David E. Jackson answered a St. Louis newspaper ad for employment in 1882. His hunting and fur-trapping skills were honed in the upper portions of today's Wyoming. At the time, these mountain men referred to valleys as 'holes'. Jackson's hunting companion, William Sublette, named the valley south of Yellowstone, Jackson's Hole. Jackson became the butt of many jokes, and finally the possessive was kindly dropped and the valley became Jackson Hole.
The town of Jackson eventually took shape as many trappers gathered there every summer to hawk their pelts. The town's folk, along with a large herd of elk, discovered that the protected valley was a great area to winter over. The town square, pictured here, presents quite an eye-catching set of entrance arches made of elk antlers. The square becomes the center for an annual antler auction, conducted by the boy scouts. The elk's antlers are sold in lots to artisans, craftsmen and merchants. Others are used to make repair of the one-of-a kind, entrance arches.