The live finals of the Children of a Common River poetry contest will take place 11 a.m. May 31 at the Columbia River Maritime Museum’s Barbey Maritime Center at 2042 Marine Drive in Astoria. The inaugural event theme is “River.”

Finalists are Julianna Lambert, Eleanor Dickau, Isla Manship, Abigayle Claybaugh, Savannah Peavy and Jocelyn Williams.

The event revives a children’s poetry competition that existed in Clatsop County decades ago. In 1941, 11- and 12-year-old students from 23 schools entered a poetry contest. Their poems were preserved in the archives of the Clatsop County Historical Society.

In 2024, Astoria poet Jennifer Nightingale was asked to share her work at the FisherPoets Gathering. She wanted to underscore that fishing and poetry have been part of the Lower Columbia collective identity for a long time.

Nightingale explored the archives of Historical Society for inspiration and discovered more than 70 poems from 1940, written by children from Clifton to Cannon Beach.

After more than 80 years, the voices of these children were heard again at the FisherPoets Gathering. Nightingale again shared the young voices during the Seaman’s Memorial Aug. 9, 2024, during the Astoria Regatta. Following the memorial, Nightingale spoke with other participants. She recalled one, U.S. Coast Guard Cmdr. Amanda Denning, was enthused, but suggested that but this time she should include counties on both sides of the river.

“After 80 years, it’s about time,” Nightingale replied.

Nightingale then met with Katy Menne, education director at the Columbia River Maritime Museum, to revive the contest. Students in sixth or seventh grades were eligible from Clatsop, Columbia and Tillamook in Oregon plus Pacific, Wahkiakum and Cowlitz in Washington.

• The title of the program draws on the quote from Michael A. Josephson (1943-2024), “We’ve always been Children of a Common River.”