Path of the Flood

Bird's-eye view of the Conemaugh Valley from Nineveh to the lake, Johnstown, Pa.

Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division.

 

South Fork

South Fork was the closest town to the South Fork Dam, or Lake Conemaugh, as it was called by the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club. In 1889, this coal mining town had approximately 1,500 residents. Many of the homes in South Fork were situated on a hillside back from the tracks of the Pennsylvania Railroad. From the train station in South Fork, it was two miles by carriage road to the Club House and cottages.

Mineral Point

There were about 200 residents in the quiet town of Mineral Point. The white frame houses in the town sat in a row and faced the river. The back yards stretched to the hills behind. Mineral Point had a sawmill.

About a mile above Mineral Point was the Conemaugh Viaduct. It was built by the state of Pennsylvania for the Main Line Canal and Allegheny Portage Railroad. It was 75 feet high and had a single arch measuring 80 feet. It saved a few miles of track at the oxbow in the Little Conemaugh River. In May 1889, it was the main line of the Pennsylvania Railroad.

East Conemaugh

East Conemaugh was Johnstown's marshaling yard for the Pennsylvania Railroad. Trains would get their extra engines, also known as helpers, at this location in preparation for the steep haul up the mountain. There were four main tracks in town, a sixteen stall roundhouse, and repairs shops. The homes were situated back from the tracks.

Woodvale

The town and the woolen mill were built by the Cambria Iron Company. Around 60,000 yards of material was made in the mill each month. The Gautier Iron Works produced barbed wire.
A street railway ran along Maple Avenue in Woodvale to Johnstown. This allowed the company workers to live outside of town but have easy access to travel to their jobs. Maple Avenue was considered one of the nicest streets in the whole Conemaugh Valley.
One man said that the white houses reminded him of a New England town.

Johnstown

The population in Johnstown was approximately 10,000 people. The town's location is on a nearly level flood plane at the joining of two rivers, the Stony Creek and Little Conemaugh. There was an opera house, hotel, several large office buildings that were 5 stories tall, to name a few. Most people besides those who owned larges homes, lived in 2 or 3 story frame houses. The town was lit by electric streetlights. The Cambria Iron Company was the big employer in town.