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All is not so quiet on the Western Upper Peninsula front, as Michigan Technological University brings “World War I & the Copper Country” to life to mark a century since the end of the Great War.
It’s an all-campus community effort, including 100 Michigan Tech football players filling 2,500 burlap sand bags for an immersive firing trench along US-41 next to Wadsworth Hall. Michigan Tech is constructing a forward-firing sand-bag fortified trench that will include replica barbed wire and a battle soundscape, with readings of soldier memoirs and war poetry. Huskies Head Football Coach Steve Olsen coordinated the participation. Student athletes were more than willing to help, says team member Cal McCarthy. “It’s gonna be cool to see when it’s done,” he says.
Before trench excavation could begin, the University needed to dig into its own history. The grassy triangle was the former site of two historic Houghton homes, the Smith House, which became Michigan Tech’s first residential dormitory for women students, and the Nichols House. Both were demolished for the widening of US-41. Students from six universities completed an archaeological survey in May, says Timothy Scarlett, associate professor of archaeology and anthropology at Michigan Tech. No major historical features were discovered, but backhoe work will be monitored, just in case something turns up.
World War I & the Copper Country runs through Armistice Day, November 11, when it wraps up with the trench closing with a ceremony honoring area veterans. The project includes exhibitions on display at Carnegie Museum of the Keweenaw in downtown Houghton and Finlandia University. Multimedia events at Michigan Tech include an evening of silent film, an outdoor symphony concert and self-guided tours of the 100-foot-long trench, which opens September 24. All events, including a two-day symposium September 28-29, are free and open to the public.
Explore the full schedule at ww1cc.mtu.edu/ Read the full story, “Michigan Tech Digs Deep Into World War I History,” on Michigan Tech News.
