Pioneer photographer takes Mesa Verde shot first

William Henry Jackson was the first to take a cliff dwelling photograph (this photo) in Mesa Verde area.

Take a picture, it lasts longer

By Rob Carrigan, robcarrigan1@gmail.com

Visitors and explorers have been coming to area for years. But William Henry Jackson was the first to take a photograph.

"Father Fray Francisco Atanasio awoke somewhat improved, and in order to change terrain and climate rather than to make progress, we set out from the camp and Rio de San Lázaro toward the northwest. We traveled a little more than a league, swung west by west-northwest, and went five leagues through leafy forests and good pastures. Then we turned west, traveled two and a half leagues through a chamise thicket with little pasturage, went a quarter of a league to the north, crossed Rio de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, and camped on its north bank. This river rises on the north slope of the Sierra de la Plata, and runs southwest to this place, where it makes a sharp turn. It is a little smaller than the Rio del Norte in this season. - Today a little more than eight and a half leagues," wrote Francisco Silvestre Vélez de Escalante, on August 12, 1776.

The next day, in the Diary and Itinerary of Fathers Dominguez and Escalante (English Translation), the padres found it hard to leave.

"We remained in camp, partly so that the Father might improve a little and be able to go forward, and partly to observe the latitude of this site and meadow of the Rio de los Dolores where we were. An observation was made by the sun and we found we were in 38° and 13 1/2' north latitude. Here there is everything needed for the establishment and maintenance of a good settlement in the way of irrigable lands, pastures, timber and firewood. On an elevation on the south bank of the river in ancient times there was a small settlement of the same form as those of the Indians of New Mexico, as is shown by the ruins which we purposely examined. Father Fray Francisco Atanasio felt better, and we decided to continue our journey next day,"Escalante writes August 13, 1776.

In 1824. "father of the Santa Fe Trail" and Mountain Man William Becknell winter camped near ruins on  Mesa Verde (probably within the boundaries of the park, today). He wrote letters back to Franklin, Mousouri, that were printed in the Intelligencer newspaper at the time.

"In the vicinity of our encampment, I discovered old diggings and the remains of furnaces, There are also in this neighborhood the remain on many small stone houses, some of which have one story beneath the surface of the earth. There are likewise an abundance of broken pottery here, well-baked and neatly painted. This was probably the site of a town where the ancient Mexican Indians resided, as the Spaniards, who seldom visit this part of the country, give no account of it," described Becknell.

But not until William Henry Jackson's visit in 1874, was it photographed.

Known as Two Story House, and located on Moccasin Mesa, just outside the modern boundaries of the park on Ute Mountain Ute tribal land, Jackson shot the first photograph of cliff dwellings in the area. Jackson recalled taking this photo.

"Our first discovery of a Cliff House that came up to our expectations was made in the first day out from Merrit's.  We had finished our evening meal of bacon, fresh baked bread, and coffee and were standing around the sage brush fire enjoying its general warmth, with the contented good natured mood that usually follows a good supper after good day of hard work, and were in humor to be merry," wrote Jackson.

"Looking up at the walls of the canyon that towered above us some 800 to 1,000 feet we commenced bantering Steve, who was a big heavy fellow, about the possibility of having to help carry the boxes up to the top to photograph some of the ruins there — with no thought that they were in sight. He asked Moss to point out the particular ruin we had in view; the Captain indicated the highest part of the wall at random. "Yes," said Steve, "I can see it," and sure enough, on closer observation, there was something there was something that looked like a house sandwiched between the strata of the sandstones very near the top. Forgetting the fatigue of the day's work, all had started out at once to investigate. The first part of the accent was easy enough, but the upper portion was a perpendicular wall of some 200 feet, and half way up, the cave-like shelf, on which was the little house. Before we had reached the foot of this last cliff only Ingersoll and I remained, the others having seen Althea cared for, realizing they would have to do it all over in the morning," Jackson recalled.

"It was growing dark, but I wanted to see all there was of it, in order to plan my work for the next day, and Ingersoll remained with me. We were 'stumped' for a while in making that last hundred feet, but with the aid of an old dead tree, and the remains of some ancient foot holds, we finally reached the bench or platform on which was perched, like a swallow's nest, the 'Two Story House' of our first photograph. From this height we had the glorious view over surrounding canyon walls, while far below our camp fire glimmered in the deepening shadows like a far away little red star."

Millions of photos have followed Jackson's first, including the preceding shots from Jackson and others like Russel Lee and Ansel Adams in the 1940s, Haines Photo Co in the 1900s and 1920s, and tourist from all around the world.