The city of Johnstown, Cambria county, is beautifully located between the ranges of the Allegheny and Laurel Hill mountains, and at the confluence of the Conemaugh river and Stony creek. The advantages derived by the inhabitants from its situation are of considerable importance. The atmosphere is salubrious, and free from all malarious poisons and epidemic fevers that so often prevail in manufacturing cities of low situations. The citizens are supplied with pure water from mountain springs at but a trifling cost. Johnstown, in the past, like many of the cities in our manufacturing regions before the dawn of railroads and manufacturing, existed simply as a back woodsman village, containing a few log houses, a trading post and lodging place for the pioneer teamsters, who acted in the capacity of common carriers and freight lines for the transportation of merchandise from the seacoast cities to the borders of the far west, then the western boarders of the far west, then the western borders of Pennsylvania and the eastern part of the State of Ohio. Later the construction and completion of the Pennsylvania Canal provided more rapid facilities for transportation, as the fast augmentation of trade demanded.

     The city was laid out as a village in the year 1800, by Joseph Johns, Esq. Little importance seems to have been attached to the place till about the year 1832, at which period the western division of the Pennsylvania Canal was extended to this place, connecting with the Allegheny and Portage Railroad, which was completed about the same time. The large quantities of freight reshipped furnished employment to a large force of laborers and teamsters, and the village had grown in population, and numbered about 1,200 souls.

     During the year 1848 the Pennsylvania Railroad Company made a survey of the line for their road, and located it along the Conemaugh valley. This new enterprise, opening a direct route between the eastern cities and the west, was looked upon by the inhabitants of Johnstown with but little favor, and as an innovation upon their industries that would destroy their business and be fatal to the future of their village. As subsequent events have demonstrated, these fears were groundless, and this enterprise was but the power that would give a new impetus to their trade and commerce.

     The mountains adjacent to Johnstown abounding in coal and iron ore, the Cambria Iron Company was organized in the year 1852, for the purpose of manufacturing iron rails, and began operations in 1853. In the fall of 1854 the Company became involved, and the works were leased to Messrs. Wood, Morrell & Co. These gentlemen possessing both skill and capital, at once entered upon an extensive scale of improvement and enlargement of the facilities of the works, and commenced operations with success. In the year 1857 the works were almost entirely destroyed by fire, but they were at once rebuilt, with increased facilities, and commenced a rapidly increasing trade. During the year 1862 the Cambria Iron Company was reorganized, with Charles S. Wood as President, E. Y. Townsend, Vice President, and D. J. Morrell, General Superintendent. These gentlemen, with their associates, who became members of the Board of Directors of the Company, constituted the firm of Wood, Morrell & Co., which had operated the works successfully for seven years, and still conducts a mercantile business at Johnstown. Additions and enlargements have been made to the original works from time to time, till they now rank as the largest rail mill in the United States. There are employed at the mills 2,500 and in the coal and ore mines about 1,500 men. The productions are from 1,800 to 2,000 tons of iron and steel rails per week, and the mill has a puddling capacity of about 1,000 tons per week. Since the year 1875 the Company has been making Bessemer steel, producing 200 tons per day. The rails manufactured here have acquired a standard reputation, and fine a ready market. The firm of Wood, Morrell & Co. owns a store, for the sale of every description of supplies, that is a mammoth emporium. This store is patronized by a population of about 18,000 connected with the different departments of the Company’s works, and also has an extensive trade from other sources. The Company owns about 40,000 acres of land located throughout the different adjoining counties, and also the Blair Iron Company, located at Hollidaysburg, Pa., operating four stacks, with a capacity of 700 tons of pig iron per week.

     The city of Johnstown proper contains a population of about 10,000 and the adjoining boroughs of Conemaugh, Woodvale, Millville, Cambria, Prospect, Coopersdale, East Conemaugh and Franklin are separate boroughs, and only separated from Johnstown by streets and streams of water, and have a population in the aggregate of 10,000. If consolidated with the city of Johnstown they would swell its population to 20,000. There are nearly 5,000 names included in the following directory of these places, and the population, estimated from this source, will nearly reach this number.

     Aside from the works operated by the Cambria Iron Company there are a number of manufacturing establishments that are conducted on an extensive scale; foundries and machine shops, planning mills, tanneries, woolen factories, brick works, &c., that give employment to a large force of workmen.

     The brick and cement works of A. J. Haws is one of the most extensive establishments of the kind in the State. The business was established in the year 1852, and grew in importance until it now furnishes employment for 45 men. The invested capital is about $70,000. The works are located in Cambria borough, at the west end of the Penn iron bridge, and have a capacity to manufacture fire brick, furnace brick and floor tiles at the rate of 5,000 per day. The clays and fire sands used here are of a better quality and variety than those used in any other works in the United States. The machinery combines all the latest improvements, including two patent machines for making tuyeres, and for pressing and forming Bessemer steel converter bottoms. The machinery is run by three 20 horse power engines, with one 10-horse power engine for running a stopper, nozzle and sleeve machine. There is also manufactured here sewer pipe of all sizes from eight to one and a half inches.

     The Weekly Tribune was finally permanently established, by James M. Swank, in December, 1853, although a paper had been published by that gentleman and others periodically from the same material for many years previous, and as a campaign organ in 1848. On June 11, 1856, John M. Bowman purchased the establishment from Mr. Swank, and continued to edit and publish the paper until the 20 th of March, 1858, when James M. Swank again became connected with it, and the paper was published under the firm name of Bowman & Swank until March 8, 1861, when Mr. Swank again retired, and Mr. Bowman again became sole editor and publisher, and continued so until June 5, 1863, when Cyrus Elder, Esq., became associated with him as editor, which association continued until October 7, 1864, when James M. Swank purchased the material and good will, and published and edited the paper, with Cyrus Elder, Esq., as associate, until October 5, 1866, when Mr. Elder retired and Mr. Swank remained in entire control of the editorial department un January 7, 1870, when the office was purchased by George T. Swank, the brother of the founder of the paper, and has remained under his management until the present time. The Tribune is now published daily and weekly, the weekly being the oldest as well as the largest paper in Cambria county.

     The Voice and Echo is a weekly paper published by J. F. Campbell, Sr. This paper is well edited, is a first-class country newspaper, and has an extensive circulation in Cambria county.

     The Johnstown Democrat, edited by H. D. & L. D. Woodruff, is published by these gentlemen weekly. This paper publishes all the official business of the county in its columns, and is well patronized.

     The Johnstown Freie Presse is published every Wednesday, by Mr. George S. Lechner. It is an independent family and local newspaper, and is the only German newspaper published between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg.