▁Creek ▁Mine ▁Memorial ▁is ▁the ▁mem orial ▁comm emor ating ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁Fin ley ▁Mine ▁explos ion , ▁which ▁killed ▁thirty - e ight ▁coal ▁min ers ▁and ▁left ▁one ▁surv iv or . ▁The ▁mem orial ▁is ▁located ▁in ▁Les lie ▁County , ▁Kentucky ▁built ▁on ▁the ▁Fin ely ▁Mine ▁site . ▁The ▁mem orial ▁was ▁planned ▁by ▁the ▁friends ▁and ▁families ▁of ▁the ▁lost ▁min ers ▁to ▁honor ▁them . ▁The ▁state ▁legisl ature ▁approved ▁the ▁legisl ation ▁to ▁build ▁the ▁mem orial ▁to ▁honor ▁the ▁min ers ▁on ▁the ▁ 4 0 th ▁anni versary ▁of ▁the ▁mine ▁explos ion . ▁The ▁dedic ation ▁of ▁the ▁mem orial ▁took ▁place ▁during ▁the ▁opening ▁ceremony ▁on ▁October ▁ 8 , ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁at ▁approximately ▁ 1 ▁p . m . ▁ ▁Memorial ▁Information ▁The ▁fund ing ▁for ▁the ▁mem orial ▁was ▁made ▁possibly ▁from ▁state ▁and ▁local ▁fund ing . ▁House ▁Bill ▁ 4 2 0 ▁was ▁passed ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁allowing ▁the ▁historical ▁mem orial ▁to ▁be ▁built . ▁The ▁estimated ▁completion ▁time ▁was ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁only ▁a ▁few ▁months ▁after ▁this ▁the ▁mem orial ▁was ▁opened . ▁The ▁mem orial ▁consists ▁of ▁a ▁walk way ▁with ▁thirty ▁eight ▁wooden ▁gates , ▁each ▁with ▁a ▁h anging ▁coal ▁min er ▁hat , ▁to ▁honor ▁each ▁coal ▁min er ▁who ▁died ▁in ▁the ▁explos ion , ▁a ▁bronze ▁statue ▁of ▁a ▁coal ▁min er , ▁and