Boy Scout Troop 120 from Lake City starts developing the 
Coal Creek Motor Discovery Trail

Drew Justice after receiving his Eagle Scout Ranking on Sunday, 23 November 2003 with Louise Nelson (L) granddaughter of Fraterville miner David Dezern, and Barry Thacker, PE, (R).

Eagle Scout Drew Justice
with Anderson County
Mayor Rex Lynch

See more information and photos on Drew's project below:
 

Historic Cemeteries

Completed Kiosk at Leach Cemetery

Unveiling  of project to Fraterville Mine Disaster 100th Anniversary Tour Group

Drew Justice started work on his Eagle Project at Leachbs1.JPG (50023 bytes) Cemetery on Labor Day. Drew recruited other scouts from Troop 120 and adult volunteers to start cleaning the tombstones and monuments.  Eighty-nine of the 184 miners who died in the Fraterville Mine Disaster of 1902 are buried at the Miners' Circle in Leach Cemetery.

Click on image to enlarge

Courier News article
Many of the tombstones were difficult to read due to weathering.

Each volunteer selected a tombstone and got to work.
The results were obvious.

Larger tombstonesbs5.JPG (42784 bytes) required the use of the "Buddy System".

Cleaning thbs6.JPG (38019 bytes)e monument required a group effort.

Justin Rhea (on right) gained some valuabbs7.JPG (37984 bytes)le experience.  Justin is scheduled to begin his Eagle Scout project at Longfield Cemetery later this fall.  Thirty-five of the miners who died at Fraterville are buried in Longfield Cemetery.
The scouts discovered that many of the tombstones say "Gone but notbs9.JPG (36645 bytes) forgotten".  The scouts from Troup 120 intend to validate this claim.

Drew kneels next to a sample of the day's work.  The next work day is scheduled for October.  Drew will also prepare a guide map of the Miners' Circle showing the location of each tombstone.  Drew will gather research obs8.JPG (40951 bytes)n the miners and include this information on his guide.  Several of the miners left farewell messages which will be reproduced on Drew's guide map.

bs10.JPG (26566 bytes)After a hard days work, the ladies from Clear Branch Baptist Church treated the volunteers with a fine meal.

bs11.JPG (23759 bytes)Later, at Miners' Appreciation Day in Lake City, Eric McCoy won the prize as the oldest living miner (age 94).  Mr. McCoy's son, Bobby, is the custodian at Briceville Elementary School and a CCWF volunteer.  Mr. McCoy looks good in his CCWF ball cap.  He is a perfect example of the urgent need to record the history of Coal Creek by Scouts like Drew Justice and Justin Rhea.

Boys participating in the day's work included:  Drew Justice, Justin Rhea,
Deric Stokes, Jeremiah Leinart, Josh Lane, Ian Starnes, Ian Daniels,
Jereme Viles, and Jeffrey Carden.  GREAT JOB, GUYS!!

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