The Coolidge examiner., 1932-06-03

with the building Of the Union Pacific railroad.
Young Mr.. Jackson saw in the starting OF the
railroad a wonderful chance for pictures. SO he
left the business In the hands Of his brother and
started out to record what happening
I'm those days" says Mr.. Jackson. "photog-
raphy was different than it is today. The pioneer
photographer Of that time had to be something Of
chemist artist and mechanic all put together.
When he wanted to take pictures on the road he
had to carry chemicals, trays. glasses and what
not, for each plate had to be prepared on the
spot for every exposure. So when l started
out from Omaha IN 1SGS l was equipped with
complete portable octft for developing pictures
en- route"
Dr. f. V. Hayder head of the United States
geological survey Of the territories, organized to
obtain definite information about those vast re-
giOns opened to the settlers by the new railroad
saw the pictures which Mr. Jackson took on that
trip. He liked them so much he decided he
must have Jackson along on his own surveying
trip which he was slated to take along the old
Oregon Trail, across Wyoming and back by the
Overland Stage route. Thus it came about that
William II. Jackson was the first man to make
photographs of the marvels of the old Oregon
Trail country
Although he appointed Official photog-
rapher of the Hayden survey, he received no
salary, but his equipment was provided and he
was permitted to keep all negatives he made
for his use Most Of his Photographic sun
plies he carried in the ambulance which accom-
panied the party, but he also was provided
with a little donkey which he named "Hypo"
"Hypo" carried his working kit
This survey of Doctor Hayden's started in An
gust, 1870, and from Independence Rock fol-
lowed the old Oregon Mormon trail along the
Sweetwater river. Returning it followed the old
and at Fort Saunders disbanded for the season.
So pleased were Washington officials with the
pictures taken on this first survey that they ap-
pointed Jackson to accompany future SURVEYS
as photographer and for ten years he remained
with Doctor Hayden in tlis capacity. In 1871
he took pictures of Yellowstone He was the
first to make photographs of the marves of this
country and his pictures, rs we'll as the discov-
cries of, and specimens collected by Doctor Hay
den and his party played important part in
the creation of the Yellowstone National park
in 1872 The last expedition of the Hayden
Geological survey to the Rocky mountain region
was made in 1878, the present United States
geological survey then being instituted. Mr.
Jackson accompanied this final expedition
Having completed his work as a pioneer
photographer, Mr.. Jackson eventually settled in
Detroit and took up photography as a business
For % years he was connected with the De
trOlt PuDuSnlng company, retlrlng from that COM
pany few years ago. Since that time he has
been busy writing about his experiences in the
old days, making paintings from his notes and
sketches and promoting the work of the Oregon
Trail Memorial association. And this summer
he will climax his career by one more trip over
that historic route where he was once a bull
whacker and the first and outstanding member
of his professon-that of photographer Of the
Wild West
e by wsstern Newspaper Union.)