Underground History

Anyone interested in some combination of trains, London, and history might find this website of interest.  You can read about old subway stations which have been closed for decades, shelters, and secret offices which were used for high-ranking government meetings during World War II. 

http://underground-history.co.uk/front.php

Any serious train buffs might like this one for some detailed history of the London Underground -- Lots of "techy" and "geeky" stuff in this one, and probably not so much of general interest to anyone not into trains. 

http://www.davros.org/rail/culg/

I love reading about the history of the tube! Thanks!

I love reading about the history of the tube! Thanks!

There's also a lot more historical (as well as current) information on this website, as well as many photographs, past and present:

http://www.trainweb.org/tubeprune/

Check the "History" page for a good outline of how the system developed. 

By the way, although the "cut & cover" lines were established in the 19th century, American financier Charles Yerkes was heavily involved with getting the "tube" lines up and running in the early part of the 20th century.

What I want to know is if any historical items have ever been found in the underground? (like somthing that was dropped or hidden away) I tried google-ing it, but it didn't really come up with anything.

I can't think of any specific items, but I'm sure that with all the tunneling work for the Underground in its 140 or so years' history that there must have been a good many interesting finds.   Sometimes things have been uncovered which the tunnelers would rather not have found.  There are several places where right behind a tunnel wall is an old "Plague Pit" from the 17th century, and in fact a tunneling machine digging for the new Victoria Line in the 1960s plowed straight into one (somewhere around Green Park). 

Treasures were deliberately stored underground during World War II.  The Aldwych branch of the Piccadilly line was closed for the duration and the tunnels used to house all sorts of valuable material from the British Museum. 

Speaking of Aldwych (closed since 1994), it's one of many stations which is reputed to be haunted.  It was built on the site of a former theatre, and is supposedly visited by the ghost of an actress.    Covent Garden also has a theatrical ghost, an actor who was killed outside the Adelphi Theatre in The Strand in the late 19th century and has been seen walking the platforms in top hot, tails, and evening wear.  Bank station's ghost is supposed to be a nun.  There are many others.

By the way, the Underground is not the only railway system to have run under London's streets.  The Post Office had its own narrow-gauge trains running on a route between Paddington and Whitechapel until just a couple of years ago:

http://mikes.railhistory.railfan.net/r023.html