*Note from your publisher: When I moved here 30 years ago, it was important to learn the history of my new home to pass it on to my son, who would be a native. When I stumbled across Jim Gindlesperger's posts in Positively Johnstown, I was fascinated with his love for the area and the depth of his knowledge of the history of this entire area. I asked if I could share on my website and he said I had permission to use anything he posted. One of the best things you can do for your child is to acquaint them with your town's local history and lore. It brings us all together. Thanks Jim! You can see comments on this specific post here.
Adjacent to the parking area at the base of the Inclined Plane sits a small grassy strip that is adorned with the flags of 32 separate nations. It is known as the International Flag Plaza, and while it is an impressive array of colors, it actually serves a purpose.
The origins of the display go back to 1976, when our nation was celebrating our 200th birthday. Special commemorative coins were minted, and the American Freedom Train traveled cross-country, going through every state in the continental United States. Operation Sail, an international gathering of tall masted sailing ships, anchored in New York and Boston and were visited by millions. Even Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip showed there were no hard feelings about our revolution and came to celebrate with us. Cities and states across the country were encouraged to do something to commemorate the occasion, and parades, fireworks, concerts, and celebrations were the order of the day throughout the year in large cities and small villages.
Johnstown was no different, but city officials wanted to do something that other cities weren’t doing, something that would remain after the celebrating was finished. Mayor Herbert Pfuhl is credited with coming up with the idea of connecting the celebration of the birth of our nation with Johnstown’s contribution, and what better contribution than to feature the impact of immigrants to the growth of both Johnstown and the United States?
Immigration made both stronger, and the idea was presented, and quickly accepted, to feature the national origins of the immigrants that contributed to Johnstown’s success, as well as the nation’s. A display of flags of those national origins was selected as the way to present a lasting tribute to both the National Bicentennial and the city’s early contributions to the growth and strength of the country.
Research showed that immigrants came to Johnstown primarily from 31 different nations. There were probably a few more that also contributed, but the bulk came from these parts of the world: Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Czechoslavakia, Denmark, West Germany, Finland, France, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Turkey, United Kingdom, Ukraine, South Vietnam, and Yugoslavia.
On July 4, 1976, the actual national birthday, a dedication ceremony was conducted to commemorate the date. A special program involved a roll call of each of the 31 nations, with the flag of each raised in recognition. Of course, our national flag was raised as well, bringing the total of flags to 32. The assembled crowd sang “This Land Is Your Land,” and the mayor gave a speech. In that speech, Mayor Pfuhl said “We do not stand at the cradle of liberty, but we are part of its foundation.” He went on to say, “We represent what made America grow. The flags represent the countries, and they represent us.”
A nameplate for each country’s flag was affixed to the appropriate flag poles, and a plaque was dedicated that said, “Dedicated to generations before us of every nationality, race, and creed; who made this bicentennial possible. 1776 – 1976.” The plaza was rededicated on July 4, 1979.
The flags proved popular immediately, with traffic reported stopped along the adjoining roadway the next day to take in the sight. The flags are still flown daily when weather permits.
The Heritage Discovery Center, featured in an earlier post, documents the experiences of the immigrants in a permanent display titled “America: Through Immigrant Eyes.” That exhibit describes the reasons immigrants came to Johnstown and what they experienced when they got here.
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