(My theme is places I have visited or lived)
Pompey's Pillar
We visited Pompey's Pillar in 2001 when we traveled to Yellowstone National Park. It was fascinating to see this large rock formation along with Captain William Clark's signature carved in the rock.
Pompeys Pillar National Monument is a rock formation located in
south central Montana, United
States. Designated a National Monument on January 17, 2001,
and managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, it consists of
only 51 acres (21 ha), making it one of the smallest National Monuments in
the U.S.
It was previously designated a National Historic Landmarkon July 25,
1965. The new Pompeys Pillar Interpretive Center opened in 2006. Exhibits
in the 5,700-square foot center relate the journey of Captain William Clark and
his detachment, including Sacagawea and her son Pomp, down the Yellowstone River
Valley in 1806.
The pillar itself stands 150 feet (45 m) above the Yellowstone
River and consists of sandstone from
the late Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation, 75 – 66 million years
ago. The base of the pillar is approximately 1 acre (0.4 ha).
The pillar features an abundance of Native American petroglyphs,
as well as the signature of William Clark, co-leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Clark's
inscription is the only remaining physical evidence found along the route that
was followed by the expedition.
The inscription consists of his signature and the date, July
25, 1806. Clark wrote that he climbed the sandstone pillar and "had a
most extensive view in every direction on the Northerly Side of the
river". He named the outcropping after Jean Baptiste Charbonneau—the son of
expedition member Sacagawea—whom he nicknamed "Pompy". His original
name for it was "Pompys Tower"; it was changed to the current title
in 1814.
Situated 25 miles (40 km) northeast of Billings,
Montana, along Interstate 94, the pillar gets 50,000 visitors
annually. Archeological evidence suggests that the
outcropping has been witness to 11,000 years of human involvement in the area.
Consequently, in addition to the pictographs and the signature
of William Clark, hundreds of other people have carved their initials into the
rock, including early pioneers to the area.
Gosh, I've driven by that thing so many times but never took the time to stop. I was always anxious to get to Billings after driving for a few hours. Getting lunch always seemed more important than going to see the site. I kind of wish I had stopped to visit at least once.
ReplyDeleteArlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Tossing It Out
Another wonderful place Gregg.
ReplyDeleteYvonne.
Good info Gregg. Have never been to Yellowstone. Not on my list but I would enjoy seeing Old Faithful.
ReplyDelete