The Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum is pleased to announce The Mary Harris Prizes for non-fiction writing. Essays must be 1,000 – 3,000 words and relate to the Coshocton Frontier. The competition is open to persons of any age who reside or work in Coshocton County, including students whose permanent home is in Coshocton County. The competition has $3,000 allotted for prize money–$1,000 for 1st Place, $500 for 2nd, and five $200 prizes for Honorable Mention. A $500 award will also be granted at the discretion of the judges. Entries must be submitted to the Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum by November 1, 2019. Award winners will be announced at the museum on Nov. 14th at 6:00 P.M.
Essays must have some connection, possibly tenuous, to the Coshocton Frontier, which is defined as 18th century Coshocton County. Only non-fiction with proper citations will be accepted. Works will be judged on writing quality, exposition of topic and accuracy. Essays which won 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place in previous years are ineligible. Other previously submitted entries may be re-submitted in whole or altered. Winners may enter with a new essay.
Examples for topics include history, people, culture, Native American nations, languages and culture, flora and fauna, hunting, agriculture, child care, personal dress, make-up and body decoration, religion, philosophy, literature, etc. Complete details about the competition are available at the Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum and on its website: http://jhmuseum.org/index.php/learn/adult-programs/353
Dr. Scott Butler will also be giving a talk about the history and meaning of Coshocton on Thursday, November 14, 2019.
At the conclusion of the talk, the winners of the 2018 Mary Harris Prizes for non-fiction writing will be announced and awards presented (if the recipient is present).
The Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum is open daily from Noon to 5:00 P.M. and is located in Historic Roscoe Village at 300 N. Whitewoman Street, Coshocton, OH 43812. For more information contact the museum at 740-622-8710 or jhmuseum@jhmuseum.org.