Coal Museum Idea
By: LaTonya Stephens
Updated: April 9, 2007
If it is up to Harold Utley the coal mining dragline weighing nearing two thousand tons will be the centerpiece of a museum dedicated to coal history.
It is the largest land machine built in Hopkins county.
But a perfect starting point for a tribute to coal mining in the county.
At one time coal was mainstay of the area economy and a few years ago the chamber of commerce looked into starting a museum but never did.
But even if Utley were able to acquire the massive dragline from Allied Resources he says it would take anumber of federal grants or private donations to make the museum a reality.
Allowing coal to tell its story and show says Utley that coal is not simply a dirty operation but a slice of past and current history that needs to be perserved.
