When you buy a new home, you expect to find things you might not have noticed at first, but this Illinois couple found something really unexpected. Gary and Beth Machens moved into their home in Alton in December and recently decided to repair a section of sidewalk that had started to slope.
Surprise! Gary says he removed part of a stone wall on the sidewalk to make repairs and found the entrance to a tunnel about nine feet high and at least 60 feet deep. He says there are a few tunnels around the Alton area, but no one knew this one existed.
A wild discovery, right? Local historians estimate the tunnel was created in 1840, 50 years before the house was built, but they don’t know the reason. Gary says “It could have been used for the underground railroad,” but there’s no proof of that. He says he wants to preserve the tunnel and possibly give tours if it’s safe and the city helps cover the cost.
Source: United Press International
PHOTO: Getty Images