Grandview Cemetery and the Great Flood

Grandview Cemetery is a beautiful and sprawling 235-acre cemetery. It has 47 burial sections and twelve miles of paved road that wind their way through old and new headstones.

The Creation

136 years ago a group of prominent area residents gathered to discuss the lack of burial space in the town. In 1884 the existing burial grounds located in the Conemaugh Valley were coming close to full capacity. Besides the lack of space, the current burial sites were falling into disrepair.

No one at this meeting could have foreseen how fortuitous their actions would be. They could not have foreseen the Great Flood of Johnstown only five years away. Nor could they have guessed they were beginning to plan one of Pennsylvania’s largest cemeteries.

The search was on! Johnstown continued to grow with waves of immigrants coming to work as iron and rail workers. The need for more cemetery spaces continued to grow. Throughout 1885 a few locations were considered.

In a meeting in January 1886, a plot of land was decided upon. It was owned by the Cambria Iron Company and was used for pasture and farming. This decision was not without controversy though. To reach the location a new road had to be built.

When considering names for their new purchase, they looked around and decided upon a very apt name. They felt the “grand view” of the city, mountains and scenic Conemaugh Valley would lend itself to the cemetery’s moniker.

Grandview saw its first interment on April 30th 1887. Lucretia Hammond of Kernville had the honor of being the first to be buried in Grandview. After Lucretia, many more followed.

1889 Johnstown Flood

I covered the Great Flood in a previous post. If you are interested you can visit it here. Today marks the 131st anniversary of the Flood. Today, all those years ago, it was raining so hard that the man made lake in South Fork was rising about a foot every ten minutes.

131 years ago, several telegraphs have been sent to warn the town. Today at 3:10pm the dam burst, giving way to 20 million gallons of water. It took around forty minutes to drain. The water built, collecting buildings, trees and trains as it made its way to Johnstown.

At 4:07pm a 36 foot high wall of water slammed into the city at speeds of 40 mph. Destruction and death reigned. After the water, came fires. After fire, came disease. The death toll officially stands at 2,209.

The trustees of the cemetery set aside land to use for the burial of the unknown dead. Eventually the nickname the “Unknown Plot” stuck. The area is laid out with 777 black grave markers. Fun fact: there aren’t actually 777 bodies in this formation. A few extra spaces were created to make an even pattern.

Three years after the flood, a monument to those who had perished was erected. Around 10,000 people came to pay their respects.

Grandview Cemetery: Other Interesting Finds

The flood did a lot of damage, including previous burial sites. In one area visitors can find the Union Cemetery Marker. Previously, it could be found at Napoleon and Market Streets downtown. It was moved in 1949.

In front of this monument are two smaller markers. These were created with relics of the old Portage Railroad, makers for the graves of George Lucas and Samuel Cole. Both these men were soldiers in the Revolutionary War.

The Civil War took place before the creation of the cemetery. However, there is still a section dedicated to Civil War soldiers. A monument was erected in 1897 for the Grand Army of the Republic. It is found in the Soldier’s Circle.

Among the many well known names found in Grandview Cemetery is Lt. Col. Boyd “Buzz” Wagner. Buzz grew up in Nanty-Glo and studied aeronautical engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. He became America’s first air ace of World War II. To learn more about his career go here or here.

Wagner perished on a routine flight from Florida to Alabama. His plane disappeared at the end of November 1942. The crash site was found six weeks later in January of 1943. It is estimated that between 15,000 and 20,000 people attended his funeral at Grandview Cemetery.

There are many other markers to visit and famous names to see. There is plenty of history to be found in Grandview Cemetery. The layout is beautiful and serene. It truly is a grand view.