Once known as the Avenue of Elms, this road was originally planned to be the entrance to The Dawes Arboretum. The American elms lined the roadway from 1927 until 1960 when Dutch elm disease destroyed the trees. They were then replaced with Christine Buisman elms. Later, the avenue was renamed Pershing Avenue after military leader, General John J. Pershing. His remarkable military service led to his title of General of the Armies and allowed him to become commander of all branches of the US armed services. He was the only person to receive this rank during his own lifetime, and the second person ever awarded this grade after General George Washington. Pershing dedicated a tree at The Arboretum in 1929, beginning our tradition of tree dedications.
Today, Pershing Avenue is lined with a variety of large tree species to ensure that one disease cannot destroy all of the trees. It also features a variety of tree dedications that are dedicated to military service units or individuals who served. These dedications can be found on plaques under the said trees.
With Memorial Day weekend coming up, we will be offering a walk down Pershing Ave with our historian, Leslie Wagner on Saturday, May 25 from 10:00am to 11:30am. Join us to learn more about the history of the military tree dedications that line the roadway.