A south St. Louis County native, Wanko grabbed the gold in the Midwest-Best Regional Non-Fiction category. More than 4,700 publications entered the contest.
The book was a companion piece to an exhibit earlier this year at the museum, "The Mighty Mississippi." It was curated by David Lobbig, with Wanko's assistance.
The book covers the impact the river has had on St. Louis, starting with the Cahokia settlement of more than 1,100 years ago and ending with the renovations of the Gateway Arch grounds and museum in 2018.
Wanko also has served as the lead for two previous museum exhibitions, “Lost Buildings of St. Louis” and “A Walk in 1875 St. Louis.”
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