ROCKWOOD HONORS 27 MINERS KILLED IN HISTORIC 1926 MINE DISASTER
Community members gathered in downtown Rockwood last night during the city’s final street festival of the season to pay tribute to the 27 miners who lost their lives a century ago in one of the region’s most tragic industrial accidents.
The solemn memorial ceremony marked the 100th anniversary of the Roane Iron Company mine disaster, which devastated the local community on October 4, 1926. Originally slated for early October, the ceremony was rescheduled due to heavy rains and incorporated into the festival program by Rockwood City Councilwoman April Foust Wilson and city officials to ensure the victims were properly remembered.
Councilwoman Wilson was joined on the downtown stage by Bruce Foster to lead the commemoration, drawing residents who gathered to reflect on the tragedy that forever shaped the town’s history.
“It’s so vital that we continue to pause and honor these men and their families,” officials noted following the ceremony, highlighting the deep ties between the town’s growth and its rich coal mining heritage.
The 1926 Disaster
On October 4, 1926, an explosion ripped through the Rogers Section of the Roane Iron Company’s mine in Rockwood. The catastrophe claimed the lives of 27 local miners, though four men in the immediate blast area—Ebbie Davis, E.G. Boles, Will Teague, and Arthur Teague—survived.
The fallen miners remembered during last night’s ceremony include:
-
Willie “Will” Armour, Frank Boles, Dave Brummett, P.C. Craven, Walter Cunningham, Jessie “Jess” Dale, C.B. Davis, W.C. “Billy” Elliot, J.A. Freels, Philip Galyon, Ben F. Gibson, A.J. Griffis, H.H. Griffis, Frank Hinds, Lee Jolly, Van Kirby, Harry Lingo, George C. “G.C.” McCoy, Ira Nelson, George Riddle, Will Rodgers, E.G. Smith, Hector Smith, Clarence C. Stevens, Sam Taylor, Clyde Teague, and Sewell “S.P.” Whittier.
A Turning Point in Local History
During the early 20th century, the Roane Iron Company served as the economic backbone of Rockwood, employing generations of residents. However, the 1926 disaster—alongside other frequent mining tragedies in the decade, including a 1925 explosion that killed 10 miners—took a heavy toll on the workforce and the company’s standing. The recurring safety issues and operational hardships ultimately contributed to the facility closing its doors in 1929.
Despite the passage of a century, the solemn turnout at last night’s street festival underscored that the memories and sacrifices of Rockwood’s early industrial workers remain deeply etched in the city’s heart.
