The story of the Johnstown flood is more than a 1880s man made disaster. It's aftermath had far reaching consequences for the decade of the 1890s. The resulting labor strife and decade of economic hardships in the Pennsylvania steel region began long before the breaking of the dam high above the town of Johnstown. The resulting flood and its aftermath excaberated the plight of laborers, women, and children while pointing to the environmental dangers posed by humankinds relentless drive for raw materials and industrialization, a warning in this case that went unheeded.

The quotations, facts, figures and photos of the Johnstown story come from David McCullough's book:

David G. McCullough, The Johnstown Flood . New York: Simon and Schuster, 1968.

For additional information on the Johnstown Flood see the PBS production produced for the American Experience television series.

Or:

Johnstown Flood National Memorial

Johnstown Flood Historic Essay

Johnstown Flood Museum

Additional views of the destruction caused by the break in the dam. In the photo on the right the body that appears in the debris according to writer David McCullough was placed there by the photographer.

Return to: 1890s America: A Chronology.