Online Exhibit Gives Depth to Red Cedar River
Campus and the Red Cedar share a historical bond, with the iconic river playing a huge role in the founding and growth of the state agricultural school known today as MSU.
A new online exhibit by Libraries Science Coordinator and Environmental Sciences Librarian Eric Tans provides an in-depth look at the unique relationship between the river and the university.
The exhibit, "Close Beside the Winding Cedar: The Red Cedar River at Michigan State University," calls attention to this significant piece of campus history. Through archival images, historical documents, audio recordings and newspaper clippings, Tans gives an engaging and in-depth look at the cultural history of the Red Cedar from its formation to the present day.
“MSU has a complex relationship with the Red Cedar River,” Tans said. “The history of MSU and the Red Cedar is a story of a river transformed from a healthy aquatic ecosystem into an industrial waterfront and back again, allowing the university to grow into what it is today.”
Image courtesy MSU Archives and Historical Collection