Marguerite, Pennsylvania

Marguerite is an unincorporated community and coal town in Unity Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. It was also known as Klondike.

Marguerite
Unincorporated community
Marguerite Location within the state of Pennsylvania Show map of Pennsylvania Marguerite Marguerite (the United States) Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 40°15′49″N 79°27′48″W
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Westmoreland
Elevation	1,060 ft (320 m)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
GNIS feature ID	1180403[1]

According to a 1994 study by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Marguerite was established in 1897, when The Standard Connellsville Coke Company began developing a coal mine and coke works nearby and built houses for the employees. A second mine followed in 1900. The H.C. Frick Coke Company took over operations in 1903 and built more houses. At one point nearly 1,000 people reportedly lived in the area. Mining and coking ceased in Marguerite in the 1940s. The 1994 study found some traces of prior industrial activity, primarily disused coke ovens.^[2]

In December 2024 Marguerite was the site of an intensive search and rescue operation for Elizabeth Pollard, a Marguerite resident who was believed to have fallen into the abandoned mine through a sinkhole which formed near her home.^[3][4][5] Pollard's body was found on December 6, 2024, by a construction crew brought in to help find her. Pennsylvania State Police trooper Steve Limani told Pittsburgh television station WTAE-TV "Pollard was found around 30 feet from where the mine would have sat and 12 feet from where the original sinkhole occurred."^[6][7]

References

1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Marguerite, Pennsylvania
2. Muller, Edward and Carlisle, Ronald. "Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania: An Inventory of Historic Engineering and Industrial Sites" (PDF). National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. pp. 59–62. Retrieved February 18, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
3. Alund, Natalie (December 6, 2024). "Search for missing grandma who may have fallen in sinkhole turns into recovery effort". USA Today. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
4. Varine, Patrick. "Unity sinkhole search for Elizabeth Pollard enters 4th day". Tribune-Review (Pittsburgh). Retrieved December 6, 2024.
5. Stanish, Erika (December 4, 2024). "Residents who live near mine at heart of search for missing Pennsylvania woman worried about mine subsidence". CBS News. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
6. Gunderson, Kalea; Rash, Ava (December 6, 2024). "Body of grandmother found in Pennsylvania sinkhole after 4-day search". WTAE-TV. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
7. Signorini, Renata and Varine, Patrick (December 6, 2024). "Grief, relief felt as Unity woman's remains recovered from sinkhole". Tribune-Review. Retrieved December 7, 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)