on Nov. 2 In traditional East Asian solar term, autumn starts on or around August 8th and ends on or about November 7th. In Ireland, the autumn months, are September, October and November. (The Irish Calendar, which is based on ancient Gaelic traditions, has autumn lasting throughout the months of August, September and October, or possibly a few days later, depending on tradition.) In Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand, autumn officially begins on 1 March and ends on 31 May.

Russell Tree Experts began clearing trees in the lakebed. This work will continue throughout much of the winter. We want to remind you that the North and South Abutments are closed to vehicles and pedestrians this week. Additional closures may take place as work progresses. This will not impact Visitor Center operations. Thank you for your patience as the Lakebed Rehabilitation Project continues to move forward! (es)

The days may be getting colder and shorter, but there is no shortage of winter activities in national parks! Please visit the link below to find events near you! https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/holiday-happenings.htm (es)

Veteran's Day The Visitor Center is open today from 9 AM- 5 PM. Please note that the theater remains closed. (es) https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/veterans-day.htm... #VeteransDay #MilitaryHeritage

News Release The National Park Service Historic Preservation Training Center (HPTC) is onsite at the Double Cottage at Johnstown Flood National Memorial. They are removing the vinyl siding and any other layers to determine the condition of the original siding. HPTC will order any replacement pieces and determine the original siding color. The Double Cottage will be wrapped for its protection over the winter. In early summer 2021, HPTC will replace and repair the original sidi...ng, replicate the window and door trim and paint the building. The work could continue into the fall. (es) To read the entire news release: https://www.nps.gov//siding-replacement-at-the-double-cott

PARK ALERT In addition to the South Abutment, the North Abutment will also be closed to vehicles and pedestrians the week of November 9, 2020 due to tree trimming. Thank you for your patience as this work is being done! (es)

PARK ALERT The South Abutment Road will be closed to vehicles and pedestrians the week of November 9, 2020 due to tree trimming. We apologize for any inconvenience. With the exception of the South Abutment Road, park grounds are open daily from sunrise to sunset. The Visitor Center is still accessible and is open daily from 9 AM-5 PM. (es)

Winter Hours of Operation Beginning January 1, 2021 to March 31, 2021 the Visitor Center will be closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays. The Visitor Center will be open Fridays through Tuesdays from 9 AM- 5 PM. Daily hours of operation will resume on April 1, 2021!... Park grounds are open daily from sunrise to sunset all year! (es)