History with ‘Hud’: The seemingly mysterious story behind Wilmington’s underground tunnels
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Thousands of people make their way through downtown Wilmington each day, marveling at the historic buildings all around them. But few know about another piece of history lying mere feet below the road.
Several small streams used to freely run through downtown Wilmington in the early days of the city in the middle 1700s. But when heavy rain would fall, the streams would overflow their banks, leading to flooding that impacted critical traffic routes for local businesses. To combat the issue, numerous tunnels were placed into the ground for drainage and sewage to flow into the Cape Fear River.
The largest stream in Wilmington was known as Jacob’s Run (named for 18th century Wilmington merchant Joseph Jacobs). It wound several blocks, from North Sixth Street near the old New Hanover County Courthouse building, before emptying into the Cape Fear near the former J.W. Brooks building.
The stream was at one point deep enough and wide enough for small boats to access a fish market near Market and Second Streets, subsequently giving present-day Dock Street its name.
As Wilmington continued to grow in the 1800s, the old tunnels were bricked over for new roads, with drainage eventually being replaced by modern piping. While the old tunnels were buried, rumors as to their true purpose began to surface over the decades.
Many people believe the tunnels were used for several reasons other than just water flow. Some say the tunnels were reliable escape paths for criminals, a passage on the Underground Railroad or a smuggler’s route for pirates.
Unfortunately, navigating the tunnels would have been difficult if not impossible, as some areas are less than two feet in height. As such, none of those stories have been proven, and it’s likely the drainage tunnels were simply for that purpose – drainage.
As the tunnels continued to age, they became an increasing problem at several points in history. Part of the Jacob’s Run tunnel collapsed in 1928, 1951 and again in 1976. For safety reasons, all known entrances to the tunnels have since been sealed, but sinkholes continue to pop up along modern streets from time to time.
Whatever you believe about the tunnel’s true purpose, they serve as a reminder that not all of Wilmington’s history is found in plain sight.
