Whitesville in Boone County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)

Upper Big Branch Miners Memorial

Come to Me All Those Who Labor and I Will Give You Rest

— Dedicated July 27, 2012 —

Upper Big Branch Miners Memorial image. Click for full size.

Photograph by J.J. Prats, July 13, 2019

1. Upper Big Branch Miners Memorial

Inscription. This memorial is dedicated to twenty-nine miners who lost their lives in an explosion at the Upper Big Branch Coal Mine on April 5th, 2010 and to all miners who have suffered injury, illness or death as a result of working in the coal industry. This granite monument will forever stand as a reminder to all that pass here of the human cost that West Virginians have so dearly paid to power this great nation. It is our sincere hope that all who visit will find peace in these words and images.

Planned, developed, and funding raised by The Upper Big Branch Mining Memorial Group, Inc., Sheila Combs — President, Michael Gwinn II — Vice President, Pamela Miller — Treasurer. Project Designed by Rob Dinsmore, ASLA; Chapman Technical Group. Built by Pray Construction. Made possible by contributions from Alpha Natural Resources and over 100 other corporate partners.

Lost on April 5, 2010 in the Upper Big Branch Mine Explosion
Carl Acord, 52 • Jason Atkins, 25 • Christopher Bell, 33 • Gregory Steven Brock, 47 • Kenneth Allen Chapman, 53 • Robert Clark, 41 • Charles Timothy Davis, 51 • Cory Davis, 20 • Michael Lee Elswick, 56 • William Griffith, 54 • Steven Harrah, 40 • Edward Dean Jones, 50 • Richard K. Lane, 45 • William Lynch, 59 • Joe Marcum, 57 • Ronald Lee Maynor, 31 • Nicholas Darrell McCroskey, 26

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• James E. Mooney, 51 • Adam Keith Morgan, 21 • Rex L. Mullins, 50 • Joshua S. Napper, 25 • Howard D. “Boone” Payne, 53 • Dillard Earl Persinger, 32 • Joel R. Price, 55 • Gary Quarles, 33 • Deward Scott, 58 • Grover Dale Skeens, 57 • Benny Willingham, 60 • Ricky Workman, 50
Surviving the Explosion
Tim Blake • James Woods

Erected 2012 by The Upper Big Branch Mining Memorial Group, Inc.

Topics. This historical marker and memorial is listed in these topic lists: Disasters • Industry & Commerce • Natural Resources. A significant historical date for this entry is April 5, 2010.

Location. 37° 58.801′ N, 81° 32.074′ W. Marker is in Whitesville, West Virginia, in Boone County. Marker is on Cial River Road (West Virginia Route 3) west of Bridge Avenue, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Whitesville WV 25209, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 13 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Upper Big Branch Mine Explosion (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Upper Big Branch Mine Explosion (within shouting distance of this marker); West Virginia Coal Mine Disasters (within shouting distance of this marker); Big Coal River (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Battle of Coal River

Photographed By J. J. Prats, July 13, 2019

2. Upper Big Branch Miners Memorial

(about 600 feet away); The Whitesville School (approx. 0.2 miles away); William S. Dunbar (approx. 11½ miles away); Mary Ingles (approx. 13 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Whitesville.

More about this memorial. From the memorial’s website:

On the reverse side is a brief history of coal in West Virginia [illustrated with a large number of images etched into the granite] ... The monument was designed by Rob Dinsmore of Chapman Technical Group in St. Albans, West Virginia. Engineering of the monument's extensive base and etching was done by Rock of Ages in Graniteville, Vermont. Completion of the monument took nearly seven months at a cost of about $200,000.

The monument is made from American Black granite, quarried from the Rock of Ages quarry in St. Peters, Pennsylvania. American Black granite is unique due in part to brilliant white variegation veining and is one of America’s most popular monumental granite. The monument is comprised of six individual segments that were precision etched to line up perfectly when set on site at the memorial. Each segment weighs 5.8 tons. Coal from the Upper Big Branch mine was used
Photographed By J. J. Prats, July 13, 2019

3. Upper Big Branch Miners Memorial
as a decorative element to cover the monument's concrete base and to fill in around the LED lighting.

Also see . . . Upper Big Branch Miners Memorial Website. Photographs and briefs on each of the miners who lost their lives that day. (Submitted on August 11, 2019.)

First Responders Bronze image. Click for full size.

Sculpture by Ross Straight, photograph by J. J. Prats, July 13, 2019

4. First Responders Bronze

“This sculpture is dedicated in appreciation of the courageous first responders and mine rescue teams that immediately came to the aid of their fellow man following an explosion at the Upper Big Branch Coal Mine in nearby Montcoal on April 5th, 2010.”

A portion of the back of the memorial image. Click for full size.

Photographed By J. J. Prats, July 13, 2019

5. A portion of the back of the memorial

The camera accentuates the reflection of the rust-colored fencing, green forested mountain and blue sky on the polished granite.

Detail from the back of the memorial image. Click for full size.

Photograph by J.J. Prats, July 13, 2019

6. Detail from the back of the memorial

Photographed By J. J. Prats, July 13, 2019

7. Upper Big Branch Miners Memorial

Credits. This page was last revised on August 11, 2019. It was originally submitted on August 11, 2019, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 231 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on August 11, 2019, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.