The Story of the Dogwoods in McMinnville, Oregon

In 1943, the McMinnville Garden Club established a Pink Dogwood Grove on the Linfield College Campus, honoring all past May Queens. We also chose the Pink Dogwood as our club flower at that time, and we were encouraged to have at least one dogwood tree in our own yards.

Through the donations of relatives and friends of past Queens, each had a tree planted in the grove, in her honor. In May of 1953, the 50^th Anniversary of May Day, the fiftieth tree was planted. Our 1953-54 yearbook featured a reproduction of the 1951 planting scene on its cover. The original was an oil mural painted by Mrs. Fred Hillman, and presented by the senior class as a gift to Linfield that year.

Each year our club made the bouquets for the court (14-18 members) and served a tea in the student lounge honoring the Queen. In May, 1952, a bronze marker was placed by the club on a granite boulder at the north end of the grove.

The dogwood planting continued until 1966, when the space could hold no more trees and the landscaper decided no more should be used on the campus. We then dedicated a lovely rhododendron for the Queens until 1970 when May Day activities were discontinued on the campus.

Dean Collins, formerly of the Oregon Journal and an honorary member of the club until his death, said the planting was one of the most outstanding on the coast. As the trees grew in size, some of them were moved to other locations on the campus. The original grove is spectacular in May when it is in bloom.