Established in 1975
The history of Bon Harbor Hills’ coal industry is linked to the very beginnings of steam navigation and America’s westward travels. The steamboat era began in 1811 with the voyage of Robert Fulton’s New Orleans down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to New Orleans, Louisiana. The New Orleans began her voyage on October 20, 1811 and by December, 1811 she had reached Yellow Banks (now Owensboro), Kentucky. It was common knowledge at the time that an outcropping of coal just west of Yellow Banks was easily accessible. The crew of the New Orleans stopped to load some of this coal, at what was already known as Bon Harbor Hills, before continuing their journey towards the Gulf of Mexico. Their trip was delayed however, as the first of the great New Madrid Quakes hit on December 16, 1811 while the crew was loading coal at Bon Harbor Hills. Several weeks went by before the steamboat could navigate down the debris-filled river and continue her voyage.
Formal coal mining in the Bon Harbor Hills area began around 1820, the same year Kentucky’s first coal mine was established in Muhlenberg County. Robert Triplett, a young Virginian who had recently moved to Kentucky, began mining a vein of coal for use on steamboats. Triplett is also credited with building the first railway, or tram line, west of the Appalachians, in order to get his coal from the mine to the banks of the Ohio River. Coal production slowed at Bon Harbor Hills prior to the Civil War, but by the mid 1870’s the site was once again a community unto itself, with over eleven coal companies eventually locating at the coal-rich site. The coal that was mined out of Bon Harbor Hills, along with other sites in Daviess County, provided all the energy for the growing town of Owensboro during the late 19th and early 20th century. One of these companies, the George H. Rudy Mine, continued producing coal until 1955. The Rudy Mines are sealed up now, but nine buildings that were a part of the original operation still stand, and these will form the core of the future George H. Rudy Mines and Company Interpretive Center and walking trails at Ben Hawes State Park.
Located in western Kentucky, Ben Hawes State Park has the most heavily played golf course in Kentucky. The 297-acre park named for a former mayor of Owensboro, Kentucky, has an 18-hole golf course and a par three 9-hole course. A number of golf tournaments are held at the park each year. There is a pro shop for the dedicated golfer
The park has other popular facilities as well as golf. There is an archery field, a softball field, along with areas for basketball tennis. The park also has shelters, a picnic area, a nature trail, and concessions.
Ben Hawes State Park is set in a beautiful area of open fields and peaceful woods, only four miles from Owensboro, county seat of Daviess County, Kentucky. Western Kentucky is rich in history and natural beauty. Owensboro is built along the Ohio River and has a colorful history as a river town.