Johnstown PA Moving Companies

Johnstown, Pennsylvania

Johnstown is located in Cambria County, 57 miles east of the better known city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The city is one of the best places to live in the country. The small town of 23,000 has splendid residential neighborhoods that have a captivating small-town charm. The community is family friendly, has superb educational facilities and has very low crime statistics. This results in many families moving intrastate to Johnstown to raise children. Many senior citizens also prefer moving to Johnstown for retirement.

Economy:
Being primarily a residential community, Johnstown’s economy is mainly dependent on its metropolitan area. Known as the Greater Johnstown area, this region includes Cambria County and Northern Somerset County. The total Metropolitan population is a quarter of a million. This makes for a very diverse and actively engaged business community. The economic base is broad and includes a range of sectors. However, within the city most of the economy is dependent upon service sector industries. The largest employer is the Conemaugh health System followed by the local government. The majority of the population works out of station. Johnstown has a median household income of $24,820 per annum. Low house prices in Johnstown are a main attraction to people moving to the Greater Johnstown Statistical area. The Money Magazine ranked Johnstown as the number one most liveable city in Pennsylvania.

History:
Europeans started settling in the Johnstown area in the 1770s. The settlements were properly organized by a Swiss man called Joseph Johns, or Josef Schantz in 1800. The town was named after his last name and became known as Schantzstad. During the period from 1834 to 1854, the area was an important port for canal boats on the Pennsylvania Main Line Canal. Charles Dickens was one of the most famous visitors to the town. Johnstown served as a change-over point for passengers traveling to Ohio Valley via Railroad. The renowned writer is known to have visited Johnstown as a passenger in 1842. When the railroad was completed in Pennsylvania, the growth of the town multiplied. It became a business and travel hub. Johnstown is perhaps most famous for its floods. The city has been hit by three destructive floods in its lifetime. The first flood was due to a dam break. This “Great Flood” is responsible for a significant decrease in the population of the city.

Tourism:
Being an old railroad town, the city has a lot of history to it. There are numerous museums that tell the story of Johnstown. The Johnstown Flood Museum is a special building dedicated to the history of the devastating floods that hit the city in 1889, 1936 and 1977. The Windber Coal Heritage Centre is also a nice place to visit. Other historic sites include the Holsopple Train Station and the Allegheny Portage Railroad. Johnstown also has parks like the Blue Knob State Park, Laurel Mountain State Park and the Kooser State Park.

Colleges and Universities:

• University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown
• Pennsylvania Highlands Community College

Interesting Facts:

• Johnston has been hit by three severe floods, which is one of the reasons to its small population.
• Johnston also has the world’s steepest inclined slope.