The Wadleigh Award
The Merrimac Public Library of Merrimac, Massachusetts, is pleased to call for submissions to the Wadleigh Award.
Background: This award is offered through a trust established by Albert Wadleigh, a lifelong resident of Merrimac, Massachusetts. Mr. Wadleigh was an avid student of local history and was especially interested in the early English settlement of what are now Essex County in Massachusetts, Rockingham County in New Hampshire, and York County in Maine. The original land grant for Salisbury (first called “Colechester,” 1638) was very large and included portions of land now within the bounds of the three counties mentioned above. Today, the towns of Salisbury, Amesbury, and Merrimac are the most prominent portion of early “Colechester.”
Mr. Wadleigh directed the Trustees of the Merrimac Public Library to offer an annual award of a cash prize to a student from Merrimac who writes the best historical essay.
Eligibility: Entrants must be a junior or senior student enrolled in a certified school and a permanent resident of Merrimac, Massachusetts.
Essay Requirements
Topic: The focus of the paper should be a single coherent topic dealing with an aspect of early settlement, activities, industries, or the lives of significant people who have lived in the area of Salisbury, Amesbury, or Merrimac, Massachusetts.
Length: Minimum of four pages, not to exceed ten, double-spaced, twelve-point standard typeface (i.e., Times Roman or Helvetica), using standard spelling.
Content: All sources must be properly and amply cited. The inclusion of a bibliography is required. Primary and original sources are preferred and will be given greater weight in evaluating the essays. Sources will be checked when judged. Papers should meet accepted standards for spelling, grammar, and punctuation. In order to ensure submissions of the best quality possible, the Trustees now require entrants to have a faculty member review and sign the essay prior to submission.
Selection: The essays are read and judged by the Trustees of the Merrimac Public Library. The winning essay will become the property of the library to be kept as a continuing record of historical value. The Trustees reserve the right to award or withhold the prize based on quality.
Award: The recipient of the Wadleigh Award will receive a cash prize of $1,000.
Deadline and Submission: Essays must be submitted by the first Friday in May. Submissions may be emailed to merrimacpublib@yahoo.com or dropped off at or mailed to: Library Trustees, Merrimac Public Library, 86 West Main Street, Merrimac, MA 01860.
Questions may be directed to Martina Follansbee, Director, at 978-346-9441. The Merrimac Public Library offers books, magazines and newspapers, including large print, reference help, CD ROMs, access to the Internet, audio and video cassette tapes, compact discs, DVDs, books on CD, museum passes and special activities. The staff is ready to help you use the library. If the library doesn't have what your need, we can obtain materials from other libraries.