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Once was the capital of American steel-making and a major source the barbed wire that shaped the westward expansion, Johnstown, New York, has a hardy history and current population. Soon after its founding by Swiss-German settlers, Johnstown developed as an canal and then railroad hub. The community is famed for floods, rebuilding after the water damage, Clara Barton and the Red Cross.

Mark Webster brings you his conversation with Executive Director Richard Burkert of the Johnstown Area Heritage Association, who shares some Johnstown’s unique story.