Dark brown cloth binding with embossed title on the spine and front board.

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This is a rare first edition (1889) in good order of one of the most fascinating reads by George Ferris’ The Complete History of the Johnstown and Conemaugh Valley Flood (like many of these books, the titles, in Victorian Fashion, go on for a full page). The word “complete” belongs with “official.” This book, too, contains hundreds of first person accounts. Whether they are true or not, they are all quite compelling. Ferris’ book can be found today, although many surviving copies are in rather poor shape. As in other books, the illustrations are awe-inspiring and heartbreaking. This contemporary book was published by H.S. Goodspeed and Company, and was quite a purchase at the time. This book was a compilation of news accounts mixed with some interviews.

The Johnstown Flood, sometimes referred to locally as Great Flood of 1889, occurred on Friday, May 31, 1889, after the catastrophic failure of the South Fork Dam, located on the south fork of the Little Conemaugh River, 14 miles (23 km) upstream of the town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, United States. The dam ruptured after several days of extremely heavy rainfall, releasing 14.55 million cubic meters of water. With a volumetric flow rate that temporarily equaled the average flow rate of the Mississippi River, the flood killed 2,208 people and accounted for US$17,000,000 (equivalent to about $580,000,000 in 2023) in damage.

The American Red Cross, led by Clara Barton and with fifty volunteers, undertook a major disaster relief effort. Support for victims came from all over the U.S. and eighteen foreign countries. After the flood, survivors suffered a series of legal defeats in their attempts to recover damages from the dam’s owners. This led in the 20th century to American law changing from a fault-based regime to one of strict liability.

The events have been commemorated nationally as well as locally. The Johnstown Flood National Memorial was established in 1964. The National Historic Landmark District of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club was established in 1986. Both are administered by the National Park Service.

The Flood story is one of the most compelling in American history, and in so many ways, richly documented. Like all research topics, there are traps that you must avoid. Yet whether you are using an 1889 newspaper, an 1889 book, or a book or article from today, prepare to be enthralled by what you will read. It’s that type of story. You will feel every emotion possible, from sadness to anger, and all those in-between. It’s that type of story. And, you’ll never forget what you’ll learn. It’s that type of story.