Built at the fork of the Little Conemaugh and Stony Creek rivers, Johnstown epitomized the prosperity created by American industry in the period after the Civil War. Fourteen miles up the Little Conemaugh was a lake created when the South Fork dam was constructed to supply water to the Main Line Canal. The poorly maintained dam was breached, and the entire lake began to cascade down the valley of the Little Conemaugh toward Johnstown. The nation's worst flood claimed 2,209 lives. The Johstown Flood National Memorial was established in 1964 to commemorate the flood.
Visitors can also participate in ranger-guided activities.
The memorial is near the town of St. Michael, where eight of the Victorian cottages and the clubhouse of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club still stands. The site is managed by the National Park Service . The Johnstown Flood Museum presents the compelling story of the destruction of Johnstown in 1889 and its heroic rebuilding. The Johnstown Flood Memorial is off the St. Michael exit of U.S. Route 219, on Pennsylvania Route 869. The Johnstown Flood Museum is at 304 Washington Street in downtown Johnstown.