Category Archive: JAHA at Home

Were you a steelworker? Do you or someone you love have a story about working in the steel mills of Johnstown? JAHA wants to hear it!

The momentous new exhibition “Forging a Nation: Johnstown Iron & Steel” is now open at …

On September 7, 2023, a capacity crowd gathered at the Heritage Discovery Center to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Rosedale incident, in which Johnstown’s mayor ordered all Black people who hadn’t lived in Johnstown for at least seven years …

This column by Chip Minemyer appeared in the September 24, 2023 edition of The Tribune-Democrat and is reproduced here with permission.

In April 1991, just two years after the Johnstown flood centennial and 12 years into Richard Burkert’s time in Johnstown, …

In an address to Wesleyan University’s graduating class of 1984, beloved historian, writer, and Pittsburgh native David McCullough reminded the graduates that “history is a guide to navigating perilous times. History is who we are and why we are the …

UPDATE: As of Nov. 4, 2022, we are halfway to our goal of $30,000! Please consider a generous donation today.

The Stone Bridge lights are now fully repaired and shining brightly for three hours every evening, and the Stone Bridge Project …

by Richard Burkert, JAHA president and CEO

I note with sadness the recent passing of David McCullough, whose book and career have greatly influenced the Johnstown community, my career and life.

Before I interviewed for the position of executive director of the …

by Yamila Audisio, Curatorial Assistant

“For most of history, Anonymous was a woman,” Virginia Woolf once wrote. This is especially true in the 19th century when written history only portrayed upper-class men. Johnstown’s history is no exception. This was the case …

The Johnstown Area Heritage Association (JAHA) is delighted to share The Laurel Highlands Explorers, a children’s book which has been authored and illustrated by area high school students, a project made possible by a $30,000 grant from National Geographic! The …

This post was made available to JAHA members first, before the general public, as part of our Membership Mondays program. To become a JAHA member, contact Deb Winterscheidt.

For the last year, we have been in the midst of an international health crisis …

On Feb. 11, 2021, Russell Shorto discussed his new book, “Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob,” with Richard Burkert, JAHA president. There was great interest in this virtual presentation, and we reached the webinar’s 250 capacity. We …