He Ignored a Growing Lump Behind His Shed for 10 Years — What He Finally Dug Up Left the Whole Town Stunned

For more than a decade, Tom Jenkins, a 54-year-old retired carpenter from rural Oregon, had walked past the strange mound behind his old wooden shed without giving it much thought.

It started as nothing more than a small bump in the ground — barely noticeable beneath the tall grass and wildflowers that crept over the edges of his property.

But as the years went by, the lump kept growing.

Neighbors occasionally joked about it being a buried treasure or a forgotten time capsule, but to Tom, it was just another quirk of his aging backyard.

Then, earlier this spring, something changed.

The ground around the mound began to crack after heavy rainstorms, and the surface seemed to pulse slightly, as if something beneath was shifting.

One morning, while sipping his coffee and staring out the kitchen window, Tom saw steam — or was it smoke? — rising faintly from the spot.

“That was the moment I knew I had to find out what was under there,” he later recalled in an interview.

Armed with a shovel, gloves, and a determination that surprised even him, Tom decided to dig.

What started as a casual afternoon project quickly turned into a full-blown excavation.

Within the first hour, he unearthed what looked like rusted metal — a curved surface buried deep in the earth.

“It felt cold and smooth,” he said.

“Not like rock, not like wood — something man-made, but old.

By sunset, the object’s size became apparent.

It was enormous — at least six feet long, and whatever it was, it had been buried deliberately.

Tom’s curiosity turned to obsession.

Over the next week, he rented digging equipment, called in a few friends, and widened the pit.

The air grew thick with the smell of wet soil and metal.

Finally, under the harsh glare of a construction lamp, the team uncovered what looked like the side of an old capsule — similar to a small submarine, with rivets and faded symbols etched across its surface.

Word spread quickly through the quiet community of Redmond.

Local reporters arrived, followed by a few scientists from the nearby university, who were intrigued by early photographs Tom posted online.

Dr.Angela Foster, a geologist who joined the investigation, confirmed that the capsule didn’t match any known military or industrial designs from the past century.

“It’s unlike anything I’ve seen,” she remarked.

“The material composition is unusual — it resists corrosion and reacts strangely to light.

Things took an even stranger turn when experts finally managed to open the capsule.

Inside was a perfectly preserved wooden crate, tightly sealed with a waxy substance.

Within the crate lay an assortment of artifacts — old maps, a leather-bound journal, and what appeared to be tools from the early 1900s.

But the most shocking discovery came from the journal itself.

Written in elegant, slanted handwriting, it chronicled the life of a man named Henry Lowell, an inventor and explorer who disappeared mysteriously in 1911.

The journal described an experimental device — something Lowell called “The Resonator,” designed to detect underground vibrations.

He had apparently been testing it in Oregon when he vanished.

The final entry read: “The earth hums tonight — I think I’ve found something alive beneath us.

Historians are now analyzing the find, calling it one of the most unusual archaeological discoveries in the state’s recent history.

Some skeptics suggest the capsule might be an elaborate hoax, while others insist it’s a genuine artifact lost to time.

Regardless, Tom’s backyard has become a local landmark, attracting visitors, media, and researchers eager to catch a glimpse of what’s being called “The Redmond Capsule.

Reflecting on the experience, Tom admitted the discovery has changed him.

“For ten years, I ignored it.

I thought it was just dirt,” he said softly.

“Now I wonder what else is hiding right under our feet — what stories the earth’s been keeping.

Experts plan to transfer the capsule and its contents to the Oregon Historical Society for preservation and further study.

As for Tom, he says he’s keeping a small piece of metal he found near the capsule as a reminder — a token of the mystery that literally grew in his own backyard.

“I’ll never look at that old shed the same way again,” he added with a laugh.

“It’s funny how the smallest things — even a lump of dirt — can end up changing your life forever.