On July 3, 1872, a 170-foot shaft in the Atwater Coal Company Mine caught fire, killing 10 men, including a nine-year old boy. Seven miners survived the fire. It was the first mining disaster in Ohio history.

“It is important to commemorate these disasters because it reminds us of the risks that some people took to help power our state and country,” Rep. DeVitis said. “The Atwater Coal Mining Disaster also inspired changes in state law that made these mines safer and improved the lives of workers.”