The tunnels underneath Wright State are quite a blessing for students, faculty and staff. Whether in the dead of winter or the blazing heat of summer, the tunnels serve as a safe way to move around campus.
However, behind the comforting glare of the overhead lights and map directions, there lies a sinister history few know of.
The tunnels were present long before Wright State was built over 50 years ago. No one really knows how far back the tunnels go, but it is believed that they were here before settlers came to the Miami Valley in 18th century. If it is true, who built the tunnels?
Among the hushed tones and whispers of Fairborn locals, there comes the tale of the mole people that lived underground and carved out the tunnels as their home. The mole people were said to be omnivores that lived on berries. They were odd, small animals, but kept to themselves. It was said that they lived peacefully among local tribes until the settling of the area by Europeans.
As the settlers began grabbing land for themselves, the mole people were seen as a threat and were believed to have been driven out of the tunnels and ultimately killed. But that is not the end of the story of the mole people of the Wright State tunnels.
It is said that if you are in the tunnels in the dead of night, you can hear scratching noises and the distant howls of something animal-like echoing down the halls.
It seems as if the mole people have slowly returned to the tunnels that they once called home. Some say that a few managed to survive the purge from almost two centuries ago and seek to reclaim their home. But there are some locals and tunnel maintenance workers that say it is the spirits of the mole people that roam the tunnels.
Some workers over the years have claimed that they have seen odd shapes darting from one end of the corridor to the other and found odd, four-clawed scratch marks along the walls.
When any member of staff is asked about these stories, an immediate change of subject happens. It seems that many who work down there, especially at night, want to keep the stories of the mole people quiet.
For now, what really lies within the tunnels of Wright State is a subject of mystery and curiosity to some. But my best advice, don’t be in the tunnels alone at night, you never know what really is down there.
