July 15, 2024 - If you’ve ever been inside a West Virginia coal mine, you know how dark it can get. The coal absorbs any light that makes it into the depths, creating an intense darkness.

This darkness can be frightening, but the real dangers of mining are even scarier. Miners have faced deadly risks since mining began, including rock falls, gas and dust explosions, and sudden suffocation by unseen blackdamp.

Many mines around the world are said to be haunted. Ukrainian miners, for instance, believed in mine ghosts called “Shubin.” These spirits were usually helpful, warning miners of disasters and leading them to safety.

One ghost story comes from the mines in Grant Town, West Virginia. A Russian miner was said to haunt the Federal No. 1 mine, which operated from 1901 to 1985 and was one of the largest coal mines in the world.

The “Ghost of Big John” is one of four stories from Grant Town and was included in Dr. Ruth Ann Musick’s book “The Tell-Tale Lilac Bush,” which helped popularize West Virginia folklore in the 1970s.

Musick described Grant Town as having a supernatural feel, partly because it was isolated and surrounded by hills. The town also had many immigrants who brought their own ghost stories.

In the U.S., the story of Big John turned into that of a folk hero, similar to John Henry. Big John became a symbol of miners who were victims of industrial interests. There’s a Big John in every mine.

The tale of Big John was popularized by Jimmy Dean in his country music song “Big Bad John,” which he wrote with Roy Acuff. The song became one of the best country songs of the 1960s and all time. Dean was inspired by an actor named John Minto, who was 6 feet 5 inches tall. Dean called him “Big John” and liked the sound of the name.

Dean’s song tells the story of a quiet and mysterious miner named Big John, who is known for his size: “He stood six foot six and weighed 245.” One day, a timber in the mine cracks, and it looks like disaster until John “grabbed a saggin’ timber, gave out with a groan, and like a giant oak tree just stood there alone,” then “gave a mighty shove,” creating an escape route for the other miners.

As the rescue crew arrives, the mine collapses, and John is believed to be dead. The mine is never reopened, but a marble stand is placed outside, saying, “At the bottom of this mine lies one helluva man—Big John.” Some versions of the song change the last line to “lies a big, big man” to avoid profanity.

Dean’s song resonated with miners and listeners everywhere, especially those in Grant Town, who feel the song is about their own Big John.

This version of the story was published in 1976 by Jim Comstock in the West Virginia Heritage Encyclopedia.