William Henry Jackson was an early photographer of the American West, as well as an accomplished artist. He traveled the Oregon-California Trail in 1866 and 1867, and later in life painted a series of watercolors based on his experiences. Scotts Bluff National Monument houses 63 of Jackson's historic paintings and many are on display in the monument's museum.
Like so many of his generation, Jackson was enamored of the Pony Express. The courage, commitment, and rugged sense of adventure that the Pony Express embodied was especially appealing to this artist. Jackson, who knew the west in the days of the Pony Express and drew on the spot and at the time. Jackson did much to immortalize the achievements of the Pony Express. Pony Express riders, as well as the all-important home and relay stations were the subjects of many of his paintings.
A number of his drawings and paintings are featured in two books by Howard Driggs: The Pony Express Goes Through, 1935, and The Old West Speaks, 1956.
