Historical Society of Riverton
Third Annual Writing Prize
Spring 2024

Summary:
The Historical Society of Riverton (HSR) is awarding a cash prize of $500 for a 1000
word essay that answers a question about Riverton’s history. The winning entry will be
featured on the HSR’s website: www.rivertonhistory.com. Noteworthy essays that do not
win the primary prize may also be published on the HSR’s website. Essays will follow
MLA (Modern Language Association) guidelines for published works (see below).

The Question: What did Rivertonians do for fun 100 years ago?
In your essay, discuss the ways people entertained themselves in the 1920s. How and
with whom did they socialize? Where did they go to have fun when they weren’t
working? What social, political, economic and technological changes were happening
nationally and in this region that affected what people did for fun in the 1920s?

Where to start?
Our website includes many photographs and articles on Riverton’s history that may help
inform and illustrate your essay. The HSR has many issues of historic Riverton-area
newspapers digitized and available online at: https://rivertonhistory.com/historical-
local-newspapers/.

Who may submit an entry?
Any high school student living in Riverton may apply.

Questions?
Essays and questions related to the prize should be submitted to Heather Huffnagle at
[email protected], (856) 505-7087.

Review Committee
The Review Committee will be comprised of HSR Board Members and professionals
among its membership with education and/or experience in historical research,
education and writing.

Timeline:
Entries will be accepted until May 31st. Awardees will be contacted by June 15. The
winning writer will be recognized at a ceremony in Riverton Park on the 4th of July.

GUIDELINES

MLA Paper Format General Guidelines
• Use standard 8.5 x 11 white paper.
• Number your pages.
• 1-inch margins (all sides)
• Readable font
• Double-spaced
• Indent new paragraphs.
• Only one space between sentences

MLA cover page includes a few things like:
• Title of your paper
• Your name
• Your email
• Your school’s name

What should an MLA paper look like?
An MLA paper has a standard look for every page including 1-inch margins, a readable
font, a running header including your last name and page number, and author-page in-
text citations. At the end of your paper, you will include a works cited with a list of all
the sources used in the paper.