"Crossing the Hellgate River Jan 6th 1854" Lithograph

01

Artifact Overview

In the early 1850s, the United States government sent out survey parties to explore four possible transcontinental railroad routes. Illustrators accompanied these expeditions and created prints that became part of the final report. One team investigated the northernmost route from St. Paul, Minnesota, to Washington's Puget Sound. The print copied in this photograph depicts the perilous crossing of Montana's frozen Hellgate River along this route.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Photographic print

Subject Date

06 January 1854

Creator Notes

Original artwork by Gustov Sohon; print by Sarony, Major & Knapp.

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Object ID

P.O.3817

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.

Material

Paper (Fiber product)

Technique

Gelatin silver process

Color

Black-and-white (Colors)

Dimensions

Height: 10 in
Width: 8 in

"Crossing the Hellgate River Jan 6th 1854" Lithograph