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He is a retired history teacher. She is his spunky assistant. He knows where the bones are buried. She doesn’t mind entering dark pits and leaping over debris to reach them.

Together, Rebecca and the Professor have amazing adventures.

鈥淵ou could call this episode 鈥楻ebecca and the Professor and the Curious Case of the Underground City,’ 鈥� historian Rebecca Maitland said.

The case involves maps to a kind of buried treasure. But Maitland and John Ritter, an adjunct history professor at Corban and Linfield colleges, aren’t willing to share their research of Salem‘s historic underground with city officials.

The maps and other research detail a labyrinth of tunnels that once connected many of the buildings in downtown Salem. The tunnels were used for commerce and for sneaking clandestine revelers from speakeasy to speakeasy.

They would also keep Chinese and other minority residents out of sight 鈥� and out of mind.

Kimberli Fitzgerald, Salem’s senior historic planner, said officials in the public works department would love to get their hands on the research done by Ritter and Maitland.

Last year, a business along Commercial Street downtown dipped into a sinkhole that possibly was caused by one of the tunnels.

鈥淭here are certain areas where the tunnels may be unstable,鈥� Fitzgerald said.

City crews would like to assess and remove any safety hazards, she said, adding that officials have already walled off and sealed many of the tunnels over the years.

鈥淲e’re refusing to reveal any of the maps because we’re afraid the city will destroy everything,鈥� Maitland said. 鈥淚’ve become almost like a tree hugger, just sort of throwing myself on these historic treasures.鈥�

Ritter, who spent most of his career teaching inmates at the state penitentiary, said he also is tired of city officials not doing their own homework. He learned about the tunnels starting with little more than his passion for history and a driving curiosity, he said.

鈥淭hey want my notes, but they don’t want to give me any credit,鈥� Ritter said. 鈥淭hey can do their own research.鈥�

Fitzgerald said city officials are not the enemy. If they could document the tunnels, they could start preserving them.

鈥淲e have a process that would be beneficial to everyone, but we have to communicate,鈥� she said.

Maitland said there are no hard feelings.

鈥淚 think Kimberli is one of the good guys and just wants to get the maps, but we don’t necessarily trust the people at public works,鈥� she said.

Maitland manages two of Salem’s more prominent properties 鈥� the Reed Opera House and the Capitol Center 鈥� for owner Roger Yost. The opera house is a 143-year-old historic landmark, while the 11-story Capitol Center is Salem’s tallest building.

Maitland has a passion for history and intense curiosity for what lies beneath Salem streets. She found a perfect colleague in Ritter.

鈥淚’m the Nancy Drew assistant,鈥� she said. 鈥淚’m the professor’s geeky sidekick.鈥�

He had access to the records and multiple graduate degrees giving him the knowledge to research them. She had access to the buildings. He knew his way around, but had slowed a bit with age. She was ready to jump right in 鈥� literally.

鈥淚 just fell down the rabbit hole on this one.鈥� she said.

City officials were not sure they liked all this urban spelunking.

鈥淔or some reason, this really freaks them out,鈥� Maitland added.

Maitland and Ritter suspect it might have something to do with the dark history of the tunnels. Most cities in the West had networks of tunnels to hide Chinese residents and other immigrants from public view.

The Ku Klux Klan and a general undercurrent of racism were definitely present in Salem, Ritter said. However, there is another side to the story.

The tunnels also aided commerce and led, in some cases, to prosperity for Chinese immigrants. A metal hatch outside the Capitol Center covers what looks like a maintenance entrance. It’s really a gold drop where Chinese immigrants would deposit their riches.

Underneath the hatch, in the dark recesses of the building’s basement, the chain that operates the drop remains undisturbed after more than a century.

Tunnels ran from Front to Liberty streets and from Center to Ferry streets from the late 19th through early 20th centuries.

鈥淪ome tunnels still get used,鈥� Ritter said.

There are at least 20 walk-in vaults 鈥� as well as the remains of a bowling alley and a swimming pool 鈥� underneath the streets, he added.

鈥淓veryone did commerce underground,鈥� Ritter said. 鈥淪alem was a vibrant, multicultural community. It wasn’t the wild West. It was the commercial West. People forget that they’re walking on history. What I try to do is keep history alive.鈥�

Building facades change over time, he added.

鈥淲hen you’re looking for history, sometimes you have to start in the basement,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou can’t change the basement.鈥�

Among the things Maitland and Ritter have found in the underground are the remains of an opium den. Outside the den, in an entirely different section of the tunnels, they found an opium pipe.

Maitland said she wants learn and teach the whole story of Salem’s past.

鈥淚 know about all the racism and ugliness, but there was, for five minutes anyway, multicultural prosperity in the old West,鈥� she said.

Fitzgerald said she would love to see the tunnels opened and explored.

鈥淚t would take a conscious commitment from the city and local businesses to preserve and, in some cases, reconstruct the tunnels, but it would be worth it,鈥� she added.

Maitland said she would like to believe city officials have the city’s best historical interests at heart.

鈥淵et the construction crews keep coming and coming,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 can’t fight city hall, but I can protect the things I have access to.鈥