CADIZ — The 25th Annual Harrison Coal & Reclamation Historical Park Dinner-Auction will be held May 11 at the Sally Buffalo Park’s Wallace Lodge, 100 College Way, Cadiz, or 43000 Industrial Park Road Cadiz. Doors open at 5 p.m. Dinner at 6 p.m. Followed by speaker and auction. Tickets include buffet style dinner, drinks, and more.

For reservation, information, or donate items for auction contact 740-391-4135 or 740-942-3895. E-mail info@hcrhp.org. Mail reservations to HCRHP, 143 S. Main Street, Cadiz, OH 43907. Make checks payable to HCRHP.

Speaker: Steve Hook, retired Central Ohio Coal engineer and current Morgan County, Ohio engineer. Central Ohio Coal Company is famous for Big Muskie the world’s largest dragline ever built, having many draglines, shovels, and the Muskingum Electric Railroad.

Hook logged 33 years with AEP, virtually all of it at Central Ohio Coal Company, where he had stints as reclamation engineer, engineering superintendent and operations superintendent before his retirement. Has been Morgan County engineer since 2005 and is responsible for maintaining 342 miles of roads and 210 bridges in Morgan County, Ohio.

“Even when I was working at the mine, I always thought that I’d like to be the county engineer,” he remembered. “Working at Central Ohio Coal was great training for being the county engineer,” Hook said. “I was involved with the mine’s haul roads and I dealt with state and federal agencies, just like I’m doing today. He speaks at meetings and events about The Life and Times of the “Big Muskie” in the coal fields of southeast Ohio and Central Ohio Coal Company.

The 16th Annual Old Construction & Mining Equipment Show will be held Sept. 7-8 on Ohio 519 between U.S. 22 and New Athens, Ohio. Visit www.Facebook.com/ocmes for information.

The Harrison Coal & Reclamation Historical Park meets the first Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. Meetings are held at the Harrison County Visitors Center 143 South Main Street Cadiz, Ohio.

The Harrison Coal & Reclamation Historical Park’s mission is to preserve the history of the mining, construction, agriculture, logging, transportation, and oil & gas industries. Plans are to acquire 200-250 acres of land. Constructing a museum building and an open air area featuring mining, construction, agriculture, logging, transportation, and oil & gas history; Constructing a maintenance & restoration building. Plans are to partner with area high schools, vocational schools, colleges & universities for their mechanic, agriculture, energy operations, natural resource, machining, welding, heavy equipment, and marketing programs. Host events featuring mining, construction, agriculture, logging, transportation, and oil & gas history.

The Harrison Coal & Reclamation Historical Park is a 501 (C) (3) non-profit organization. Currently own over 20 pieces of equipment including a Marion 7200 walking dragline.

Meanwhile, the 2019 Harrison Coal & Reclamation Historical Park calendar, still available for purchase, features Hanna Coal & Consol Coal Tipples from the 1930s through the 1970s.

The first tipple featured will be the “E” tipple located west of Georgetown, Ohio which in the early 1940s was the railroad siding that off loaded the “A” (The Tiger), “B” (Green Hornet) shovels and approximately 3 miles west, “The Mountaineer” in 1945-55. Other tipples featured are Willow Grove, Dun Glenn, Piney Fork, Oak Park, Rose Valley, Franklin Hi-Wall, Glenn Castle and mined in the 1930’s, Lafferty Mine and Crabapple. This years calendar is a must have for any mining history or railroad history enthusiast.

There is a cost for the calendars. Calendars will also be available locally at the Puskarich Public Library and the Harrison County Visitors Center next to the court house. Mail check or money order to Dale Davis, 800 North 13th St., Cambridge, Ohio 43725. Make check or money order payable to HCRHP.

Photos are hard to come by and the calendars have become collectors items over the years. This project began in 2011. Some past calendars still are available for purchase. The Harrison County Tourism Council sponsored the 2019 calendar. If your business would like to be a sponsor or sponsor the entire 2020 calendar contact 740-391-4135.

Members invite people to come the organization for a fee. Visit www.hcrhp.org, www.coalpark.org, and www.facebook.com/hcrhp.