"Miner’s Memorial Park in McConnelsville, Ohio houses the largest single-bucket digging machine ever made. The bucket, called the “Big Muskie Bucket,” weighs 230 tons, and according to Only In Your State, was once attached to a machine that stood 22 stories high. It was used to strip away layers of soil and rock from the earth, uncovering high-sulfur coal.

"Big Muskie was built onsite, and took two years to assemble. When loaded, the bucket weighed more than one million pounds, and was powered with more electricity than used by 27,000 homes," the Construction Equipment says.

"The machine was used until the 1990s, and was disassembled when the coal mining rapidly declined in 1999."

"Built in 1969, Big Muskie could move 39 million pounds of earth and rock every hour, revealing rich coal seams 100-150 feet down in southeastern Ohio. BM could swing its boom 600 feet, creeping across the landscape on four giant shoes. The immense dragline machine was churning along at full production until 1991, when power demands and other factors convinced the owners to shut down," the Roadside America says.

"In May 1999, Big Muskie was destroyed. The slow walking, surface mining behemoth was dismantled for scrap, high explosives used to blow off its five inch thick cables. Muskie land owner American Electric Power turned the remaining giant bucket into a "centerpiece of a display [telling] visitors about the Big Muskie, surface mining and reclamation ... to memorialize the men and women who helped mine and reclaim the area."

"The park, a roadside pull-off on a slope along the valley's edge, is well maintained, with its own groundskeeper, by AEP. Covered garbage can lids at site have "No fish" written on them, maybe going too far in the other direction. There are picnic tables."

Photo above: World's largest single-bucket digging machine: world record in McConnelsville, Ohio. Bucket-wheel excavators 288 and 258 in Garzweiler surface mine. Photo: Wikipedia/Raimond Spekking

"A huge metal bucket large enough to hold two Greyhound buses side by side has sat unused in an Ohio park for more than 20 years—a reminder of the once-booming American coal market. The bucket once belonged to Big Muskie, the largest single-bucket digging machine ever created," the Atlas Obscura reports.

"A true engineering marvel, it’s hard to conceive of its sheer scale. The massive machine stood nearly 22 stories tall, and its bucket weighed over a million pounds when loaded. Running it required enough electricity to power more than 27,000 homes.

"The behemoth digger worked by dragging its bucket along the ground to strip away layers of soil and rock that covered high-sulfur coal. For 22 years Big Muskie did this, moving twice as much earth in that time as was removed during the original construction of the Panama Canal."

Photo above: The bucket from the Big Muskie, the largest single-bucket digging machine ever created. Photo: Wikipedia/Eric Gunderson

"The Miner's Memorial Park in Jesse Owens State Park is a monument to the achievements of American Electric Power and its subsidiary Central Ohio Coal Company. One of the main attractions of this memorial is "Big Muskie’s Bucket.”

"Big Muskie was the largest dragline ever built. The 220-cubic-yard, 240-ton bucket is a true engineering marvel. Due to the massive size of the machine, Big Muskie had to be built on site. Starting in 1967, more than 300 railcars and 250 trucks hauled the necessary pieces to Muskingum Mine. It took a team of engineers more than two years to erect Big Muskie. When completed, the massive machine stood 240-feet tall" the Ohio Department of Natural Resources says..

"The behemoth digger worked by dragging its bucket along the ground to strip away layers of soil and rock that covered high-sulfur coal. Big Muskie could lift 325 tons of earth and rock in a single "bite". Between 1969 and 1991, Big Muskie ran 24 hours a day, 364 days a year, moving more than 483 million cubic yards of rock and earth."

Photo above: The bucket from the Big Muskie, the largest single-bucket digging machine ever created. Photo: Wikipedia/Eric Gunderson

"The machine was so large it was necessary to ship the components to the coal mining customer in Ohio and erect the machine on site. It took 340 rail cars and 260 trucks to ship all of the components and 200,000 man hours to construct, but the machine finally went into production in 1969," the Caterpillar.com says.

"Weighing in at over 27,000,000 pounds, it stood nearly 22 stories high and had a 330-foot twin boom and a 220-cubic yard bucket the size of a 12-car garage. In 1976, “Big Muskie” removed 8,000 yards of overburden for the coal company per operating hour. In its 22 years of service, it removed twice the amount of earth moved during the original construction of the Panama Canal.

"Shut down in 1991, “Big Muskie” was finally dismantled for scrap in 1999. The only component saved was the bucket, which was later incorporated into a display about the machine and surface mining and reclamation in Miners Memorial Park in McConnelsville, Ohio."

