The Johnstown Flood

Letters from an American vor 4 Monaten

0:00

9:52

Podcast

Letters from an American

895 Episoden

A newsletter about the history behind today's politics.

Geschichte Nachrichten

Podcast aneignen

May 30, 2026

The members of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club were
wealthy and influential, The Club took control of a Pennsylvania
reservoir created by damming a river, and enjoyed it for sport,
but it had no drainage system, Perched high above Johnstown,
Pennsylvania, a factory town, members of the club gave little
thought to the people living there, On May 31, 1889, the South
Fork Dam failed in a torrential storm, 2,208 people died in the
Johnstown Flood, the largest loss of civilian lives in the US to
that time, The survivors who hoped to hold the members of the
South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club accountable were
disappointed, The four lawsuits that were launched against the
club failed.

Watch today's recording here:
https://www.youtube.com/live/g9TUa1Rwd6U?si=T8_KKcHQZElhpnZ-

Get full, free access to Letters from an American here:
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe

You can also find me:

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hcrichardson.bsky.social

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathercoxrichardson/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathercoxrichardson/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heathercoxrichardson

Get full access to Letters from an American at
heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/subscribe