Mammoth is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

that is located in Mount Pleasant Township, Westmoreland County in the state of

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, United States, with its own post office and postal zip code: 15664. The community is located just off Pennsylvania Route 982 and is part of the

Mount Pleasant Area School District Mount Pleasant School District is a public school district in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. The district encompasses the southeastern portion of the county. The boroughs of Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, Mount Pleasant and Donegal, Pennsylv ...

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, the population was 525 residents.

Local Attractions

Mammoth is home to Mammoth Park, a 408-acre park that features a stocked freshwater lake, recreational areas, several playgrounds, and pavilions. The park was formerly home to the Giant Slide, a favorite destination for locals. In the spring, the annual Mammoth Fest festival featuring vendor booths and children's rides is held at the park. Also located in Mammoth is the Mount Pleasant Township Municipal Building. Despite its small population, Mammoth is home to several businesses, including Citizens Telephone Company of Kecksburg which first opened in 1906 to bring telephone services to the rural miners and farmers who lived in the area. Mammoth is situated in close proximity to the site of the 1965 Kecksburg UFO incident in which many local residents claimed to have witnessed an object streak across the sky and crash-land in the woods of neighboring Kecksburg, PA. The government response to the incident has led many to speculate what the object was, leading to many theories such as a UFO or Russian satellite.

Mining

Known as the infamous Mammoth Mine Disaster, on January 27, 1891, an explosion tore through Mammoth No. 1 Mine owned at the time by H.C. Frick Coke Company. Newspapers reported that

firedamp Firedamp is any flammable gas found in coal mines, typically coalbed methane. It is particularly found in areas where the coal is bituminous. The gas accumulates in pockets in the coal and adjacent strata and when they are penetrated the releas ...

was ignited by a miner's oil lamp, causing the explosion. All 110 miners who entered that day were killed instantly. The workers killed in the mine explosion were buried in a mass grave in St. John's Cemetery in

Scottdale, Pennsylvania Scottdale is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh. Early in the 20th century, Scottdale was the center of the Frick coke interests. It had steel and iron pipe mills, brass and silver works, a casket facto ...

. In 2000, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission erected a historical marker at the burial site commemorating the Mammoth Mine Explosion. The sealed-off entrance to the mine can still be seen today. It is situated behind the Mount Pleasant Township Municipal Building, which once served as the former boiler house and lamp house for the mine. It is the only building from the mining operation still in existence. Many of the patch homes once owned by the miners and their families are still occupied today throughout Mammoth and along Poker Road.

References

External links

* * {{authority control Census-designated places in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania Historic American Engineering Record in Pennsylvania Census-designated places in Pennsylvania