The discovery of a mysterious network of hidden tunnels beneath a Florida city has ignited wild theories about their origin.
These passageways under Ybor City, a suburb near downtown Tampa, remained concealed for decades until a series of discoveries brought the subterranean network to light.
Historians have speculated extensively about their purpose, suggesting they could have been used for smuggling moonshine, human trafficking, cash, or simply as sewers. However, more wild theories have come to surface!
The most recent tunnels were found in 2018 near the Old Florida Brewery, close to East 6th Avenue and Noccio Parkway, during the construction of a new office building.
Workers demolishing a warehouse stumbled upon a hidden passage tall enough to stand in, featuring a rounded ceiling. Several tunnels are lined with bricks and are just a few feet tall and wide—large enough for an adult to crouch or crawl through. The layered brickwork suggests they were built by skilled laborers.
Photos below:
Talk of mysterious passageways beneath Ybor City in Central Florida has been circulating for about 20 years, according to Dr. Gary Mormino, professor emeritus of history at the University of South Florida – St. Petersburg. Mormino, 77, who has researched Ybor City’s history for about 40 years, said the first of these tunnels was discovered roughly two decades ago during work beneath a Blue Ribbon grocery store.
“That raised the question, ‘Why would you build a tunnel in an area with a water table about one foot below sea level?’” he previously told DailyMail.com.
While some have speculated that bootleggers used the tunnels, Mormino finds that theory unlikely. Instead, he suggests they might have been used to bring in prostitutes or Chinese laborers from Cuba.
Mormino described the tunnels as “nothing too remarkable to look at,” being flat on the bottom and wide, making them unsuitable for a sewage system, and thus more intriguing to those curious about their true purpose.
Dr. Mormino’s research has aimed to rule out various uses for the tunnels and determine their actual function.
“I’m asking myself, ‘What were the tunnels not used for?’” he said.
USF researcher Dr. Lori Collins shared, “These are quite substantial. I mean, you can stand up and maybe bend over a little bit, depending on how tall you are. But you can certainly travel through them.”
Some net-citizens speculated that the tunnels could have been used for immoral purposes, such as the human trafficking of children!
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