The history of Lawrence County is long and varied and for some students, the task of writing an essay about one aspect of the past can seem boring and taxing.

But not for the fourth-graders who submitted their writings for the Lawrence County Historical Society essay contest.

Ninety entries were submitted from students all over the county, a record number since the contest started three years ago.

Three winners were chosen and their essays have been published in today’s edition of The Tribune.

We encourage our readers to take a look at the essays — written by Savannah Martin, Katie Deeds and Trenton Williams — and learn a little bit about the history of Lawrence County through their eyes.

We applaud these students, and all others who submitted essays, for their hard work and dedication in preserving pieces of our county’s past. It is projects like these that encourage young minds to think outside of the box and learn that history is more than just a subject in school. It is our heritage and something that should not be forgotten.

We hope the Lawrence County Historical Society will continue this essay contest for future fourth-graders to participate.