The research required to rediscover the story of the Cortland Fire of 1919 brought history into our own backyard. The fact that we were learning the history of the town in which we actually live, gave us a connection that we otherwise would not have had to this project. The 1919 fire was instrumental in bringing Cortland to its current incarnation. The story of it helped cement the history of the college into my own memory, and gave me a connection to this location that would not be there otherwise. The archival research aided my understanding of research methods especially here at SUNY Cortland, and the utilization of some of the finer points of WordPress allow us to visualize the fire, and also bring the story into the 21st century.
Zeke Johnson
4/5/18