In the spring of 1976, one of the worst mine disasters in U.S. history unfolded in Letcher County, KY, in Eolia just over Pine Mountain from Whitesburg. On March 9, an underground locomotive used for transporting coal ignited methane gas that had accumulated due to poor ventilation causing an explosion that took the lives of fifteen miners. Two days later, on March 11, a second explosion killed ten more miners and three federal inspectors who had entered the mine in a rescue attempt. On March 9, 2010, thirty-four years later, the community came together to remember the Scotia Mine Disaster and to dedicate an historical marker for the tragic event. These are voices of the family members and fellow miners who came to the memorial to honor and remember the people they loved who lost their lives in the explosions.
March 9, 2010