Mystery Tour #1

Mystery Tour #1

Morley's Dog
In 1870, James Morley, head of transportation for the Cambria Iron Company, purchased the now-famous canine in Philadelphia. The dog was cast by J.W. Fiske in the late 1800s, and served as a lawn ornament at the Morley home at the corners of Main and Walnut Streets in downtown Johnstown. When the wave of flood water hit downtown Johnstown on May 31, 1889, Mr. Morley’s dog was swept away in the current and carried, along with various other debris, to the Old Stone Bridge. The statue made up part of the flood-formed dam at the stone bridge and was returned to the Morley family some time later. In 1903, James Morley’s son moved the dog to his home on Bedford Street. Once that residence was sold, the dog was moved to the home of W.E. Matthews on Palliser Street in Southmont. Mrs. George Kline, James Morley’s daughter, wished to donate the dog to the city. In 1944, he was officially donated as a gift from the Morley, Kline, and Matthews families, and was placed on a concrete slab in front of Kline’s store at the corner of Main and Market Street. The dog was often damaged by vandals, and in the following years he received a new set of ears and several coats of paint. The repairs involved a process known as lead-burning, a technique similar to soldering. The dog was filled with concrete and reinforced with steel rods, then coated with fiberglass “skin” to protect him from the weather. Morley’s dog returned to his place in the park before Kline’s Store in November of 1973.
Johnstown Stone Bridge and Point Park

Built by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1887, the bridge survived the 1889 Flood but caused greater devastation as flood waters and debris, unable to pass through the arches, caught fire. For three hours every evening the bridge is lighted with colorful LED lights that are programmed to reflect holidays, special events and the time of year, beginning with a 30-minute lightshow.

Alma Hall

Alma Hall was one of four buildings that survived the Johnstown Flood in 1889, being shielded by the First Methodist Episcopal Church (now Franklin Street United Methodist Church). While the first floor was under water and debris, the remaining floors were quickly occupied by 264 survivors. The building was used as a headquarters for relief distribution following the flood. As it has since its opening, Alma Lodge #523, I.O.O.F. serves as the owner and primary tenant of the building. The building also houses two businesses on the ground floor.