In the early 1700's my great-great-great grandfather purchased one hundred acres of land for $4 and built a homestead that is still standing to this day. My family based its future in Johnstown and like them I stand against the economic downturns in hope of better times in a town they helped build.
My great-grandfather Charles Livingston was a school teacher. Educated and a prominent figure in the community he found that at the turn of the 20th century employment with Bethlehem Steel would be a financial upturn for the family. Thus for the remainder of his life he left behind the books of a one room school house to be an accountant for the steel giant. His position there enabled the family to be economically sound enough to send my grandmother to nursing school.
Victor Saylor was a remarkable man, my grandfather, and though I never was given the chance to meet him, the research I have done illustrates this point. He was a miner, a carpenter, a laborer, a painter, and a father. His lungs were blackened by the coal dust that he inhaled deep within the mines that provided coal to fuel the fires of the mills. The callouses on his hands were from building houses, such as the Pasquerilla mansion and Joseph Johns many buildings.
My ancestors played an integral role in the foundation and life that Johnstown has seen for many years. Their fight and strength led them through difficult times such as the Great Depression. It is now left to me to carry that torch of courage in times that now seem bleak and hopeless. Johnstown may face extinction, economic turmoil and recession, but it is not in me to lay down and quit. Soon to be a college graduate, I may not find a position where my degree will be pertinent. But if this ship of Johnstown is sinking then I am along for the ride, and I hope I can live up to the strength my ancestors have taught me.
Johnstown, PA
Steel mills that once housed one of the top industries of the country now are idle as the decay of the economy can be seen in the slow death the buildings endure.