Collins Memorial Library: Abby Williams Hill: Artist and Advocate: List of Sources

Instructions for Viewing Hill's Journals

It is recommended that students look at the original handwritten journals, but it will be easiest for them to quickly read the content by looking at the typed transcription. A full transcription of each journal is available as the last “page” of each digitized journal (see example here). The typed transcription can be downloaded for your students by clicking on the red download button next to the printer button on the right side of the screen. A transcript of each page can also be viewed on the screen, directly below the handwritten page (see example here). Note the word “transcript” in red directly below the image. If no transcript appears, click the red arrow to the left of the word and the transcript window will open.

Quick links to typed transcripts for the journals in this primary source set:

Great Northern Railway commission daybook
First Northern Pacific Railway commission journal
Northern Pacific Railway commission journal (includes all four journal entries from 1905)

List of Sources

Below is the list of primary sources that make up this digital teaching collection. Each entry includes a thumbnail image of the document and a detailed description written by our team of instructional librarians. Every item is hyperlinked to the complete digital object in one of our primary source databases. Please take note of any directions for viewing the object in its description.

Great Northern Railway commission daybook, June 22 - August 24, 1903 and April 12, 1906
This daybook is an account of Abby Williams Hill’s trip to the North Cascade mountains in Washington state in the summer of 1903. Hill was under contract by the Great Northern Railway to paint the scenery along their rail line there; her artwork was used in the railroad’s promotional materials. Read the passages from June 22 - August 24, 1903 (pgs. 20-33) and the single entry from April 12, 1906 (pgs. 40-41). Note how she mentions painting Horseshoe Basin and the Glacier Peaks in the 1903 entries, and the 1906 update on the success of her commission.
Great Northern Railway contract with Abby Williams Hill, May 1903
This is the contract between Abby Williams Hill and the Great Northern Railway, signed in May 1903, for “sketching scenery” along the railway’s route in Washington. Hill created 18 paintings for the railway depicting scenery along their rail line in the North Cascade mountains in Washington state. As you look at the contract, notice what type of contract it is and how it has been modified to suit Hill’s type of work. Note how Hill was compensated for her time and artwork.
Brochure, Scenic Washington Along the Great Northern Railway, 1904
This brochure was printed by the Great Northern Railway in 1904 and features images painted by Abby Williams Hill during her commission for the railway in 1903. The brochure shows one way in which Hill’s paintings were used by the railway in promoting their rail line and encouraging tourists to travel and explore the West. While looking at this brochure, note how they make use of the text and images to market their rail line.
List of paintings displayed at St. Louis World’s Fair, May 24, 1904
This is a list of paintings by Abby Williams Hill received by the Washington World’s Fair Committee for display at the St. Louis World’s Fair held in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1904. The document lists the painting titles and insurance values. These pieces were originally painted by Hill for her Great Northern Railway commission. When viewing this document, think about how these paintings were being used by the railroads for promotion, as well as Hill’s work and its value.
Painting, Horseshoe Basin, Evening, 1903
Abby Williams Hill painted this during her commission for the Great Northern Railway in 1903. As you look at the painting, read Hill’s journal entries from her first Great Northern Railway commission daybook (June 22 - August 24, 1903) discussing her hikes through Horseshoe Basin in the North Cascade mountains in Washington state. She painted entirely en plein air, or outdoors. Think about what her experience was like.
Painting, Glacier Peaks, Spring Sunshine, 1903
Abby Williams Hill painted this during her commission for the Great Northern Railway in 1903. As you look at the painting, read Hill’s journal entries from her Great Northern Railway commission daybook (June 22 - August 24, 1903) where she writes about painting the Glacier Peaks in the North Cascade mountains in Washington state. She painted entirely en plein air, or outdoors. Think about what her experience was like.
First Northern Pacific Railway commission journal, July 25 - July 27, 1904
This journal documents Abby Williams Hill’s travels through the Cascade Mountains in Washington, to Lake Pend d’Oreille and Lake Coeur d’Alene in Idaho, and the Clark Fork of the Columbia River in Montana in 1904. Hill was under contract by the Northern Pacific Railway to paint the scenery along their rail line in these areas, her first of three contracts with the railroad. Read the passage from July 25 - July 27, 1904 (pgs. 1-8), which describes the beginning of her work for the railway and painting in the area of Mt. Rainier National Park in Washington. Note Hill’s descriptions of the scenery and what methods of transportation she took to get where she needed to go.
Painting, Mount Rainier from Eunice Lake, 1904
Abby Williams Hill painted this during her first commission for the Northern Pacific Railway in 1904. As you view the painting, read Hill’s journal entries from the First Northern Pacific Railway journal (July 25 - 27, 1904) and think about Hill’s descriptions of the scenery and painting.
Letter, Northern Pacific Railway to Abby Hill, September 12, 1904
This letter is from A. Tinling, General Agent for the Northern Pacific Railway in Tacoma, to Abby Williams Hill, dated September 12, 1904. The letter was to be presented by Hill to station agents along the Northern Pacific route. When reading the letter, pay attention to how it describes Hill and her work, and to what Tinling is asking of the station agents.
Journal entries on “en plein air” painting, September 4-10, 1905
