Basic Information
Color: Violet Brown
Subject: Troops Guarding Wagon Train
Watermark: Watermarked double-lined USPS
Paper: Soft porous paper
Printing method: line-engraved intaglio on flat plates
Perforations: 12
Scott #: 289
Quantity issued: 2,927,200
Issued: June 17th, 1898
Value
An unused stamp with perfect gum: $37.50-$57.50
An unused stamp with gum and a hinge mark: $12-$17
A used stamp: $3-$4
About the Trans-Mississippi Series
A pane of #289
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Promoting the "New West"
The primary reasoning was to showcase the prosperity and progress of the states and territories west of the Mississippi River. Unlike the previous 1893 Columbian stamps, which focused on historical discovery, the Trans-Mississippi designs highlighted modern achievements and frontier life. Key themes included:
Settlement and Agriculture: Encouraging people to move to and invest in "unclaimed" Western lands.
Technological Advancement: Depicting engineering feats like the Eads Bridge in St. Louis to represent the region's industrial growth.
Pioneer Spirit: Using images of buffalo hunting and farming to evoke a nostalgic but promising vision of the frontier.
Strategic Revenue Generation
Following the massive success of the 1893 Columbian series, the Post Office Department recognized that special commemorative sets were highly profitable. By offering a wide range of denominations—from 1¢ to $2—they aimed to generate substantial revenue through sales to collectors.
About the Trans-Mississippi Exhibition
Pow wow from the Indian Congress
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The Edison building
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The Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition, also known as the Omaha Worlds Fair, was a grand world’s fair held in Omaha, Nebraska, from June 1 to November 1, 1898. Often referred to as the Omaha World's Fair, its primary goal was to showcase the rapid development and economic recovery of the American West following the financial panic of 1893.
Key Features & Attractions
The Grand Court: The heart of the 184-acre site featured a two-thousand foot-long lagoon designed to resemble Venetian canals hosted gondola rides as a whimsical form of transportation throughout the fair.
The "White City": Like the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, the buildings were constructed of staff (a mixture of plaster and horsehair) and painted white, giving them a marble-like appearance. Designed in Renaissance style reflected ancient Greek and Roman influences and possessed strenuous constraints on color, scale and height. All was built out of cheap materials or designed not to last, at the end of the exposition it was all removed.
Electrical Illumination: One of the most stunning features was the use of over 20,000 electric light bulbs to illuminate the fairgrounds and lagoon at night—a brand-new marvel at the time.
Indian Congress: A massive gathering of over 500 Native Americans from 35 different tribes, including notable figures like Apache leader Geronimo.
Entertainment: Visitors enjoyed carnival rides, a giant seesaw, and Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West show
Attendance & Legacy
Visitors: Over 2.6 million people attended the five-month event, including President William McKinley and William Jennings Bryan.
Economic Success: Unlike many other world's fairs, it was a financial success, paying back roughly 90% of its initial investment.
Current Site: Most of the temporary structures were demolished shortly after the fair closed. Today, the site of the Grand Court is home to Kountze Park in North Omaha.Exhibits Today: You can still see artifacts, souvenirs, and a scale model of the fairgrounds at The Durham Museum in Omaha.
The Abandoned Bi-Color Plan
289E4
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It was intended to print the Trans-Mississippi issue with a black vignette and a frame in color. The bi-color idea had to be abandoned because of the fact that the Spanish American War, which broke out in April, 1898, necessitated the printing of enormous quantities of revenue stamps and the facilities of the Bureau were taxed to the utmost . The time and manpower needed for the printing of stamps in two colors could not be spared and it was necessary for the Bureau to abandon the proposed bi-color stamps in favor of stamps of single colors.
Usage
#288 and #289 on an patriotic cover
The 8¢ value was created to cover the registration fee for first-class letters, which was reduced from 10 cents to 8 cents during that period. It was commonly used in combination with a 2¢ stamp to pay for both the first-class letter rate and the registry fee.
Plates
#289 was issued with the following plate #'s
609, 643
The Inspiration for the Design
"Federal Troops Conveying a Wagon Train"
Frederic Remington
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A photograph of the US cavalry performing their duty
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The vignette was based on a drawing called "Federal Troops Conveying a Wagon Train" by Frederic Remington.
Despite the fact that the Trans-Mississippi became known as the first attempt to showcase the first Americans, it was really a showcase for the west. So the 'other' side was depicted. This being the US Cavalry. The US government had no use for the masses of commissioned Union troops after the civil war and so they were sent out to protect the white immigrants from the 'heathen's' and 'savages'. Conversely the first Americans saw trespassers on their land, who at some later date, they knew would occupy it and take it away from them.
The Union recruits quickly left and it was extremely difficult to find recruits for this difficult, hazardous and sometimes fatal duty. The Plains Cavalry became the equivalent of the French Foreign Legion, where men could disappear, and many had arrest warrants on them. The ranks of the enlisted were filled with criminals, adventurers and many ex-confederate officers now serving as corporals and sergeants.
Due to the fact that the cavalry was stretched thin it would have been rare to have as many cavalry as you see protecting a wagon train in the stamp. A troop consisted of 98 men, of which only a large portion would be garrisoned at the fort and patrols were split between protecting wagon trains, search and destroy missions.