FORTY FORT, Pa. — During construction for a restoration project in Luzerne County, crews uncovered headstones displaced 300 feet from the Forty Fort Cemetery after the 1972 Agnes Flood.
On Thursday, the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority (WVSA) was working on a restoration project at Abrahams Creek in Forty Fort. Contractors found about 35 headstones buried near the creek. It was discovered that the headstones were displaced during the 1972 Agnes Flood, which washed away an entire section of the Forty Fort Cemetery.
"WVSA is working closely with Rutledge Construction, Forty Fort Cemetery Association, and Forty Fort Borough to ensure the headstones are returned with the utmost respect to Forty Fort Cemetery," said WVSA StormWater Division Manager Jeff Colella in a press release. "We hope this discovery offers some measure of solace to the families and loved ones affected by the displacements caused by the Agnes Flood."
Andy Tuzinski, the President of the Forty Fort Cemetery Association Board, expressed gratitude for the cooperation between the involved parties.
"We are deeply grateful to all who helped in discovering and returning these headstones," Tuzinski said in the press release.
The cemetery association has a short-term goal to create a respectful area where the headstones can be placed, and they will work on researching and contacting the families to offer them a chance to take possession of the headstones for personal memorialization.
Their long-term goal includes establishing a dedicated area within the cemetery to display the recovered headstones, with signage explaining the impact of the 1972 flood and the story of the rediscovery. This would serve as a tribute to the families and the community's history.
The project done on Abrahams Creek is a mile-long streambank restoration and walking trail initiative, part of WVSA’s Regional Pollutant Reduction Plan designed to enhance water quality and community spaces.