The
Miner's Memorial Park is a monument
to the achievements of the men
and women of American Electric
Power and Central Ohio Coal. Situated
along Route 78, approximately
nine miles east of McConnelsville,
Ohio, the park lies within AEP's
ReCreation Land, a 42,000-acre
public recreational area in Morgan
County, reclaimed through the
planting of more than 63 million
trees. (See our map
to the memorial site.)
A keystone installation at
the park is the giant 220-cubic-yard
240-ton bucket from "Big Muskie," the
largest dragline ever built,
which moved more than 483 million
tons of rock and soil from
1969 to 1991. Another memorial
highlight is the "Wall of Honor" which
lists the names of past and
present employees of Central
Ohio Coal Company, the AEP
subsidiary that operated Big
Muskie. Additionally, the structural
materials for the pavilions
at the site are made from 50
year old red oak trees planted
by miners on reclaimed mined
land. A dedication
ceremony for the park was
held on May 30, 2001.
Visitors are welcome year
round at the Miner's Memorial.
