By Donna Brathovde
The memorial stone and plaque dedicated to the men lost in the tragic 1915 Ravensdale coal mine explosion has been relocated to the Ravensdale History Trail that circles the Community Meadow at Ravensdale Park. The stone was previously located at the intersection of Kent-Kangley Road and Ravensdale Way, just across from the Ravensdale Market. However, construction of the new right turn lane at this intersection made this location no longer safe for viewing the stone, while preserving the rockery around the stone was restricting the available turning radius and creating drainage problems.
At the suggestion of Ravensdale historians, Michael and Donna Brathovde, the consensus was reached to move the stone to the History Trail. King County Parks Specialists Thomas “Dane” Andrews and Robin Santos, stationed at Ravensdale Park, worked with King County Roads crews under the supervision of Jon Linders to make this happen. The large stone was moved to a location adjacent to history sign #7 that describes the events of the November 16, 1915 mine explosion and identifies the 31 men killed in the explosion. Stones from the rockery surrounding the stone at the intersection were also preserved and moved to Ravensdale Park where Dane and Robin and their Parks crew built a new rockery for the memorial stone. Additional stones from the original rockery will be used for other landscaping projects at Ravensdale Park according to Dane Andrews.
This memorial stone and plaque were originally presented to the community by Puget Sound Power & Light Company (now Puget Sound Energy) as part of the Washington State Centennial in 1989. The memorial has been maintained by community members through the years, in particular by Laura Saftich and Juanita Mitchell who have regularly kept flowers around the memorial while keeping the weeds at bay. Long-time Ravensdale residents, Laura and Juanita have carried out this labor of love for over 30 years. Both ladies were consulted regarding the decision to move the stone as well as selecting the location for its placement at the Park. (Note: the date inscribed on the plaque on the memorial stone was erroneously entered as November 15, 1915. The actual date of the mine explosion was November 16, 1915.)
A big thank you to all within King County Parks, King County Roads, and the community who worked to bring this project together.
