 Scotts Bluff: On the Oregon Trail
Robert Tompkins Handville (1924–1993), n.d.
Oil on canvas
U.S. Department of the Interior Museum, OSAC 00102 A striking geological formation on an otherwise flat Nebraska prairie, Scotts Bluff has witnessed centuries of human activity. Native American tribes first lived in the area and hunted bison on the land near the bluff. Between 1843 and 1869, this view of a covered wagon passing in the shadow of Eagle Rock would have been a common one, as a half million settlers journeyed westward on the Oregon, California, and Mormon trails. Years of wagon travel etched a path into the soft sandstone that is still visible today. In 1869, the completion of the transcontinental railroad all but ended overland wagon travel. However, in the 1870s, the Scotts Bluff area saw a new influx of Japanese, Mexican, and German-Russian immigrants coming to work in the sugar beet fields of the newly productive agricultural area. In 1919, Scotts Bluff National Monument was established under the Antiquities Act by President Woodrow Wilson, who cited its historical and geological significance. Today, this site managed by the National Park Service spans 3,000 acres, encompassing bluffs, badlands, ancient fossils, archaeological sites, and the historical trails of westward migration. Artist Robert Tompkins Handville had a storied career with advertising agencies and designing magazine covers, but he also had a strong professional connection to the National Park Service. He served as chairman of its Artists in the Park program from 1968 to 1970, and his illustration of Yellowstone's Old Faithful was selected for a 1972 U.S. postage stamp. |
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