Coal mining is a way of life in eastern Utah.
Both past and present residents of Huntington have ties to the mining industry. To commemorate the town’s vast coal mining history, a new memorial will be revealed on Nov. 22 listing those who have given their lives to the underground lifestyle.
According to Huntington Mayor Hilary Gordon, the new memorial was the idea of local resident Boyd Wilson.
“He has been working on the project for the past five or six months,” explained Gordon. “I have sat in on several meetings with him regarding the memorial, but Boyd has done all of the work.”
Gordon went on to explain that a book filled with names of deceased Emery County miners is the focus of the memorial. At first, Wilson began to sort through the names but the list was too long to be added to a stone wall. It was then decided that the focus would be on Huntington residents.
“The stone will have all the names of miners who died in Huntington Canyon mines and/or Huntington citizens who were killed in a mine,” explained Wilson. “The memorial is going to be a tribute from the city of Huntington.”
Although part of the memorial was funded by Huntington City, most of the project was paid for by donations. The memorial will be housed next to the current Crandall Canyon Mine monument located at the mouth of Huntington Canyon, near the city cemetery.
Dedication of the monument will be Friday, Nov. 22 at 1 p.m. The public is invited to attend the celebration and Wilson hopes to have a strong turnout at the event.