Annual Emmet County student historical essay contest awards cash prizes

For immediate release: February 14, 2023

Annual Emmet County Student Historical Essay Contest Awards Cash Prizes

Entry Form

The Emmet County Historical Commission is once again holding its annual essay contest, which is open to any third or fourth grade student in Emmet County, including homeschooled children.

Contestants may write about any topic that involves Emmet County history. The essay should be two pages or less, typed double-spaced. Only one entry per student is allowed. Entries may be submitted individually or through schools or libraries. The student’s name should not be on the essay, only on the entry form.

The first place winner will be awarded $100 with the second place finisher taking home $50. The teacher of the winning student also receives a $50 stipend to use for classroom supplies.

The entry form should be placed on top of four copies of the essay. Entries must be postmarked by April 28, 2023, and should be mailed or dropped off to:

Emmet County History Contest
200 Division Street, Suite G70
Petoskey, MI 49770

Entries may also be emailed to [email protected] as PDF files or Word documents.

An advisory committee will judge the entries and determine the winners.

The prize money for this contest is derived from the Bob Schulze Fund for Creative Writing, held at the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation. Schulze was a long-time summer resident of Emmet County and had won a similar prize at his Springfield, Ill., high school when he was young. After his passing, his family used his memorial funds to establish the creative writing fund some years ago.

“The Emmet County Historical Commission believes strongly in keeping our history alive by encouraging children to learn the stories from our past,” the group stated in announcing the annual competition. “This contest allows kids, their teachers, and their families the opportunity to explore some of the various facets of our county’s interesting history. In the past, some students have even taken the time to interview older family members about ‘the way things used to be’ in Emmet County, which have made for some unique essays.”

Announcement/award date is Friday May 26th, 2023.

Contest rules and fillable entry form can be downloaded from the county’s website HERE.

If you have questions about the contest, email the Emmet County Historical Commission at [email protected].

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Some historical points in Emmet County that may be of interest to students in choosing a topic to research and write about include:
• Cecil Bay, an early Odawa trading site and later a lumbering community
• McGulpin Point Lighthouse (1869-1906) purchased by Emmet County in 2008
• Cross Village, early largest population, logging harbor and cross; and Legs Inn
• Mackinac Bridge and Fort Michilimackinac
• The Hemingway connection
• Middle Village, St. Ignatius mission church and historic Odawa population center
• Harbor Springs History Museum and Andrew J. Blackbird Museum
• Little Traverse Bay Historical Society Museum
• Bay View, Petoskey
• Crooked River Lock and Inland Waterway Museum
• Pellston History Museum
• Bliss Pioneer Church
• Solanus Mission Church, Petoskey
• Gaslight District, downtown Petoskey
• Odawa citizens’ history

Emmet County, Michigan
200 Division Street, Petoskey MI 49770
(231) 348-1700 | Contact Us