The design of this stamp is taken from a drawing by John MacWhirter. Among U.S. stamp collectors, this stamp design is considered among the most beautiful. The Trans-Mississippi series of commemorative stamps was issued in conjunction with the Trans-Mississippi Exposition in Omaha in 1898. The exposition commemorated the settling of the Middle West. Some of the stamp designs honored specific people and/or events. Other designs honored more generic situations that led to the development of this vast part of the United States.