05/15/2026
In commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary, Lake of the Woods County Historical Society is pleased to announce a series of contests for county residents, grouped by age range. Participants should submit their entries to the Historical Society building no later than 3 PM, June 15th for judging. Winners will receive a cash prize and have their submissions presented in the Historical Society’s building at the county fair.
For more information, message us on Facebook, email us at [email protected] or phone us at 218-634-1200.
Drawing Contest: Grades K-4
Prompt: What America means to me.
Project: One drawing in any medium which addresses the prompt, and 3-5 sentences explaining the meaning of the drawing to viewers.
First place: $25 | Second place: $15 | Third place: $10
Geography project: Grades 5-8
Groups of 2-4
Prompt: Power of Place
Project: A poster which addresses one natural landmark in and around our county (such as the lake or the big bog) and answers the following questions: How have people interacted with it over time? How did it shape events such as settlement and economic development? How does it affect the way we live today? What stories are associated with it?
In addition to these answers, the poster should also feature pictures of the landmark (drawn or photographed) that include at least three native plants and animals that can be found there.
First place: $120 | Second place: $60 | Third place: $30
Collage project: Grades 9-12
Groups of 2-4
Prompt: Unfinished Revolutions
Project: Groups should choose one major American social movement from the last 250 years, such as the Civil Rights movement, suffrage, unionization efforts, etc. They should then find a collection of images and text from a variety of sources, such as magazines, newspapers, and printouts from the internet, and arrange them into a collage on a poster. Hand-drawn images or photographs created by group members are permitted, but should not comprise the majority of the collage.
A finished project should consist of one collage and one 1-2 page essay explaining what revolutionary movement the group chose, why they chose it, and how the images in the collage represent that movement.
First place: $120 | Second place: $60 | Third place: $30
Photography Project: All ages
Theme: We the People
Project: Participants should submit a photo of what ‘being American’ means to them, along with a short paragraph explaining their choice of subject. Best entries will consider questions such as how the idea of being “American” has changed and over the last 250 years, how citizenship and the franchise have expanded to different groups, and what rights and duties are included with American citizenship
First place: $35 | Second place: $25 | Third place: $20
