In the dark, suffocating tunnels of the old American West, where men worked with nothing but pickaxes and flickering lanterns, there were stories—whispers passed between miners about small, goblin-like creatures that lived in the mines.
Some called them Tommyknockers.
They were said to be tricksters, spirits, or even the ghosts of dead miners. Sometimes, they were helpful, knocking on the rock walls to warn of an impending collapse. Other times, they were malicious, causing cave-ins, equipment failures, or leading men deeper into the tunnels, never to return.
Either way, every miner who heard the knocking stopped to listen.
Because to ignore a Tommyknocker?
That was a mistake you didn’t live long enough to regret.
Origins of the Legend
The legend of the Tommyknockers didn’t start in America—it came from Cornish miners who carried their folklore with them when they arrived in the Western U.S. during the Gold Rush in the 1800s.
In Cornwall, England, miners told tales of small, dwarf-like beings who lived underground, known as the “Knockers”. These creatures were said to tap on the mine walls, sometimes to warn of danger, other times to lead men astray.
When Cornish miners settled in places like Colorado, California, and Nevada, they brought the stories with them. And soon enough, American miners started hearing the knocking, too.
What Do Tommyknockers Look Like?
Descriptions vary, but most agree on a few details.
- They are small—no taller than three feet, with thin, wiry bodies.
- Their skin is pale or grayish, sometimes with a rough, stone-like texture.
- They have large eyes, adapted for the darkness of the mines.
- They wear tattered mining gear, as if they were once miners themselves.
- Some say they glow faintly in the dark, while others claim they appear only as shadows that move just beyond the lantern light.
And the one thing everyone agrees on?
You hear them before you see them.
Are They Good or Evil?
The Tommyknockers seem to have two sides—one helpful, one dangerous.
The Protectors
Some miners believed the Tommyknockers were guardian spirits, watching over those who worked underground. Many told stories of knocking sounds just before a cave-in, warning them to get out. There were tales of tools being moved to safety, of miners being pulled away from danger by unseen hands.
Many miners left offerings for the Tommyknockers—bits of food, small trinkets, or coins—as a way to earn their favor.
The Tricksters
But not all stories were so kind.
Other miners swore that the Tommyknockers were responsible for cave-ins, missing tools, and eerie voices that led men deeper into the tunnels, never to be seen again.
Some claimed that if you disrespected the mine, the Tommyknockers would take their revenge—collapsing tunnels, breaking lanterns, or causing accidents that couldn’t be explained.
And if a miner laughed at the legend?
That miner usually didn’t last long.
Modern Sightings
Though the old mines of the Wild West have mostly closed, some still claim to hear knocking sounds deep in abandoned tunnels. Paranormal investigators have recorded strange whispers, phantom footsteps, and unexplainable movement of objects in old mining sites.
Some believe that the spirits of the miners who died in those tunnels never left—that they became the very creatures they once feared.
Others think the Tommyknockers were never miners at all.
They were always there, in the earth, long before men came digging.
And they’ll be there long after.