07/09/2026
The Big Muskie was one of the most impressive machines ever built and remains the largest single bucket digging machine ever created. This enormous dragline excavator operated in southeastern Ohio from 1969 to 1991, standing 22 stories tall and weighing an incredible 13,500 tons. Today, its massive bucket is the only remaining piece of the legendary machine and is preserved near Ohio State Parks Jesse Owens State Park.
During a stay at the park's new campground, I had the opportunity to visit and photograph this incredible piece of Ohio history. While this image captures the bucket's unique shape, it simply does not do its size justice. The bucket alone could hold two Greyhound buses side by side, weighs roughly 230 tons, and is large enough for dozens of people to stand inside at once.
Those measurements are impressive, but it is something that is truly difficult to understand until you are standing next to it and experiencing its massive scale in person.
