JOHNSTOWN FLOOD MUSEUM

The catastrophic Johnstown Flood of 1889 caused the deaths of 2,209 people. The historic flood was caused by the failure of the South Fork dam to hold back the waters of Lake Conemaugh. Lake Conemaugh was used for recreational purposes by the South Fork Fishing & Hunting Club; membership included the tycoons Andrew Carnegie & Henry Frick. The dam, fourteen miles above Johnstown, burst and the body of water and debris traveled with the force of Niagara Falls and decimated the town. Grandview Cemetery in Johnstown contains an "Unknown Plot" that contains the remains of 777 unidentified victims of the flood.