Man discovers secret ‘19th century’ tunnel beneath his own home

A farmer in Illinois has discovered a secret tunnel underneath his home which is believed to date back to the 19th century.

Gary Machens figured it existed after a section of the pavement outside his house began to crumble, and after an investigation, an entry point was uncovered, leading him to find the tunnel, made out of red brick.

His discovery was showcased on Fox 2 St Louis news segment where he aired a theory about its intended usage – the underground railroad.

“Lotta brick. Whatever, they built this for, it took a lot of men and a lot of hours. One guy didn’t do this,” he said. “I think it was part of the Underground Railroad. That’s what my theory is.”

At the moment, it is just that – a theory – because it yet to be confirmed by local historians.

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Local historians believe the space dates back to around 1840, while Machens’s home was built in the 1890s.

The anchors in the news report exclaim it's “so mysterious”, which it definitely is.

The discovery is the latest in a string of similar incidents. Earlier in the month, a woman discovered a secret room in her New York City apartment. Samantha Hartsoe found it after trying to suss out where the cold air in her bathroom was coming from.

TikToker @unfortunateexistance also previously shared a video of her discovering a cellar underneath her home.