Photo 15-MO-1

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"The Big Muskie" Was owned by the Central Ohio Coal Company. The Big Muskie was the world's largest dragline and the biggest machine that ever walked on the face of the earth. It was the only model ever built and took two years and some 200,000 hours to construct. Was built in 1969 and in service for 22 years then was removed from service in 1991. Unfortunately, it cost so much money to dismantle, transport, and reassemble the machine that no one would purchase it. Big Muskie sat abandoned for 8 years before the EPA passed a law that required all equipment to be removed from former strip mines. It was broken down and sold for scrap in 1999. However, at least one part of The Big Muskie survived. The enormous bucket was moved to Miner's Memorial Park just outside of Mcconnelvile Ohio on state Rt 78.

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