The McCoy and Merrimac Coal Miner’s Memorial is located near the Longshop McCoy Firehouse in Montgomery County, Virginia. The Coal Mining Heritage Association of Montgomery County erected this monument in 1994 in honor of the many men and women who died while working in the coal mines located in McCoy and Merrimac. The inscription reads, ‘This monument is dedicated to the coal miners of Montgomery County and to those coal miners who lost their lives in pursuit of their livelihood in the underground mines that are part of the heritage of many of the citizens of this country.’ The memorial is a large wall with forty-two names of miners who died while on the job listed beneath the various mines they worked within and the dates they died.
Further Readings:
The Day the Earth Shook 50 Years Later, Montgomery’s Biggest Tragedy Resonates Still
Robert Freis, “The Day the Earth Shook 50 Years Later, Montgomery’s Biggest Tragedy Resonates Still,” in The Roanoke Times, 1996.
Merrimac Memories
Robert Freis, “Merrimac Memories,” in The Roanoke Times, 1994.
Coal Mining Heritage Association
“Coal Mining Heritage Association,” on Facebook.com.
Documentary Video of Montgomery County Coal Mining
Jim Glanville, “Documentary Video of Montgomery County Coal Mining,” in The Radford News Journal, 1994.