Riley Lanigan, a fifth grade student at the Atlantic Highlands Elementary School, was honored at an assembly at the school this week for being the first resident of the borough to receive a Monmouth County Historical Commission award in the Commission’s annual essay contest for fifth grade students throughout Monmouth County.
Riley’s essay about a grandfather three times removed earned her the second place award from the Commission earlier this month, along with a gift certificate to Barnes & Noble and a presentation at the Commission’s meeting at the Hall of Records in Freehold.
This week, Muriel J. Smith, an Atlantic Highlands resident and member of the County Historical Commission, as well as an author of several books on local history, presented Riley with copies of two of her books on history and legends in the Bayshore in appreciation of the student being the first local resident to be honored by the Historic Commission in this annual contest.
Riley researched both family and historic records in preparing her essay on Peter Glass, her great, great, great grandfather who was a Wisconsin farmer in the 19th century with a great knowledge and ability of marquetry, designing furniture and unique items with thousands of pieces of wood from different trees. Some of his work is at the Smithsonian and several other pieces in Illinois as well as as among family members.
