McCONNELSVILLE, Ohio – The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) unveiled a new historical marker at Jesse Owens State Park on Monday, paying tribute to one of the most iconic machines in American industrial history: Big Muskie.
The dedication ceremony was held at Miner’s Memorial Park, where the marker now commemorates Big Muskie’s role in shaping Ohio’s coal mining legacy. Operated by the Central Ohio Coal Company, Big Muskie was introduced on May 22, 1969, and quickly became a symbol of the nation’s postwar energy boom. Weighing in at 27 million pounds, the Bucyrus-Erie 4250W dragline could move 325 tons of earth in a single scoop and extract up to a million tons of coal annually.
“Big Muskie wasn’t just a machine, it was a symbol of American industry, ambition, and the evolution of energy production,” said ODNR Director Mary Mertz. “By preserving its story at Jesse Owens State Park, we’re recognizing both the ingenuity that defined an era and the environmental awareness that followed.”
During its operational peak, Big Muskie ran 24/7, staffed by four rotating crews. Towering 240 feet high and stretching over 480 feet long, the dragline was one of the largest earth-moving machines ever built, ushering in a new era of surface strip mining. But as environmental standards shifted with the passage of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, which restricted high-sulfur coal use, Big Muskie was retired and dismantled in 1999.
Today, only the massive 220-cubic-yard bucket remains on display at Miner’s Memorial Park. The surrounding land, once heavily mined, has been reclaimed and now supports The Wilds, one of North America’s largest wildlife conservation centers — a testament to the region’s environmental recovery.
The new marker offers a comprehensive look at Ohio’s coal history, from its discovery in 1748 to modern reclamation efforts, highlighting ODNR’s continued commitment to preserving natural resources while honoring industrial achievements.
Former Big Muskie workers joined ODNR officials at the unveiling, sharing memories of the machine that once defined southeastern Ohio’s landscape.
For more on Jesse Owens State Park or Ohio’s mining history, visit ohiodnr.gov.
