A Life Forged on the Frontier: Edgar Samuel Paxson Edgar Samuel Paxson, a name perhaps less familiar than some of his Western contemporaries, nevertheless carved a unique and compelling niche in American art history. Born in 1852 amidst the rolling farmlands of East Hamburg, New York, to a Quaker family, Paxson’s early life hinted at little of the rugged adventure that would define his later years. Yet, the seeds of his artistic vision were sown during this formative period – tales spun by uncles who had ventured west for the California Gold Rush, stories of encounters with Native American t…