This journal (1905-1906) covers approximately sixteen months of travel around the western United States by Abby Williams Hill and her children. During this period, Hill was working on her second and third commissions for the Northern Pacific Railway, painting scenery in Yellowstone National Park. Read Hill’s journal entries from September 4-10, 1905 (pgs. 92-101), which describe an incident that occured while she was painting in Yellowstone Canyon. Hill painted en plein air, or outdoors; think about the conditions that she had to contend with in order to complete her railroad commissions.
Journal entries on painting White Bull’s portrait, October 18 and October 25, 1905
In the fall of 1905, in between commissions for the Northern Pacific Railway, Abby Williams Hill and her children traveled to the Flathead Reservation in Montana where they lived for six weeks as Hill undertook a personal project to paint portraits of Native Americans. One of the people that Hill befriended and painted was White Bull (Ta-Tan-Ka-Ska), a member of the Oglala Sioux tribe who was visiting the Flathead Reservation at the same time Hill was there. Read the entries from October 18, 1905, and October 25, 1905 (pgs. 237-238 and pgs. 249-253), about Hill’s experiences painting White Bull’s portrait.
Journal entry on Hill’s views on Native Americans, October 16, 1905
In the fall of 1905, in between commissions for the Northern Pacific Railway, Abby Williams Hill and her children traveled to the Flathead Reservation in Montana where they lived for six weeks as Hill undertook a personal project to paint portraits of Native Americans. She formed deep friendships with many of the Flathead, and her experiences on the reservation helped shape her views regarding Native Americans, which were progressive for her time. Read Hill’s journal entry from October 16, 1905 (pgs. 223-232). Think about how this journal entry illustrates Hill’s views on Native Americans and how those views informed both her relationships with the Flathead and her artwork.
Journal entry on the treaty between the Flathead and U.S. government, November 1, 1905
In the fall of 1905, in between commissions for the Northern Pacific Railway, Abby Williams Hill and her children traveled to the Flathead Reservation in Montana where they lived for six weeks as Hill undertook a personal project to paint portraits of Native Americans. Read Hill’s journal entry from November 1, 1905 (pgs. 264-265), where she describes reading a portion of the Hellgate Treaty of 1855, which established the Flathead Reservation in western Montana. Think about how Hill views the relationship between the Flathead and the United States government and how she characterizes Charlo, the Flathead chief.
Photograph, Preparations at the edge of Yellowstone Canyon, 1905
This photograph was taken in 1905 and shows two of Abby Williams Hill’s daughters at the edge of Yellowstone Canyon in Yellowstone National Park, where Hill was painting scenery for her second commission with the Northern Pacific Railway. Note the clothing they are wearing, the supplies they brought with them, and think about how the family hiked to each of the locations that Hill painted at. Consider Hill’s writings from the Northern Pacific Railway commission journal (September 4-10, 1905) which describe an incident that occurred while she was painting in Yellowstone Canyon.
Photograph, Abby Williams Hill and children in tent at Yellowstone, 1905
This photograph was taken in 1905 at Yellowstone National Park, where Abby Williams Hill was painting scenery for her second commission for the Northern Pacific Railway. This photograph is staged, unlike the candid photograph included in this set of Hill’s two daughters at the edge of Yellowstone Canyon. Observe the family’s living conditions in camp. How does the photograph help illustrate Hill’s writings about camp life?
Painting, Yellowstone Falls, 1905
Abby Williams Hill painted this during her second commission for the Northern Pacific Railway in 1905. As you view Yellowstone Falls, consider Hill’s writings from the Northern Pacific Railway commission journal (September 4-10, 1905) which describe an incident that occurred while she was painting in Yellowstone Canyon.
White Bull letter to Abby Hill, November 31, 1905
This is a letter from White Bull (Ta-Tan-Ka-Ska), a member of the Oglala Sioux tribe, to Abby Williams Hill. White Bull was visiting the Flathead Reservation at the same time as the Hill family in the fall of 1905 and he formed a deep friendship with Hill and her children. The letter is dated November 31, 1905 (the date error is his), just after White Bull left the Flathead Reservation. When reading the letter, think about what it says about their relationship.
“Collection of Recent Paintings” exhibit card, 1907
This is an exhibition card from 1907 announcing an exhibit of Abby Williams Hill’s landscape paintings and portraits of Native Americans. When looking at the exhibition card, note the different tribes represented. Think about Hill’s description of her experience painting White Bull (Ta-Tan-Ka-Ska) in her Northern Pacific Railway commission journal (October 18 & October 25, 1905) and consider how her portraits of Native Americans were being used and displayed for a primarily white audience.
Photograph, Abby Williams Hill and children with White Bull, 1905
This photograph of Abby Williams Hill and her children with White Bull (Ta-Tan-Ka-Ska) was taken in 1905 on the Flathead Reservation in Montana. White Bull, a member of the Oglala Sioux tribe, was visiting the reservation at the same time as the Hill family and befriended Hill and her children.
Painting, Ta-Tan-Ka-Ska, 1905
Abby Williams Hill painted this portrait of White Bull (Ta-Tan-Ka-Ska) in 1905 during her visit to the Flathead Reservation in Montana. White Bull, a member of the Oglala Sioux tribe, was visiting the reservation at the same time as the Hill family. It had long been a desire of Hill’s to paint portraits of Native Americans in their traditional dress. Look at this painting while reading Hill’s writings from her Northern Pacific Railway commission journal (October 18 & October 25, 1905) about painting White Bull. Consider also the letter from White Bull to Abby Hill dated November 31, 1905.

Abby Williams Hill: Artist and Advocate

Primary Source Analysis

Contact Us

Citation Tips

Instructions for Viewing Hill's Journals

List of Sources