“The Tunnel”. There was always talk of a tunnel under the courthouse. One of the stories I heard was that it connected the old Sheriff’s office/jail to the courthouse to move prisoners back and forth. Well, there was a tunnel that extended to the S.O. My blue line on the engineering plan shows the path under the courthouse. There was no evidence that it ever could have been used for people traversing it for any reason. There were no “utilities” of any significance within it. At the west end, closest to the S.O. it had a height of about 4.5 feet. As it continued its path, it gradually got smaller. At the end, it was only a 2ft x 2ft tunnel. The roof was big sandstone pieces that were about 4 inches thick; that supported the floor structure. I’m sure there was a reason for its existence, but no one today really knows why it was there. It is now filled in to ensure another century of stability. Within the tunnel, we did find an old beechnut bag, an empty whiskey bottle, and a shoe. Safety toe shoes were apparently not required in 1887. I intend to make up some colorful story about these items. I would welcome any stories about the tunnel, that anyone may have heard from their ancestors.
– Ben Carpenter, Perry County Commissioner
Originally posted to Facebook
