If you don’t know the story of the Great Johnstown Flood and how Morley’s Dog saved the day by building an ark, or something like that, then you were probably in the back seat at the Silver Drive-In and you weren’t paying attention during Slapshot. Anyway, the Old Stone Bridge is a more realistic artifact of the Flood than any of the Dog stories you may have heard, and it serves as a more, uh, concrete, if you will, symbol of the strength and resilience of Johnstown and her people than the Dog, which has had to be completely rebuilt at least a couple of times since it was found in the wreckage of the Flood. At least the city fathers, and mothers, have yet to spell “Old” with an “e”.

Johnstown’s Old Stone Bridge, built in 1887-88 by the Pennsylvania Railroad, has been carrying trains over its 7 span, 428 foot length for over 110 years. Wandering around town yesterday, looking for an appropriate spot from which to shoot the “Super Moon,” I snapped a few of the bridge. While the bankruptcy of Bethlehem Steel was a comedy of errors and the closing of its Johnstown plants meant an economic disaster for the city, at least the closure of the Lower Works opened up Iron Street to the public, and offered views of the bridge many of us had never seen before.

There’s a very pretty gallery of photos of Johnstown PA’s Old Stone Bridge here. Otherwise you can just click on any of the images below for the usual bland version. The oldest of these shots goes back to about 1975, with the remainder taken during this century. About half are from yesterday.

This isn’t your father’s Windber. It seems that, ever since the hospital told the Memorial mega-medicinal conglomerate where to stick it, this town has been redefining it’s character, and I’m giving serious consideration to moving there. They’ve got great people, low taxes, some very cool bars, their own theatre, and they know how to throw a party. They’ve even got their own vampire convention.

Three weeks ago, the En Brothers (Glen and Ken – no relation) and I took the World-Famous Walking Bar Tour (another post for another time) on a road trip to Windber . Since then, I’ve been back 4 times. This past Friday, it was for the Inaugural Friday Night Cruise In: classic, antique, and state-of the-art muscle cars and hogs lining Graham Avenue, jams in the Gazebo by Day Well Spent, and beer by the Windber Fire Department. Clear skys, a beautiful sunset, and a typical good-natured Windber crowd all contributed to the good times.

There was a time when this sort of thing drove the authorities nuts. Even today, in Lancaster, driving up Prince Street or down queen Street, you can see the signs forbidding “passing this point three times in one hour.” Some towns still don’t like this activity. But progressive Windber has embraced it, and they’re reaping the rewards.

Sponsors for the (almost) weekly event include Conzatti’s Market, Rizzo’s Restaurant, and the Windber Hotel. I know there are more, and as soon as I get back there, I’ll get a handle on the details and repost for you. They’ll be doing this all summer long, but it’s not exactly every week. They’re skipping Memorial Day weekend, but coming back the following week. Anyone who can add more info, provide links to other sponsors, or who can help identify the cars in the photos, leave your comments below. You can check out the photos from here / / /, or click the galley link at the top of the post, or the 2009 Galleries link at the top of the page.