Downtown in Omaha in Douglas County, Nebraska — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
William Henry Jackson
1843 - 1942
From 1867 to 1869 the first photography studio of William Henry Jackson, renowned photographer, artist, and explorer of the Old West, stood on the northwest corner of this block. His autobiography, Time Exposure, reports that in 1869 Omaha had the vitality of "a boom town."
Jackson first crossed Nebraska in 1866 on the Oregon Trail, working as a bullwhacker with a freighting outfit. His sketches of the trip vividly depicted the trail experience. In 1870 he joined the Hayden Geological Survey, which took him and artist Thomas Moran to Wyoming's Yellowstone region. By revealing Yellowstone's wonders, Jackson's photographs and Moran's paintings contributed to the establishment of our first national park.
Jackson's camera also focused on the infant towns along the Union Pacific Railroad, Nebraska's Pawnee Indians, the cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde, and the Mountain of the Holy Cross in Colorado, which inspired a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. In 1898 Jackson captured scenes of Omaha's Trans-Mississippi Exposition. Although his life spanned nearly a century, Jackson's photographs and sketches of the glorious landscapes of the nineteenth-century West are his enduring legacy.
Erected by Omaha Corral of Westerners, Omaha Public Library, and Nebraska State Historical Society. (Marker Number 404.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Environment • Exploration • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Nebraska State Historical Society series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1867.
Location. Marker is missing. It was located near 41° 15.505′ N, 95° 56.085′ W. Marker was in Omaha, Nebraska, in Douglas County. It was in Downtown. Marker was on Douglas Street near 14th Street, on the right when traveling east. Marker is on the north grounds of the W. Dale Clark Library. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 215 South 15th Street, Omaha NE 68102, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location. Woodmen of the World (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Securities Building (about 700 feet away); First National Bank Building (approx. 0.2 miles away); Baum Iron Company Building 1880 (approx. 0.2 miles away); Omaha Centennial (approx. 0.2 miles away); J.P. Cooke Building 1885-1889 (approx. 0.2 miles away); United States National Bank Building Arch (approx. ¼ mile away); Millard Block 1880-1881 (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Omaha.
Also see . . .
1. William Henry Jackson. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on December 3, 2021, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
2. W. Dale Clark Main Library. Omaha Public Library website entry (Submitted on September 2, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
3. William Henry Jackson. Artcyclopedia website entry (Submitted on September 2, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
4. William Henry Jackson Collection at BYU. BYU Digital Collections website entry (Submitted on September 2, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
5. Viewing the William Henry Jackson Collection. NPS Scotts Bluff National Monument website entry (Submitted on December 3, 2021, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 2, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 1,437 times since then and 33 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 2, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. 3, 4. submitted on October 10, 2022.