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.