I’ve been working with Lincoln Highway National Museum and Archives director Craig Harmon on a discovery of his: a newspaper in my hometown, the The Pittsburgh Press, held a massive annual contest from 1912-1930 for schoolchildren to write essays about president Lincoln. I’m writing a short piece about his research into the contest, and he continues to dig into the topic from his base in Washington DC.
All this talk got Craig thinking, and he’s come up with an even grander plan: a global Lincoln contest sponsored by LHNMA.
Harmon and his vintage fire truck at I-80 exit 184 west of Rawlins, Wyoming, the original site of the Henry Joy memorial.
The contest began January 12 to coincide with the birthday of Carl Fisher, founder of the Lincoln Highway, and inquiries have already come from as far as Korea. There are 6 categories: K-6th grade; 7th-8th; 9th-12th; college students; ages 18 through 59; and ages 60+. Essays should be in English and be no more than 272 words, the number of words in Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Entries must be in Word or WordPerfect and e-mailed. Prizes range from Savings Bonds to LHA-stye certificates. Harmon is also looking for donations of prizes or funding to make the event even grander — contact him at prize@lincoln-highway-museum.org if you would like to contribute.
Get complete rules on Harmon’s LHNMA website. Note that LHNMA is now exclusively an online collection of Lincoln info and ephemera.
Lincoln Highway News 
July 21, 2008 at 11:55 am |
i have the first place medal for 1928 we found it in our basement and found your web site and thought it was kind of neat.
May 10, 2009 at 12:54 am |
Hi Jeanette –
I live here in Arizona and I too have the first place medal for the 1928 Lincoln essay contact…. have you found that it is worth any value?
December 23, 2008 at 6:34 am |
we have a 1930 medal identical to the one shown at the top of the page
February 15, 2009 at 2:21 am |
I have a commemorative coin (medal). It is round encircled with blue
enamel. It shows the L Hwy and on the back it is inscribed to my uncle.
I believe from Weehauken. Does anyone know when and why it was
given out?
February 20, 2011 at 11:56 pm |
Hi everyone! I live in Pittsburgh, and my daughter actually found a 1918 medal while digging in my yard. It is in better shape then the one on lhma web page. I spoke with a worker there about a year ago and he said it was worth about $25. But we’re going to hang on to it.