Annual Harrison Coal & Reclamation Historical Park dinner-auction Saturday
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HOPEDALE -- The Harrison Coal and Reclamation Historical Park will hold its annual dinner and auction Saturday.
Sam Bennett Jr. of Coshocton Coal Miners Memorial will serve as the speaker. Motivated by the memory of his father, Arthur S. Bennett Sr., he memorialized those coal miners lost in the course of the job.
His family moved to Coshocton from Gary's Knob in Harlan County, Kentucky, in 1964. His father worked in the underground mines for almost 18 years prior to moving to Ohio.
"We lived in a coal camp outside of Gary's Knob," he said, adding the company was V&C Coal. His father had worked at other mines such as the Consol Coal Company. He recalled his father worked at the Simco-Peabody Coal Company, where all coal went to the Columbus & Southern Ohio Electric Company's Conesville power plant.
"My dad was accidentally killed in a haulage accident on May 5, 1971. After graduating high school on June 1, I started working at the mine on Nov. 9, 1976, until the mine closed in October 1978. In November 1978 I got hired at North American Coal Company's Powhatan 6 mine and worked there until getting laid off in February 1982. Nacco laid off 250 employees at that time."
"Back in 2009 or 2010 I spoke to a man that suggested I put a memorial stone at the mine where my dad was killed. Not until 2011 did I think about our conversation again," he said. "On October of 2013 a community dedication service was held for the Miners Memorial Stone."
Rick Keefer Auctions will conduct the auction at the Harrison County event at the Hopedale Volunteer Fire Department Social Hall, 103 Firehouse Lane. Doors will open at 4 p.m. with dinner at 5 p.m. and the auction at 7 p.m. Dinner will include chicken, Swiss steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, noodles, green beans, dessert and drinks. Tickets can be purchased at the Harrison County Visitor's Center from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays. For reservations, information or to donate items for auction, call 740-391-4135, 330-401-9881 or email info@HCRHP.org. Mail reservations to HCRHP 143 S. Main St., Cadiz. Make checks payable to HCRHP. For more information, visit hcrhp.org and on Facebook.