News

Historians are seeking materials from the last 50 years for a tribute to Johnstown

KUNC | By Nikole Robinson Carroll

Published July 19, 2026 at 6:00 AM MDT

A small, tan-colored book sits on a wooden table with a medium finish. The front cover of the book bears the words "A Tribute to Johnstown by Rebecca S. Healy" in black text. A black-and-white photo features Johnstown's early downtown area. Horse-drawn carriages travel on a dirt road lined with shops. — The first edition of *A Tribute to Johnstown* was published in 1976. Locals received letters requesting photos and documents.

The Johnstown Historical Society is asking for photos and stories from the last 50 years for a special project to mark the town’s 150th birthday.

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50 years ago, for the town’s 100th anniversary, JHS worked with the Johnstown Breeze to publish a book full of historical documents, photos and stories from the community.

The original run of A Tribute To Johnstown was limited. Three of the books exist at the Parish House Museum, only one of which is fully intact and unmarked.

Billie DeLancey is the organization's museum curator. She first discovered the book when she moved to Johnstown 13 years ago.

“First thing I did was go to the library to learn about the town I had just moved to, and this book was there, and I read it and fell in love with it,” DeLancey told KUNC. “We decided to update this book and call it the 50th anniversary edition of A Tribute To Johnstown.”

The planned updates to the book coincide with a series of 250/150 community projects marking Johnstown’s sesquicentennial and the United States turning 250.

In the largest chapter of the book, the historical society acknowledges the Johnstown residents who sent in their pictures and memories.

A woman wearing a cream-colored shirt, khaki shorts and black-rimmed glasses holds up a small, tan-colored book. The front cover of the book bears the words "A Tribute to Johnstown by Rebecca S. Healy" in black text. A black-and-white photo on the cover features Johnstown's early downtown area. Horse-drawn carriages travel on a dirt road lined with shops. — Parish Museum Curator Billie DeLancey holds a rare copy of the original *A Tribute To Johnstown* book published in 1976. The Johnstown Historical Society is asking for materials from locals to add to the new edition.

“They reached out to the public and wrote letters because back in the day, you know, there was no internet. This was in 1976, probably ‘75, when they got it started,” DeLancey told KUNC. “So people mailed this information about their families. Basically, anybody who submitted something, their names were in here.”

Other highlights include details about the town’s founders, public officials and local businesses.

A pair of white-gloved hands holds a small, tan-colored book, showing a fold-out map of the original three streets that made up Johnstown, Colorado in the early days. — The first map of Johnstown, as pictured in the 1976 publication *A Tribute To Johnstown*

People who send in their materials for the new book will get recognition as well.

“What we're looking for is things that represent the essence of Johnstown - you know, what it was like living here 50 years ago [in a] very, very small town, and showing action and color because there's no color in here,” DeLancey said, gesturing to the original tome. “They didn't have color cameras back then, or if they did, they were not real prevalent.”

The anniversary edition of A Tribute To Johnstown is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. It will be in a larger format than the original - 8.5” x 11” as opposed to approximately 6” x 7”.

You can submit your materials and sign up to receive a notification when the book is published here.