Who knew that blue jeans were invented because of miners? That rats were a miner's best friend, and women were bad luck? That if a tunnel ran through the mountains from Telluride to Silverton, it would be only 13 miles long? If you were at the Fireside Chat, you now know. Back for a third season, the Telluride Historical Museum is hosting the Fireside Chat series, six lectures that tell the tales of the Wild West, Prohibition years, the Northern Utes, Tommyknockers and miners. Each chat invites an expert in each field of San Juan Mountain history. This week local historian Ashley Boling narrated life underground in Telluride's mining days and the Tommyknockers that accompanied miners. Tommyknockers were mini versions of miners, Boling said, a sort of elfish, gnome character that lived underground. Some miners believed them good luck, others as a jinx--a Tommyknocker's knock led a miner to riches, or led him to injury. Boling said everything that happened in the mine was blamed on these little guys. Miners were a superstitious lot due to the constant, inherent dangers of mining and working long hours--11 to 12 hour days--in the shafts underground. Some working burros even lived their entire lives underground.The Telluride Historical Museum hosts two more upcoming chats. Rudy Davison talks the growth of mining in the San Juan Mountains, and Professor Duane Smith presents the surprisingly rich baseball history in the region. In the meantime, check out the Telluride Historical Museum for stimulating and gripping displays and artifacts of Telluride's past. Photos below are courtesy of the Telluride Historical Museum.
By Kara Tatone
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