Barnes-Hecker Memorial Park holds dedication
Pictured is the ribbon cutting of the new Barnes-Hecker Memorial Park in Ely Township. (Photo courtesy of Annie Tippett)
Visitors explore the newly opened Barnes Hecker Memorial Park in Ely Township. (Photo courtesy of Annie Tippett)
Pictured is the ribbon cutting of the new Barnes-Hecker Memorial Park in Ely Township. (Photo courtesy of Annie Tippett)
Visitors explore the newly opened Barnes Hecker Memorial Park in Ely Township. (Photo courtesy of Annie Tippett)
Trending
ELY TOWNSHIP -- More than 300 people gathered on Saturday for the dedication of the Barnes-Hecker Memorial Park, located at the historic Barnes-Hecker Mine site on County Road CL in Ely Township.
Owned by Ely Township, the memorial park was created to honor the 51 miners who lost their lives in the Barnes-Hecker Mine disaster and to provide a reverent final resting place for the 41 men whose bodies were never recovered and remain entombed in the mine.
The dedication ceremony featured remarks by Glenn Wing, project manager for the park and great-nephew of miner John Arvi Wepsala and Annie Tippett, granddaughter of miner Walter Tippett, who spoke on behalf of all of the miners’ descendants. Wing cut the red ribbon, with the assistance of the Ely Township Board and members of the Barnes-Hecker 100th Anniversary Committee.
The park now provides a permanent place for families, descendants, and visitors to remember those who perished in Michigan’s worst mining disaster. Located at the site where the men lost their lives, the memorial serves as both a tribute to their sacrifice and a lasting reminder of the region’s rich mining heritage.