Johnstown

City in southwestern Pennsylvania, USA, at the junction of the Conemaugh River and Stonycreek, 85 km/53 mi east of Pittsburgh; population (2000) 23,900. Industries include chemicals, mining equipment, steel, coal and coal by-products, building materials, and clothing. incorporated as a city in 1889.

The community was founded in the 1790s by Joseph Johns, a Swiss Mennonite (member of a Protestant sect). It grew up as a station on the original canal route across the Appalachian Mountains, and was incorporated as a city in 1820. Following the construction of the Pennsylvania railroad in 1834 it developed as an important steelmaking centre. With the decline of coal mining in the vicinity, Johnstown has suffered much from unemployment in recent years. The city lies deep in the narrow valley of the Conemaugh River and in 1889 suffered the effects of a devastating flood; over 2,000 inhabitants lost their lives.