Forty Fort in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Forty Fort Cemetery Lost Graves Memorial
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., June 26, 2017
1. Forty Fort Cemetery Lost Graves Memorial Marker
June 23, 1972
the Susquehanna River
swollen by flood waters of
unprecedented height broke
through the dike at a point
120 yards south of this site.
The swirling water gouged a
four acre chasm out of the
heart of the cemetery displacing
approximately 2500 burials.
This park is dedicated by the
Forty Fort Cemetery Association
to the memory of those
whose gravesites vanished in
that singular catastrophe
Erected by Forty Fort Cemetery Association.
Topics and series. This historical marker and memorial is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Disasters • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Lost at Sea series list. A significant historical date for this entry is June 23, 1972.
Location. 41° 17.127′ N, 75° 52.283′ W. Marker is in Forty Fort, Pennsylvania, in Luzerne County. It can be reached from River Street. Memorial is in Forty Fort Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 20 River Street, Kingston PA 18704, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker and memorial is in Pennsylvania’s Anthracite Coal Region, in the Wyoming Valley, and in Greater Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Wyoming Seminary Presidents' Lost Graves Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); James Bird
this page online
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker.
Also see . . .
1. Forty Fort Cemetery Agnes Flood of 1972. (Submitted on July 10, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
2. 'We had to swim': Forty Fort resident recalls Hurricane Agnes flood (WNEP). (Submitted on July 10, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
3. Forty Fort Cemetery Agnes Flood 1972 (YouTube). (Submitted on July 10, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
4. Susquehanna River, PA Hurricane Agnes Flood of 1972. (Submitted on July 10, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
5. Hurricane Agnes documentary on WBRE-TV (1992) Full on YouTube. (Submitted on July 10, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., June 26, 2017
2. Forty Fort Cemetery Lost Graves Memorial
Credits. This page was last revised on September 29, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 10, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,460 times since then and 55 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 10, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
