STUDENTS COMPETE AT REGIONAL HISTORY FAIR
As a seventh grader at North Zulch High School, Lilly Long was inspired by the story of Lilly Ledbetter and the women’s suffrage movement.
On Friday, Long brought Ledbetter’s story to life with her Brazos Valley Regional History Fair exhibit describing Ledbetter’s fight for equal pay and fair treatment for women while working at a Goodyear tire factory.
Long was one of more than 120 students from Navasota Junior High, Navasota High, Anderson-Shiro Jr./Sr. High School, North Zulch, Brazos Christian School and Brenham Christian Academy to showcase their historical knowledge at the regional history fair hosted by hosted by Blinn College’s Star of the Republic Museum on the grounds of Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site.
First- and second-place winners qualified for Texas History Day in Austin in May, sponsored by the Texas State Historical Association. State winners will then travel to the National History Day competition at the University of Maryland in June. Star of the Republic also awarded $1,350 in prize money donated by the history fair’s sponsors.
This is the 10th year the regional history fair has been hosted at Star of the Republic.
“I can’t think of a better location for a regional history fair than on the site of a museum that celebrates Texas history,” said Anne McGaugh, Star of the Republic Museum’s curator of education and coordinator of the Brazos Valley Regional History Fair. “When they aren’t presenting their projects, students have the opportunity to explore the grounds and see everything the museum has to offer.”
Students’ projects revolved around National History Day’s central theme this year: Leadership and Legacy in History. Projects were presented in five categories: exhibit, performance, historical paper, documentary and interpretive website.
Projects are graded by a panel of local judges who listen to the presentations, then interview the students and critique their work. The judges included Blinn faculty, representatives from local organizations, retired teachers and local historians. Blinn’s Webb Society, a student historical organization, served as volunteers.
“It takes about 50 volunteers to host this event, so I am very grateful for our support from Blinn College and our community,” McGaugh said.
Star of the Republic Museum is located at Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site, at 23200 Park Road 12, Washington, Texas, off Highway 105. From Highway 105, follow either FM 912 or FM 1155 to Park Road 12.
Star of the Republic Museum was created by the Texas Legislature and is administered by Blinn College as a cultural and educational institution. Its purpose is to collect and preserve the material culture of the Texas Republic from 1836-1846 and to interpret the history, cultures, diversity and values of early Texans.
Daily museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.starmuseum.org or call 936-878-2461, ext. 237. Story and photo courtesy of Blinn College.