November 16, 2015 - Newsletter

100th Anniversary of the Ravensdale Mining Disaster

100 years ago today, the town of Ravensdale experienced a tragedy that forever changed the lives of many families as well as the greater community. 31 men lost their lives, 31 families lost fathers, sons, and brothers. And countless others lost friends, co-workers, and neighbors. In addition to costing so many lives, tragedy also led to local economic hardship and the disincorporation of the town.

For more information about the explosion: http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=3576

I had the chance to partner with local residents to hold a memorial near the site of the collapsed mine. The ceremony named each of the deceased with the ringing of a bell toll, with assistance from Fire Chief Brad Doerflinger of the Maple Valley Fire and Life Safety Department. Descendants of the deceased miners were also present and had the opportunity to be recognized during the proceedings.



Pictured: Ravensdale resident Michael Brathovde recites the history of the explosion with Councilmember Dunn and Chief Doerflinger of Maple Valley Fire and Life Safety.

In recognition of the 100th Anniversary of the Ravensdale Mining Disaster, local resident Michael Brathovde led the installation of a series of signs detailing the history of the area. Michael and his wife Donna volunteered over 2,000 hours to capture the history of the area they love and to make it accessible to everyone around them.

For more information, see the Seattle Times article:

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/puget-sound/ravensdale-marks-100-years-since-states-worst-mining-disaster/

In memory of those who died on this day 100 years ago, please take a moment to remember and reflect on their lives and legacy.