1889 Flood - First Stores Afterwards

First stores back open after the 1889 Johnstown Flood. This picture postcard shows two of them along Main  Street in downtown Johnstown.

1889 Newspaper Journalists

1889 photo Newspaper journalists Ervin Wardman, New York Tribune, W.J. Kenney, New York Times, Richard A. Farrelly, New York World, and Charles Edward Russell, New York Herald, full-length portrait, two standing and two seated, facing front, wearing suits and bowler hats in Johnstown. Their headquarters was a shack on the hillside by the Stone Bridge.

122 Years Ago Today

TODAY IS THE 122-ND ANNIVERSARY OF THE 1889 JOHNSTOWN FLOOD.
TONIGHT AT 7. THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE WILL BE HOSTING THE LUMINARIA HONORING THE 2209 VICTIMS OF THE FLOOD AT THE JOHNSOWN FLOOD MEMORIAL IN SOUTH FORK. THE CANDLES WILL BE LIT AROUND 7  AND WILL BURN FOR SEVERAL HOURS. THE VISITOR CENTER AT THE JOHNSTOWN FLOOD NATIONAL MEMORIAL, AS WELL AS THE SOUTH FORK FISHING & HUNTING CLUB, WILL BE OPEN UNTIL 10:00 P.M. TONIGHT.

Johnstown High

This was sent in by reader Marge Stewart - this clipping is taken from a history book detailing the school in the Johnstown Area. This a brief history of Johnstown High School.

Sandyvale Cemetery

Old picture of Sandyvale Cemetery from around 1900.

John Cacicia - U.S. Army

My Uncle John Cacicia - U.S. Army

Mary Jane Cacicia - U.S. Navy

My Aunt Mimi (Cacicia) Adams - U.S. Navy. The best and funniest Aunt on the planet! I keep trying to convince her to write a book. If she doesn't get mad at me posting this (I warned her) - maybe I will be a chapter in her work of literature.

G.A.R. Drum Corp

Heading over to the Civil War and its veterans. This is the GAR Drum Corp - Johnstown, Pennsylvania Post.

Trolley Time

Fred Cacicia - U.S. Army

My Uncle Fred Cacicia - U.S. Army who fought and survived The Battle of the Bulge.

Ideal Pool

Just in time for Memorial Day. The old Ideal Swimming Pool is open for business. And as always - Please no peeing in the pool!

Joseph Hanzel - U.S. Navy

This is my Uncle Joe Hanzel - U.S. Navy - World War II

Carnegie-Illinois Steel - Work Badges

Meet the Piskura family. Father in the middle and his two sons - Andrew and Joseph. They all work for Carnegie-Illinois Steel Corporation (USS - United States Steel) - Moxham Plant and these are their work badges. Sent in by reader Misti Piskura who is the godmother to my Tanner.

Robert Cacicia - U.S. Air Force

This is my father Bob standing in front of our home in Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 1960. He was in the Air Force and stationed there for a time. He also spent time in Formosa and Okinawa. He guarded the planes. The house you are looking is on the same street as the home of Naval Hero John Paul Jones. In the early 1970's Sear's Departmentstore made a commericial on this street - showing how well their paint lasts by using the old Jones house. 

Jazz Along the River - May 2011

I know this really isn't 'vintage'  - but the tradition of groups gathering together in Cambria City is. And besides - I just love good food and music and 'Jazz Along the River' at St. Mary's Church in Cambria City is the perfect marriage of both. This experience isn't something you can buy admission to in a museum - it has to be lived.

It doesn't get any better than this - pierogi and pigs in the blanket. And I believe in starting them out young.

This is my 6 year old nephew RJ - we always walk down to Cambria City from Morrellville. He has been coming with me to these things since he was a baby. He had a very good time except for NO POPCORN!They usually sell it under the pavilion and they didn't have it this time. And he was very disappointed about that.

But he got over it. We always sit over on the river wall and feed the ducks. So since they didn't have popcorn....

I ended up buying a couple of hotdogs and he fed them everything - including bouncing the hotdogs down the riverwall. That's the Minersville Bridge in the background.

The ducks ate it all - they didn't care. I just hope ducks can digest hotdogs!

So we sit on the wall and enjoy the music and sights...

The now closed - but not forgotten St. Casimir Church.

I always stare up at this statue and wonder what would happen if it fell down...

And it doesn't get any better than finishing up the evening enjoying a gob! 

K Street - Morrellville

This is my Aunt Lucy (Cacicia) Wiley and her husband Charlie standing on K Street. That is John Cacicia - my grandfather just standing on the left hand side. 