Photo: World's largest single-bucket digging machine: world record in McConnelsville, Ohio. Side view of Big Muskie (4250-W) prior to its demolition. Photo: Wikipedia/Brian M. Powell

"Big Muskie" was the largest dragline machine ever built. The 220-cubic-yard, 240-ton bucket is a true engineering marvel, an extraordinary feat that must be seen in person," the Only In Your State reports.

"Due to the massive size of the machine, Big Muskie had to be built on site. Starting in 1967, more than 300 railcars and 250 trucks worked tirelessly to haul the materials out to Muskingum Mine. It took a team of engineers more than two years to erect Big Muskie.

"When completed, the massive machine towered at an impressive 240 feet tall. In its prime, Big Muskie could lift 325 tons of earth and rock in a single bite. Between 1969 and 1991, the machine ran 24 hours a day, 364 days a year, moving more than 483 million cubic yards of rock and earth."

Photo above: World's largest single-bucket digging machine: world record in McConnelsville, Ohio. Photo: Wikipedia/Calonius, Erik, Photographer

"Bagger 288 (Excavator 288), built by the German company Krupp for the energy and mining firm Rheinbraun, is a bucket-wheel excavator or mobile strip mining machine. The Big Muskie was a model 4250-W dragline and was the only one ever built by the Bucyrus-Erie. With a 220-cubic-yard (170 m3) bucket, it was the largest single-bucket digging machine ever created and one of the world's largest mobile earth-moving machines alongside the Ohio-based Marion 6360 stripping shovel called The Captain and the German bucket wheel excavators of the Bagger 288 and Bagger 293 family.

"The bucket alone could hold two Greyhound buses side by side. It took over 200,000 man hours to construct over a period of about two years and cost $25 million in 1969, the equivalent of $185 million today adjusted for inflation. The bucket of Big Muskie was moved to an AEP ReCreation Land Park, formerly named in honor of Ronald V. Crews, Mine General Superintendent of Central Ohio Coal Company. The park was renamed to honor all those who mined coal in Southeastern Ohio.

"The now Miners' Memorial Park not only showcases the bucket of Big Muskie, but includes an information center which shows the history of Central Ohio Coal Company. A memorial honors all the miners who lost their lives while on the job. A Wall of Honor display shows the names of all Central Ohio Coal Company employees. The Memorial, located 9 miles from McConnelsville in Morgan County, is a popular tourist stop." (Wikipedia)

"On May 22, 1969, the largest single-bucket digging machine the world had ever seen was about to go to work in the coalfields of southeast Ohio near McConnelsville. On the day of its dedication, the enormous bucket of the behemoth — known affectionately as Big Muskie — was filled with the entire Morgan High School marching band, which was there to help mark the occasion," the Ohio Magazine reports.

"Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Big Muskie did just that, helping extract more than 130 million tons of coal from a 125,000-acre surface mine to power AEP’s Muskingum River Power Plant. “When the mine was operating, it was the main employer for the area,” says Cox.

"Now a destination for veteran and current miners, Big Muskie’s bucket draws school groups, tourists and even couples in love, according to Cox. “We’ve had several bucket weddings.”

"The Big Muskie was technically a "walking dragline" but looked like a gigantic crane. They took it out of service a few decades ago, and all that's left is the big bucket. They have it nicely landscaped with a staircase so you can get into it. Everyone there was taking pictures of their companions in or in front of it. During its years of operation, this bucket moved something like twice the amount of earth moved in the digging of the Panama Canal."

"Impressive construction! Was glad to see the resulting visual displays of the “after” pictures post-strip mining. Mind boggling Big Muskie machine."

"Big Muskie was the largest drag line ever built. This digger was used to strip away layers of soil and rock that covered high sulfur coal. You can walk into the bucket to get a feel for it’s size. There are picnic tables on the site."

"It’s something unusual that honors hard working people. They have some information posted that gives you lots of information. It is huge and the pictures don’t do justice . Worth the time especially if you like unique things."

"Great park with lots to read and that HUGE Muskie Bucket is enormous up close. A must stop on the route for sure."

Photos: World's largest single-bucket digging machine: world record in McConnelsville, Ohio

(1) TripAdvisor

(2-3) Ohio Department of Natural Resources

(4) Photo: Wikipedia/Raimond Spekking

(5)  Photo: Wikipedia/Eric Gunderson

(6) Photo: Wikipedia/Eric Gunderson

(7) Photo: Wikipedia/Brian M. Powell

(8) Photo: Wikipedia/Calonius, Erik, Photographer

(9) Photo: The Big Muskie Bucket | Facebook

(10) Youtube/Big Muskie Bucket

(11) TripAdvisor