History and Hockey

I went to a hockey game and found a museum (and a fight). I love going to minor league and NHL hockey games. Recently I was in western Pennsylvania and made the effort to swing by Johnstown for a Tomahawks’ game. I spent a summer in Johnstown during college, getting research experience with the Southwestern Pennsylvania Heritage Preservation Commission. That was a great opportunity in which I learned about various archival sources and still use those skills today.

Johnstown is most famous for the 1889 flood, which devastated the town and killed over 2,000. More recently, Johnstown was the setting for the classic hockey film, Slapshot. In that film they talk about the city’s arena, the Cambria County War Memorial. It hosts local events, concerts, and sports, including the minor league hockey team, the Johnstown Chiefs. The Chiefs played here from 1998 to 2009, when the franchise moved to Greenville, South Carolina. A new team arrived in 2012, the Johnstown Tomahawks. I never got to see the Chiefs, but having time on my trip I made it a point to get to a Tomahawks game.

I had therefore never been to the Cambria County War Memorial, but assumed the arena, like many in other towns and cities, probably had a plaque or marker on the side of the building to honor local veterans. Was I wrong. I approached the building, a 1950s structure, and did indeed see a flag display and several plaques outside. Then I went in, and after showing my ticket, saw in the corner, the Veterans Memorial Museum.

I made a beeline for it (yes, even before buying a beer), and found myself in an old school museum: glass cases and typewriter-typed labels. There is something special about old school museums; they are usually the product of care and investment from dedicated local volunteers. Prominent in the first room were Civil War exhibits: mannequins in uniforms and some rifles and gear. Around the corner I saw World War I, II, and Vietnam, and Desert Storm uniforms. There were models of tanks and trucks, and many photos of local veterans and National Guard units on deployment. I thought it was great. Not only does the arena’s name honor the area’s veterans, there’s actually a museum inside!

I left to go find that beer and encountered even more. Scattered around the arena, along the walls, were cases displaying uniforms of local veterans. There were also plaques about local National Guard units. And there were special exhibits on local medal of honor and other award recipients. I saw citations from both World Wars, Korea, Vietnam, and Desert Storm.

The arena now carries the name First Summit Arena at Cambria County War Memorial, a reflection of corporate America and sports. The new signs don’t detract from the storied, old building. I’d never been to hockey arena with a history museum and so much local history on display. Oh, and yes, the Tomahawks won the game.

To learn more about the arena and the museum, visit:

https://1stsummitarena.com

https://www.facebook.com/VeteransMemorialMuseum/