Port Griffith, Pennsylvania facts for kids

Port Griffith, Pennsylvania
Unincorporated community
Location of Port Griffith in Pennsylvania
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Luzerne
Township	Jenkins
Elevation	643 ft (196 m)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	18640
Area code(s)	570
FIPS code	42-42079
GNIS feature ID	1212505

Port Griffith is an unincorporated community found within the Greater Pittston town of Jenkins Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States.

View looking down on the southern end of the Village of Port Griffith

Geography

Port Griffith is located at 41°18′39″N 75°48′38″W (41.310914, -75.810472) in the Greater Pittston Area of Jenkins Township. Its elevation is 643 feet (196 m). Port Griffith can be found bordering the Susquehanna River.

History

On January 22, 1959, a cave-in occurred at the Knox Coal Mine in Greater Pittston's Port Griffith. Twelve people died, 69 others escaped. One miner, Amadeo Pancotti, was awarded the Carnegie Medal for leading 32 miners to safety. The bodies of the twelve who died were never recovered, despite efforts of divers and an attempt to pump the water out of the mining shafts. The Knox Mine Disaster essentially shut down the mining industry in Northeastern Pennsylvania.