As time progresses and things change it becomes increasingly difficult to imagine what a place once looked like prior to transformation, and this campus is most certainly no exception to this process. We see these changes taking place every day, such as our witnessing of the construction of the addition to Warner Gym and the new fitness center. Sometimes, however, it’s fun to take a trip through time and visually witness the transfiguration ourselves. The area currently undergoing construction next to Warner Gym has actually gone through a great deal of change, considering it was once a forested ridge prior to 1952. The following image, titled “Hillside removal flattens the campus, 1952,” can be found in A Sound Past and shows the progression of the ridge demolition, as President Thompson and contractor Shotwell converse.
The image description states that a similar image appears on page 134 of the 1952 Tamanawas. Provided below are the images found on page 134, which display the three stages of the “largest earth-moving project ever undertaken on the campus.”
“…an aerial view that shows the two-block-long hill that once stretched parallel to the Fieldhouse along Union Ave.”
With the digitized collection of images found in A Sound Past, along with our physical collection of Tamanawas and various images in the Archives & Special Collections, we can simulate an experience on par with the historical progression of time, and visually witness the metamorphosis of the campus we call home in the present day. Take a look at some of the other images in the digital or physical collection of images to satiate your curiosity!
The Archives & Special Collections is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 1:00-3:00 p.m. or by appointment.
By Monica Patterson
“Dr. Thompson and contractor trustee J.D. Shotwell look over the excavation when it was half completed.”
“…shows part of the level hill. Shotwell removed over 55,000 cubic feet of earth to make the Fieldhouse parking area twice as large as it had formerly been.”