West End - Good Luck Parade - 1942

In honor of Memorial Day I will be posting lots of war related items - most coming from my cousins old scrap book. She saved this clipping from April 21, 1942 of eleven West End selectees on their way to fight World War II. I am willing to bet that at least one of those men were friends of my family.
The store building in the back looks very familiar - but I can't think where I know it from. I thought maybe this is the Barron Avenue area - but I'm not so sure because it could be Fairfield Avenue. It's that house with the flag that is throwing me off. It just really looks to me to be looking up towards Virginia Avenue. If anyone has any better ideas let me know. Double click on the picture to enlarge.

Unknown Couple - Johnstown

Sometimes there are people in old photographs that just seem to stare straight across time and except for the clothing - look like they could be walking the streets now. This unknown couple to me fit the bill and the beautiful cabinet card is by the Boston Art Co - 109 Franklin Street - Johnstown, Pennsylvania. I hope they had a happy life together.

Beatles Inspired Exhibit - VOMA

Time	Friday, June 3 · 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Location	Venue Of Merging Arts (VOMA) 307 Chestnut St., Cambria City Johnstown, PA
Created By	Karen Mesaros
More Info	EXHIBIT OPENING RECEPTION, MEET/GREET AND MEDIA EVENT With special appearances by "The Backwards" (an international Beatles Tribute band from Slovakia) The band will appear for a meet and greet from 5 to 7 pm at the Opening Reception and at 7 pm at the VOMA Under 21,Teen Night for a quick jam.

City Beverage

City Beverage - William Penn Avenue

Working Hard

Vintage postcard sent in by reader Rick M.

First Lutheran Church - Johnstown

Old vintage postcard of the First Lutheran Church sent in by reader Harold K.

Bethlehem - Gautier

Reader John L. sent this photograph in of the old Gautier Mill - Bethlehem Steel.

Polish Ad - Cambria City

I don't read Polish - so all I get out of this ad is:
KOLEGA S. JAGIELLO

Supplier Grzybowski Polish-American

If anyone is interested in mushrooms, please report for Col. Jagiello to address the House Veterans

Mundys Corner - Cambria County

Nice old vintage postcard sent in by reader Linda K. of the intersection at Mundy's Corner, Cambria County.

Rowe College

Rowe College - the precursor to Cambria-Rowe - 542 Main Street - Downtown Johnstown.

Trolley Time

Joe Johns

This is part of the 'History of the Johnstown Schools' sent to me by reader Marge Stewart. Up today, the old Joe Johns and a little bit of history to go along with it.

Unknown Plot - 1889

Picture postcard of the Plot of the Unknown Dead - 1889 Flood at Grandview Cemetery sent in by reader Kathy Poole.

Now a word from our Sponsor

That's Alvin Glosser - and a Glossers spot - Famous for Savings at a WJAC-TV Taping.

Nanty Go - Cambria County

Old Bony Pile in Nanty Glo, Cambria County. Library of Congress photograph.

Coal Miners

Party of Windber, Scalp Level, Rummel, Davidsville and Johnstown coal miners at an unknown mine. 

St. Francis Church - about 1971

I'm not sure exactly what is going on in this picture (which I am in somewhere in this seas of people). That is the old St. Francis Church seen in the background on D Street in Morrellville. I think this has to something to do with a ceremony in regards to when the new church was built. For more on the church CLICK HERE, HERE and RIGHT HERE.

Horseshoe Curve - Blair County

Vintage postcard of the Horseshoe Curve, Blair County sent in by reader Rick M.

Daultless Fire - 1910

This is the Daultless Fire Company - 1910. Courtesy of Jackson Township Historical Preservation.

Sanitary Dairy

Old Sanitary Dairy Ad

Barron Avenue Church - Morrellville

This is the old United Brethren Church (thanks reader) at the intersection Barron Avenue and D Street in Morrellville. It used to sit right across from St. Francis Church (where Morrell School was). This church building was torn down last year. 

Summer Garden - about 1931

This is such a good example of growing a garden to feed your family. This is my gang in our garden on K Street in Morrellville. From left to right. Fred Cacicia, Lucy (Cacicia) Wiley, Carmela (Vaccaro) Cacicia, and John Cacicia. You can just see the grapevine in the background. 

Ebensburg - Cambria County

The Train Station in Ebensburg, Cambria County. Courtesy of  Jackson Township Historical Preservation.

Trolley Time

Tops Diner again - at the intersection of Main and Market Street.

Election Day - 1915

Today is Election Day in Pennsylvania. The polls are open from 7am to 8pm.
This is John Berg, my grandfather's cousin who is running for City Council. This ad is from 1915. And he got elected. John was a 1889 Flood Survivor who was only 6 years old at the time. His family lived in a house where St. Stephens Church is now. He was found downriver in Bolivar clinging to a tree near a bridge. The body of John's mother Mary (Lenz) Berg was never found, so my grandfathers family raised him.
John wasn't one to take any crap. Once during a city council meeting, John knocked the Mayor out cold because they were fighting over a tax for sliced bread. John also ran the Recreation Department for a time.