The Harrison Coal & Reclamation Historical Park is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of mining, construction, agriculture, logging, transportation, and oil & gas history.

Tickets include buffet style dinner, drinks, and more. Tickets: $20

For reservation, information, or donate items for auction contact 740-391-4135, 740-942-3895 or e-mail [email protected].

Speaker: Steve Hook, retired Central Ohio Coal Company engineer and current Morgan County, Ohio engineer.

Hook speaks about the life and times of the “Big Muskie” in the coal fields of southeast Ohio and the Central Ohio Coal Company. The Central Ohio Coal Company is famous for having Big Muskie, the world’s largest dragline ever built, having many dragline, shovels, and the Muskingum Electric Railroad. This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the dedication of  Big Muskie held on May 22, 1969.

Hook logged 33 years with AEP, virtually all of it at Central Ohio Coal Company, where he had stints as reclamation engineer, engineering superintendent and operations superintendent before his retirement. He has been Morgan County engineer since 2005 and is responsible for maintaining 342 miles of roads and 210 bridges in Morgan County, Ohio.

“Even when I was working at the mine, I always thought that I’d like to be county engineer,” he remembers. “Working at Central Ohio Coal Company was great training for being the county engineer,” Hook said. “I was involved with the mines’ haul roads and I dealt with state and federal agencies, Just like I’m doing today”.