Miners Memorial Park dedication final chapter in Big Muskie legacy

All members of Big Muskies crew No. 1 were present for the dedication. Pictured in the Muskie bucket are, from left, Bud Dollings Jr., a laborer who spent 11 years on the machine; Bill Brown, groundman; Morris Waddle, operator; Denzil Linscott, oiler; Dave Bailey, master electrician and now safety and health manager at Central Ohio Coal; Don Mattox, an oiler who spent more than 20 years on Big Muskie; and Ralph Newsom

Big Muskies final chapter began in October 1999 when AEP announced it would save the historic, giant draglines mammoth 220-cubic-yard bucket from the demolition crews cutting torches.

The end of that chapter was written May 30, 2001, with the formal dedication of Miners Memorial Park, honoring the men and women who worked the coalfields of southeastern Ohio.

Approximately 250 people listened attentively as representatives of AEP, United Mine Workers of America and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources talked about mining, reclamation and the people who made it all happen.

After more than a half century of mining coal, Central Ohio Coal Co.s scorecard is an impressive one, AEP Chairman, President and CEO E. Linn Draper said during the dedication. The men and women who worked here moved more than 2.5 billion cubic yards of earth -- 10 times more than was excavated for the construction of the Panama Canal -- while mining more than 132 million tons of coal for the generation of electric power.

The Miners Memorial Park we are dedicating today honors these men and women. There is no more fitting tribute to these individuals than a memorial located on land that has been surface mined and beautifully reclaimed -- a memorial that is anchored by an historic piece of mining equipment, the bucket from Big Muskie.

We dedicate this memorial park today because we want to remember how remarkable this mining operation truly was, and the many firsts that were achieved here. We dedicate this memorial park today because we want to commend these 1,500 men and women and recognize the contributions theyve made to our company and to this region.

The parks dedication occurred almost 32 years to the day after Big Muskie was dedicated May 22, 1969. The behemoths 240-ton bucket is the only thing that remains of the largest walking dragline ever built.

Gary Kaster, master of ceremonies and manager of forestry and recreation programs with AEPs land management office in McConnelsville, announces the unveiling of the parks display pavilion, which showcases the history of the site, mining and its equipment, power generation and transmission, reclamation and the environment, and recreational and wildlife partnerships. Also pictured are, from left, Dr. E. Linn Draper, Gary Dimmerling, Babe Erdos and Sam Speck.

During its operating years, Big Muskie moved more than 483 million tons of rock and soil to uncover coal left behind during earlier mining because of the limitations of smaller shovels and draglines. Big Muskie was sidelined in 1991 by more efficient mining methods and ever-tightening environmental regulations that produced less demand for Ohios high-sulfur coal. Even after it was idled, efforts to save the entire machine as a museum continued until its massive boom was taken down May 20, 1999.

Another memorial highlight is the special Wall of Honor, which lists the names of past and present employees of Central Ohio Coal Co., the AEP subsidiary that operated Big Muskie.

As I look at all the names listed on the Wall of Honor, Im filled with a sense of awe, said Gary Dimmerling, general manager of Central Ohio Coal Co. They are a hard-working group, facing challenges head-on and turning them into opportunities. Working together over the years as a team, watching out for one another, often laboring under severe conditions, but always getting the job done safely and efficiently. A common thread was always the talented employees. True professionals, Im proud to have had the opportunity to work with such an outstanding group. I salute them all.

Harold Babe Erdos, UMWA International representative for District 6, also commended the miners, as well as AEP.

This has been one of the best local unions that weve had in this area, Erdos said. Never have we not been able to resolve our differences and continue our relationship. We appreciate everything thats been done by AEP. Weve had a good relationship.

ODNR Director Sam Speck commented about the role of coal mining in southeastern Ohio and cited ODNRs partnership with AEP. Speck, a former Ohio legislator, was the primary author of Ohios current reclamation laws.

This park honors those who worked in the coal industry so that the rest of us can have heat and light and other conveniences we take for granted, Speck said. Coal was indeed the focus of life for families in this region of the state. This memorial tells a story as it says thanks to the people who did this work. Were grateful for the commitment by AEP to maintain its ReCreation Land -- weve had a great partnership in terms of forestry, wildlife habitat and recreation.

The park site in AEPs ReCreation Land is as unique as Big Muskie. Recreation Land was surfaced mined for coal in the 1940s and reclaimed through the planting of more than 47 million trees. The park site, formally the R.V. Crews Memorial Campsite, was selected because ReCreation Land captures AEPs surface mining history and is an outstanding symbol of the companys environmental Outdoor Recreation.

ReCreation Land is a 30,000-acre public recreational area in Morgan County that features more than 350 stocked lakes and ponds, and nearly 380 campsites available free of charge to the public for hunting, fishing, camping and horseback riding. The area is operated in cooperation with ODNR and is one of the largest public recreational areas in Ohio. More than 100,000 visitors use ReCreation Land each year.

Dr. E. Linn Draper at the Big Muskie dedication.

One of the lasting legacies of our coal operations here is our record in land reclamation and our commitment to the environment, Draper said. AEPs reclamation efforts have earned numerous awards from a variety of organizations. Since 1978, we have received more than 45 major awards for reclamation, land management and habitat enhancement in this area. Equally important, our employees have done some pioneering research regarding the species of trees that have the best likelihood for success on reclaimed land.

I believe we can say we have been good stewards of the land. And I believe we can say we have helped succeeding generations through our donation of 9,154 acres of reclaimed land to the Wilds, North Americas largest open-range preserve for threatened and endangered species.

This Miners Memorial Park will serve as a monument to what the men and women of AEP and Central Ohio Coal created and achieved throughout more than a half a century of service.

The park is along Route 78, approximately nine miles east of McConnelsville, which is about a 90-minute drive from downtown Columbus via Interstate 70 to Zanesville, U.S. 60 south to McConnelsville and state Route 78 east.