Published: July 18, 2007 11:26 pm            

Faces of the Flood: Letter from governor bolstered mayor during recovery

Latest in a series on the 1977 Johnstown Flood

As mayor of a flood-ravaged city, Herb Pfuhl had a lot to think about in July 1977.

But a single sheet of paper eased his mind.

Pfuhl later framed the handwritten letter from then-Gov. Milton Shapp, a document that allowed city leaders to cut through red tape and get Johnstown on the road to recovery.

“That saved us a lot of frustration,” Pfuhl said.

Shapp visited the city soon after the flood. Without any prodding from Pfuhl, the governor scrawled his letter on a piece of paper resting on the hood of an Army truck:



“This letter authorizes you under the president’s declaration of emergency issued earlier today to contract for removal of debris, fallen trees and other materials that are littering the streets and plugging up sewers in Johnstown; to purchase food and medical supplies that may be needed by the citizens of your city, and for fuel for civil defense or for community restoration purposes. Although it will not be necessary to require bids because of the extreme emergency that exists, you are of course expected to use prudent judgment in the placing of these contracts and to keep all records of these transactions.”



That meant Pfuhl could bypass the long process of soliciting bids for cleanup. And that was important in a city crippled by water, mud and mountains of debris.

Busy with flood work, Pfuhl said he simply tucked the letter, dated July 21, into his jacket pocket.

“Never even gave it a thought. I said, ‘OK, that’s fine,’ ” he recalled. “You’re thinking about 3 million other things rather than that letter.”

About a week later, however, federal disaster-recovery officials had moved into the area. One official questioned Pfuhl’s management practices.

And the feds had clout when it came to that topic, since U.S. government funding would play a critical role in cleaning up and rebuilding Johnstown.

“I was ready to pop him one,” Pfuhl said, “because here I am trying to get the debris out of the area, things like that, and he’s worried about who gave who the authority to do this.”

Then the mayor remembered Shapp’s letter.

Pfuhl rushed home, where his wife informed him that she had pulled a sheet of paper from his jacket as she prepared to wash it.

“I gave her a big kiss,” said Pfuhl, who triumphantly returned to the city’s temporary headquarters at the former Swank Building downtown.

“They read that letter,” Pfuhl said. “They looked at each other and said, ‘OK.’ ”

The mayor presided over months of cleanup.

He praises a variety of individuals and organizations, including former city Finance Director Joe Hahn and the Salvation Army, which quickly set up mobile kitchens throughout the area.

“The best baloney sandwiches I ever ate in my life,” Pfuhl recalled with a laugh.

It was that kind of support, along with backing from high-ranking leaders such as Shapp, that pulled Johnstown through those dark days in the summer of 1977, Pfuhl said.

“I didn’t look at it as being overwhelming,” Pfuhl said. “I looked at it as a job that had to be done, so do it – get people together and make it work.”

        

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