My Genealogy Hound

Johnstown, Pennsylvania 1889 Flood, John Schultz House, historic photo

A historic photo view of the John Schultz House, destroyed by the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Flood. The flood occurred on May 31, 1889 when the dam on Lake Conemaugh, fourteen miles upstream from Johnstown, burst and washed through Johnstown in a little less than one hour. Other smaller communities were devastated as well. Six people were in the house shown in this photo and all survived the destruction of the flood which carried the house through the street. Not everyone was as fortunate, a total of 2,209 persons are known to have been killed by the rampaging waters.

This photo is by photographer George Barker, 1889.