Ross Fleming
Coal
Miners
Memorial
Founder
Growing up in the mountains of Letcher County, I often asked my dad and family members why the coal miners did not have a memorial or monument for them to take pride in. As a third generation coal miner's son, I listened.
As a famous man once said, "I have a dream." The dream I had was for all the coal miners of Letcher County, Kentucky, living or dead, to have a monument to pay the man and women of our county back for the hard work they did day by day, minute by minute.
The Coal Miners' Memorial is located at Hemphill, KY., for all Letcher Countians to take pride in. This Coal Miners' Memorial is not about board members' past or present, but the heritage of each miner so they can bring their family members to see the Letcher County Coal Miners' Memorial.
As these fall festivals take place in Letcher County, Let's take a moment to reflect back on our father, mother, brothers and sisters, and take pride in our county history of coal mines. Coal mines are the heart of our heritage that we enjoy today. These bricks and stones are memories of people that mined the coal that fueled the industrial might of America. Coal miners are a dominant force in Letcher County.
As times goes by the coal mining industry is running out for our young people. As they grow older they soon realize our county has very little to offer them. As children of mostly coal miners' families, they have to leave Letcher County, Kentucky to support their own selves and their families. When this happens, they are losing their heritage of coal mining families, but they want to come back to show their families the heritage of how they were raised.
Now with the help of some people from Letcher County, Kentucky, they can show a coal miners' memorial as well as a road named for all coal miners from Letcher County.
Members of the Letcher County Coal Miners' Memorial Organization past or present should not show any selfish pride on their behalf, but take great enjoyment of what they have accomplished for Letcher County and also the coal miners of their familes.
ROSS FLEMING
PLAQUE POSTED AT MEMORIAL, HEMPHILL, KENTUCKY.