The stories of Johnstown, Pennsylvania shaped the history of America as it became a modern industrial nation. The Johnstown Discovery Network brings this rich heritage to life through a linked system of attractions and historic districts. We invite you to come explore!
The Path of the Flood Historic Races is back, with new and exciting changes that include improved courses and much more! For complete details, including online registration (which is FREE...
moreThe Johnstown Area Heritage Association hosts a broad range of special events throughout the year.
JAHA Events| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
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The Campaign for the Johnstown Flood Museum is going on now! JAHA is raising funds to completely renovate our flagship museum, and bring this amazing story to a new generation.
DonateJAHA members get free museum admission anytime you’d like to come, as well as discounts on many of our ticketed events. Become a member to support our work and take advantage of these great benefits.
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We continue Women’s History Month by exploring some of the notable women in Johnstown’s past.
Anna Wagner was born in Cambria City in 1866, the daughter of George and Francisca Wagner, German immigrants who had come to Johnstown in search of a better life. She was one of 13 children born to the couple, only 7 of whom survived to adulthood. As a young girl, she helped her mother take care of the family and their house at 418 Broad Street. In 1897, she moved out when she married Joseph Ritter, with whom she had three children--Mary, Joseph, and Louis--before her husband passed away in 1903. Left a widow with three young children, Anna decided to move back in with her parents where she kept house and worked as a cleaning woman in the community.
She ended up staying at 418 Broad Street for the rest of her life, passing away in 1968 at the age of 102. After this, her son Louis lived there until 1990, when the Wagner-Ritter House was given to the Johnstown Area Heritage Association by the family’s heirs.
Anna saw an unbelievable amount of change and history. She was born at the end of the Civil War and passed away just before men walked on the moon. In her lifetime the telephone, electric lightbulb, radio, and television became a part of everyday life. She lived through five American wars, twenty American presidencies, the 1889 and 1936 Johnstown Floods, and countless more. And almost all through the same house in the same community, one that changed over time but was a common element of her and her family’s life.
Our Women’s History Month posts continue!
On July 17, 1929, famed aviator Amelia Earhart flew into Johnstown as part of the festivities for the opening of the Westmont Municipal Airport. After landing her plane at the airport, Earhart attended a reception at Sunnehanna Country Club, which bordered the airport.
Earhart’s visit was the year after she became the first woman to participate in a transatlantic flight (from France to England), but still three years before her solo transatlantic flight in 1932 that made her an international celebrity. Earhart continued to fly until 1937, when her plane disappeared during an attempt to circumnavigate the globe.
Rare film footage of Earhart at the Sunnehanna Country Club can be viewed here: www.jaha.org/about-jaha/archives-research/special-projects/special-features/ And be sure to explore our website for other historical content!
2020-03-27
Like so many businesses and public sites, we are currently closed to help limit the spread of the coronavirus. But even though our doors are closed, we still have plenty to share with you.
There are many materials online through our …
Read More 2020-03-16
In cooperation with state and national public health authorities, our museums (Heritage Discovery Center/Johnstown Children’s Museum and Johnstown Flood Museum) are currently close. JAHA events scheduled for the near future will also be canceled, or rescheduled where possible.
In the meantime, …
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