Have you submitted your paper title for the 22nd Annual West River History Conference yet?  Topics should be submitted  with a title, brief description, and biographical sketch of the presenter before September 3 in order to be included in the program.

 

Please note:  we do not need your completed paper until the conference in October, but we do need the above information to get the programs published and distributed in timely manner.

 

This year' theme is Digging Deep for History's Roots in the West, but topics are not limited to the theme of the conference.  Any topic relating to the history of the region is welcome.

Thursday evening:

Black Hills videographer Wayne Paanenen will share archival footage representing 125 years of South Dakota statehood in his own inimitable style.

Well known South Dakota performing artist, Gordy Pratt uses "first-hand" stories and original songs to weave a colorful tale of the Wild West.  His mix of humor, history and music richly bring to life such famous figures as Wild Bill Hickock, Calamity Jane and Bullock's good friend, Theodore Roosevelt.

Hill City watercolorist Jon Crane is renowned for his ability to capture great detail in watercolor art and strives to reserve the historic places before they disappear.  His oversized nostalgic landscapes of rural American have become his trademark.

DEADWOOD EXPRESS
Back by popular demand:   "Songs and lore of a traditional American music form".  In addition to performing lively entertainment to close out this year's conference, this unique musical group shares background and history tying this folk music to our nation's development.

Scholarship money is available for conference registration and travel expenses to encourage students and their teachers and/or parents to attend. It has been a long-time goal of the West River History Conference to increase the participation of young people so they can learn more about their heritage and carry on the work of preserving it.  All applications for this year's conference are welcome!

The collected papers of the 2013 conference will be available in August.  Books for conferences from 2012 and prior are available and can be ordered by downloading an order form from our website.

Please note that in order to prepare the conference program and ship it in a timely manner, the deadline for submitting paper proposals is September 3rd.

The 2013 West River History Conference was one for the record books, and will be remembered  for the unique opportunities to network and bond under challenging conditions.

We are therefore inviting suggestions for a nickname which best describes last year's blizzard-affected history conference.

 

A $50 cash award will be presented at this year's conference for the cleverest moniker describing the conference that survived and thrived during Winter Storm Atlas.

Send your entries to wrhistoryconf@gmail.com