By Nick Gehlmann of Iron Block Photography
On July 11, 2026, our region was graced with a rare experience. Following its historic participation in the America 250 celebration in Philadelphia just days earlier, Union Pacific’s 4014 locomotive, nicknamed “Big Boy,” traversed …
Read Moreby Amy Regan, Heritage Johnstown curator
2027 will mark the 50th anniversary of the 1977 Johnstown Flood, and Heritage Johnstown is planning a temporary exhibition to commemorate it. IUP student Heath Moser’s internship this summer was to research the 1977 Johnstown …
Read MoreOn March 18, 2026, Dr. Paul Newman, professor of history at Pitt-Johnstown, presented “HerStory: Women at the American Revolution” at the Heritage Discovery Center. This fascinating lecture was made possible by the American Association of University Women, which has graciously …
Read MoreBy Amy Regan, Heritage Johnstown curator
Have you ever wondered if there was a location that tied Johnstown’s history together? Well, the the Wagner-Ritter House and Garden does just that! This historic home ties together the Johnstown Flood Museum and the …
Read MoreJohn Fulton was the General Mining Engineer of Cambria Iron Company in Johnstown in the late 1800s. Heritage Johnstown houses six unpublished memoirs by John Fulton about his life, work, and retirement. The typewritten memoirs are annotated, …
Read MoreMarch 17, 1936 is the second of Johnstown’s three major floods. Unlike the floods of 1889 and 1977, a dam failure was not involved — instead, it was caused by a massive snowmelt and three days of rain. Heritage Johnstown’s …
Read MoreThe Epstein Family has a long and significant history in Johnstown. Their story of immigration, religion, business, and community history all embody that of many Johnstown families. Over the past few months, Richland High School student Saffron Barrett-Ross catalogued the …
Read MoreThis Heritage Johnstown at Home post is based on research done by members of our organization in the early 2000s as part of an extensive local African-American history project. It was researched primarily by Andrew Baraniak, an AmeriCorps volunteer, with …
Read MoreBy Nicholas Gehlmann. Nick is a volunteer who has been researching military history for us. We’re sharing his research on our World War II heroes for Veterans Day, as part of our Heritage Johnstown at Home series. (Photo above: Main …
Read MoreOctober 5-11, 2025 is National Fire Safety Week. For the occasion, Amy Regan, Heritage Johnstown’s curator, takes us on a trip to the Pennsylvania National Fire Museum of Harrisburg to show a special piece of Johnstown’s history.
The Pennsylvania National Fire …
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