Save Texas History Essay Contest
Special to The Messenger
EAST TEXAS – Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D., is proud to announce the kickoff of the 2025 Save Texas History Essay Contest for 4th and 7th grade students. The Save Texas History Essay Contest encourages students to explore topics in Texas history or culture, however big or small that helped shape Texas.
“As a ninth-generation Texan, I am deeply committed to preserving Texas history and encouraging our next generation of leaders to do the same,” said Commissioner Buckingham. “The GLO’s Save Texas History Essay Contest is a crucial part of this agency’s mission to safeguard the many cherished stories, documents, and artifacts that belong to our state’s rich history. I encourage young Texans to write about what makes our state unique and why it is vital to preserve this history for future generations.”
Student essays traditionally reflect the state’s rich diversity. The contest’s previous fourth-grade grand-prize winner, Katy Bowman of Lockhart, explored the history of Caldwell County’s courthouse and square, including its many festivals and events. These include farmers’ markets, Courthouse Nights, Run for the Bulls, Día de los Muertos, and the annual Christmas parade. As Katy notes, “People from the community come and listen to music, talk, dance, and laugh together.”
The previous seventh-grade grand prize winner, Coltier Dodd, wrote about the Santa Rosa Rodeo Grounds, which contains the only wooden rodeo arena still in use in Texas. Coltier’s connection was also personal, with both his grandfather and mother having a long history with the local riding club – one that hopefully will continue “for many more generations to come.”
This year’s two grand-prize winners will each receive a gift card worth $500 courtesy of Chris Cantu of Kingsview Partners, and a free two-night stay in Austin at Hampton Inn & Suites University/Capitol. The five finalists in each grade will each receive gift cards worth $100 courtesy of the Moses Austin Chapter of the Sons of the Republic of Texas. All winners and finalists, as well as their teachers, will receive additional prizes from the Texas General Land Office and its essay contest sponsors.
Entries must meet all eligibility requirements and be received by April 1, 2025. More information and the contest entry form can be found by visiting www.glo.texas.gov
The Texas General Land Office Save Texas History™ program is a statewide initiative to rally public support and private funding for the preservation and promotion of more than 35 million historic maps and documents. With the twin goals of preservation and education, the Save Texas History program seeks to conserve these documents for future generations and educate Texans about the rich heritage found in these vital records.
