It's been almost 85 years since the Barnes Hecker Mining tragedy, and it still remains the worst industrial accident ever in the state of Michigan.
ISHPEMING -- Fifty-one miners died when a blast caused a nearby swamp to flood the mine shaft, killing all inside but one.
Saturday afternoon, dozens of people gathered for the dedication of a new Barnes Hecker Mine Memorial at the Cliffs Shaft Mining Museum in Ishpeming.
The donor of the memorial marker, Edward Trudell, is one of the few surviving family members of victims of the mine blast. He sponsored the new sign in memory of his father and all of the other victims.
"This monument was planned in my mind for many, many years," says Trudell. "I wanted to be sure that the miners who lost their lives in the Barnes Hecker Mine would never pass into memory and be forgotten."
The front of the sign contains a description of what happened. All of the victims are listed on the back.
The Cliffs Shaft Mining Museum also features an exhibit on the tragedy.
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