Assistant Professor Ray Fanning has completed designing and building a web site celebrating the history of UM’s Memorial Row. The site focuses on the origin of the two rows of Ponderosa Pine trees that run from Eddy Avenue to Don Anderson Hall, north of the Oval.
The University planted the trees in 1919 as a living memorial to students and others who lost their lives during World War I. Some died in combat, but many others died as a result of the 1918 influenza pandemic. There are markers at the bases of some trees with the names of the people in whose honor they were planted. But many nameplates are missing.
The web site blends text, archival photos, and audio and video clips to tell the story of the memorial and the people it honors. It includes background on the Student Army Training Corps on campus, as well as information and interviews about the flu pandemic in Montana, and the origins of World War I.
The address for the Memorial Row site is www.umt.edu/memorialrow. It can also be found on the J-School Media Projects page.
Fanning hopes that some of those who view it will contribute additional information to help the site grow.
