'America's best narrative historian': David McCullough, author of 'The Johnstown Flood,' remembered fondly in city where his career took off

Aug. 9—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — Back in the 1960s, David McCullough, then a writer working on his first book, came to the Johnstown area to research the historic May 31, 1889 flood.

He dug through newspaper clippings, walked in the city's streets and talked with survivors of the disaster that killed 2,209 people when the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club dam — sitting high atop a mountain — broke and sent a wave of water rushing down the valley.

Finally, after years of effort, "The Johnstown Flood" was released on March 18, 1968.

The book, published by Simon & Schuster, has never been out of print, selling an estimated 500,000 copies, as of its 50th anniversary in 2018.

McCullough's books

Author David McCullough's non-fiction books, listed chronologically:

—The Johnstown Flood (1968)

—The Great Bridge (1972)

—The Path Between the Seas (1977)

—Mornings on Horseback (1981)

—Brave Companions (1991)

—Truman (1992)

—John Adams (2001)

—The Course of Human Events (2004)

—1776 (2005)

—In the Dark Streets Shineth (2010)

—The Greater Journey (2011)

—The Wright Brothers (2015)

—The American Spirit (2017)

—The Pioneers (2019)

It began with a sentence that provided a glimpse into the narrative history style that would become the trademark of the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author who died on Sunday in his Massachusetts home at age 89.

McCullough wrote: "Again that morning there had been a bright frost in the hollow below the dam, and the sun was not up long before storm clouds rolled in from the southeast."

"He is arguably America's best narrative historian. ... He told a story with enough details, but he wasn't an academic historian," said Richard Burkert, Johnstown Area Heritage Association's chief executive officer. "He wasn't a scholar. He wrote for a popular audience, and he wrote really well. He was a consummate writer."

McCullough became inspired to write about the flood when, as the 27-year-old editor for a magazine published by the U.S. Information Agency, he saw some pictures of the disaster at the Library of Congress' Prints and Photographs Division.

"I was just amazed, and I thought, 'I've got to find out what happened,'" McCullough said during a 2018 interview with The Tribune-Democrat.

Researching and writing "The Johnstown Flood" launched McCullough's career.

"I gave it a try," McCullough said. "As soon as I got into the research part of it, I knew that that was the kind of work I wanted to do from then on. I loved it."

McCullough, a Yale-educated Pittsburgh native, wrote several highly acclaimed books, including "Truman" and "John Adams," which earned him Pulitzer Prizes for biographies. He also narrated "The Civil War" documentary by Ken Burns and hosted "Smithsonian World" and "American Experience."

He received countless recognitions, among them the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Officer of the Legion of Honor by decree of the President of the Republic of France, and National Book Foundation Distinguished Contribution to American Letters Award. In 2013, Pittsburgh renamed the 16th Street Bridge in his honor, calling it the David McCullough Bridge.

His work left an indelible mark that was remembered by people across Pennsylvania, including the commonwealth's two United States senators, following his death.

"My friend David McCullough had a gift for explaining history in eloquent and uplifting ways," tweeted U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr., who often spoke about McCullough's work during his visits to Johnstown. "His books transported readers to moments in history when our nation was at its best and worst, all while focusing on our capacity to form a more perfect union. My prayers are with his family."

U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey also posted a comment: "The book has closed on the great life of a man who made history come alive for so many of us. We are all fortunate this Pittsburgh native had the opportunity and willingness to share his talents with the rest of the world."

'History is storytelling'

Burkert, a preeminent local historian, might never have come to Johnstown if it was not for McCullough.

Burkert said he read McCullough's book in 1979 when applying to become executive director of the Johnstown Flood Museum.

"I wasn't quite sold on that idea," said Burkert when recalling his thoughts about the job. "Before I came down for my interview, I read that book, and it was a total page-turner. It wasn't just the Johnstown Flood story. It was that whole period of 19th-century history. This was one of the more important places. There was more history here in Johnstown than just about any place I knew of, any town its size certainly.

"I got here to Johnstown and realized my background is in history and this is a great place to work. They've got some tremendous history. There was artistry in McCullough's book. I found that really powerful and those stories stuck with me.

"I ended up taking the job. I personally came to Johnstown, and David McCullough had a part to play in that decision. Hard to believe all these years later."

McCullough also impacted the career of author Russell Shorto, a Johnstown native and current Cumberland, Maryland, resident, whose most recent book is "Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob."

Shorto met McCullough shortly after publishing his book "The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America" in 2005.

"He was very gracious, and surprised me, told me he read it, and he really enjoyed it," Shorto said. "He then encouraged me to write biography, to try my hand at biography, which was very nice of him. I think I said something like, 'I don't think I have the stamina for it,' because typically people who write a biography spend like 10 years living another person's life."

McCullough was "very influential to people like me who do what I do, who write narrative history, because he's a storyteller," Shorto said.

"He understood that history is storytelling, going back to the ancients and going back to people sitting around fires. That's what they did. They told the story of what happened before. I think the academic profession of history has kind of forgotten that, but he's somebody who kept that alive."

McCullough remained connected to Johnstown over the years.

He gave a speech at the 1989 flood centennial event and helped with Johnstown Area Heritage Association fundraising efforts.

Burkert said McCullough played a significant role in convincing Bethlehem Steel to not tear down the historic blacksmith shop when the company closed its local works, instead deeding the property to JAHA. It is now home to the Center for Metal Arts, a school that teaches artistic metal working and toolmaking.

JAHA recognized his contributions by presenting him with its Heritage Preservation Award in 2011.

In 2017, McCullough returned the favor, helping promote a JAHA fundraising project for upgrades at the Johnstown Flood Museum.

"The Johnstown Flood" is always on sale through JAHA and at the Johnstown Flood National Memorial, where all new employees receive a copy on their first day.

And the connection all started when McCullough saw the display of flood photos in 1961.

"It was a lucky break that I walked past that table full of photographs that morning," McCullough said in 2018. "It was a lucky break that I had so many people who were part of the story. And it was a lucky break the way the people of Johnstown, in general, treated me."