Johnstown, Pennsylvania
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Template:US City infobox Johnstown is a city located in Cambria County, Pennsylvania. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 23,906.
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History
Johnstown, settled in 1770, is perhaps most famous for its three floods. The "Great Flood" of May 31, 1889 occurred after the South Fork Dam collapsed 10 miles (16 km) upstream from the city during heavy rains. At least 2,200 people died as a result of the flood and subsequent fire that raged through the debris. Other major floods occurred in 1936 and 1977.
Johnstown was founded in 1800 by the Swiss German settler Joseph Johns. The settlement was initially known as Schranzstadt, but was soon anglicized to Johnstown. From 1834 to 1854, the city was an important port along the Pennsylvania Main Line Canal, located where the western branch of the canal connected to the Allegheny Portage Railroad. By 1860, iron, coal, and steel became important. Johnstown lies at the formation of the Conemaugh River. In July of 1902, Johnstown's Rolling Mill Mine was the scene of a mining accident, killing 112 miners. By 1920, Johnstown was primarily a steel producer. Johnstown's steelmaking facilities never completely recovered from damage suffered in the 1977 flood and by the early 1990s, steel was no longer being produced. Johnstown has yet to find its economic footing for the 21st century. In 2003, US Census data showed that Johnstown was the city in the United States least likely to attract newcomers, demonstrating the weak opportunities provided by the local manufacturing and service economies. Recently the drug industry has been growing in the city. Johnstown remains a regional medical, educational, and communications center.
In recent years, the Pasquerilla Performing Arts Center, a concert/theatrical venue at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, continues to attract high-quality performers. The Johnstown Symphony Orchestra and the recently-formed Johnstown Symphony Chamber Players provide high quality classical music. The Pasquerilla Convention Center was recently constructed in the downtown area, adjacent to the Cambria County War Memorial Arena. Under construction in 2005 is a new multi-use facility to replace the aging Point Stadium. Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center is about to construct a major medical complex on the site of an abandoned industrial property very close to the downtown area. A recently-passed zoning ordinance created an artist zone and a traditional neighborhood zone, to encourage both artistic endeavors and the old-fashioned "Mom and Pop" enterprises that had difficulty under the previous code. The Bottleworks Ethnic Arts Center offers many exhibitions, events, performances, and classes that celebrate the rich and diverse cultural heritage of the Area. The recently-established ART WORKS In Johnstown! will house artist studios in some of the area's architecturally significant but unused industrial buildings. A pilot ART WORKS project is underway and will feature Johnstown's first fully LEED-certified green building. Both of these institutions are in the historic Cambria City section of town, which boasts a variety of ethnic churches and social halls. This neighborhood hosted the National Folk Festival for three years in the early 1990s. Johnstown also hosts the annual Thunder in the Valley motorcycle rally during the fourth week of June. This event has been bringing motorcyclers from all over the Northeast to the city of Johnstown since 1998.
Significant (and largely successful) efforts have been made to deal with deteriorating housing, brownfields, drug problems, and other issues. The Johnstown Fire Department has become a leader in developing intercommunication systems among first responders, and is now a national model for ways to avoid the communications problems which faced many first responders during the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Geography
Johnstown is located at 40°19'31" North, 78°55'15" West (40.325174, -78.920954)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.7 km² (6.1 mi²). 15.1 km² (5.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.6 km² (0.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 4.11% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 23,906 people, 11,134 households, and 6,045 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,583.2/km² (4,097.0/mi²). There were 12,802 housing units at an average density of 847.8/km² (2,194.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 86.28% White, 10.71% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.61% from other races, and 1.92% from two or more races. 1.59% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 11,134 households of which 22.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.1% were married couples living together, 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.7% were non-families. 41.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.87.
Within the city, the population is spread with 21.3% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 22.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 84.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $20,595 and the median income for a family was $28,279. Males had a median income of $26,163 versus $19,791 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,236. 24.6% of the population and 18.9% of families were below the poverty line. Of the total population, 37.5% of those under the age of 18 and 12.6% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Johnstown in Film and Literature
Two major motion pictures have been filmed in Johnstown, taking advantage of the town's blue collar atmosphere.
The first was 1977's Slap Shot, a comedy featuring Paul Newman as an aging hockey player/coach. The story was based on a novel by Nancy Dowd which was in turn loosely based on the real-life Johnstown Jets hockey team. The movie changed the team's name to the Charlestown Chiefs.
The second was 1983's All the Right Moves, a high school football drama set in the fictional town of Ampipe featuring Tom Cruise and Lea Thompson.
Mystery novel writer K.C. Constantine currently resides near Johnstown. He has fictionalized elements of Johnstown and its culture as "Rocksburg."
In 2000, Kathleen Cambor published "In Sunlight, In A Beautiful Garden." The novel followed its characters through the events leading up to and including the 1889 flood. Although the protagonists in the novel were fictional, several historical figures, such as Andrew Mellon and Henry Clay Frick, were also depicted in the book.
"The Johnstown Flood" written and directed by Charles Guggenheim won the Academy Award for Best Documentary, Short Subjects in 1989.
Sports
Johnstown has been home to a long succession of minor league hockey franchises dating back to 1940. The current team, the Johnstown Chiefs, were named for their Slap Shot counterparts. The team made their ECHL debut in 1988.
Johnstown has a rich history in amateur and professional baseball as well. Johnstown has long been known as the host city for the AAABA Baseball Tournament held each summer. The tournament began in 1944 and continues to this day. Several Major League Baseball Players have played on AAABA teams over the years.
In addition, the city has hosted several incarnations of a Minor League Baseball team, the Johnstown Johnnies, which first set up shop in 1884. The last team to play as the Johnnies, as a part of the Frontier League, left the city in 2002.
More recently Johnstown has also added an indoor football team; the Riverhawks of the AIFL.
Film and Literature
Author James Patterson had his fictional serial kidnapper Gary Soneji from "Along Came A Spider" stopping at a convenience store on his way through Johnstown, Pennsylvania; while author David Morrell had his fictional character "Eliot" recruit two brothers from an orpanage in Johnstown, Pennsylvania to train as assassins in "The Brotherhood Of The Rose."
Landmarks
Johnstown is home to the world's steepest vehicular inclined plane, the Johnstown Inclined Plane.
Johnstown is also home to one of Pennsylvania's largest cemeteries: Grandview Cemetery. Grandview is home to over 47 burial sections and more than 235 acres of land.
People
Johnstown is the (adopted) hometown of many notable people, including:
- Luke Swank – photographer
References
- David McCullough, "The Johnstown Flood", ISBN 0671207148
- Karl Berger, M.D., editor, "Johnstown: Story of a Unique Valley," Published by the Johnstown Flood Museum, 1984
- City of Johnstown
External links
- Greater Johnstown / Cambria County Chamber of Commerce
- Johnstown & Cambria County Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Johnstown Flood National Memorial
- Johnstown Flood
- Johnstown Area Heritage Association
- Thunder in the Valley
- Grandview Cemetery
