Mountain Monogram
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Mountain Monograms or Hillside Letters, a modern form of geoglyph, are giant capital letters that adorn hillsides near many cities and towns in the American West.[1] These letters, typically constructed of whitewashed or painted stones or of concrete, are cultural signatures.
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[edit] Distribution
There are over 400 monograms, ranging in size from 10-15 feet tall to the largest, an L in Susanville, California (for Lassen High School) that is over 600 feet tall. Most of the largest, most famous, and best-maintained monograms represent universities, but the greatest number are maintained by high schools. There are also several representing cities, Indian reservations, junior high schools, and even elementary schools. California and Utah have the most of any state, with more than 60 each. The letters are rare beyond the western US; only two are found in western Canada, one in Hawai'i, and one in Wisconsin; they are also less common in the Northwestern U.S., where tree cover often makes them difficult to see. The most famous monogram is probably the Hollywood Sign, although it does not fit the general model of laying on the hillside. Although single letters are most common (every letter but X has been built, and M and C are most common), multiple letters, words, and even entire messages (such as "SAN LUIS OLDEST TOWN IN COLO.") can be found.
While few mountain monograms are found in the Eastern U.S., Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia has sought to change that. During the fall of 2007, construction crews in Lynchburg began building a large monogram on the face of Candler's Mountain. The majority of the monogram was completed in late winter of 2007. White stones surround red brick chips that spell out a giant, "LU" on the face of the mountain. In the March 6, 2007 edition of the school's newspaper, The Champion, it is stated the school will eventually add landscaping, lights, and other improvements to the monogram. In the same article, Vice-Chancellor of the school, Jerry Falwell Jr., is said to have gotten his inspiration for the monogram after a trip to Utah where he wittnessed first-hand monograms such as the "Y" featured at Brigham Young University.
[edit] History
The tradition began at UC Berkeley in 1905 as an alternative to Rush Week battles between classes.[1] The classes of 1907 and 1908 worked together to build the 70-foot tall masonry C in two days. The second letter, a Y over 300 feet tall in Provo, Utah, was built in 1906 by Brigham Young University administration as a solution to similar problems. Within ten years, at least 15 more colleges had built letters. In the 1920s and 1930s, the trend caught on with high schools, especially in small rural towns. Most were constructed on privately owned land, although some are on federal lands (presumably with permission)
[edit] Cultural Significance
Although a few have fallen into disrepair or have been removed as environmental priorities have changed (e.g., the CalTech T and the New Mexico U), most are still actively maintained. The annual whitewashing is often an event filled with civic or school pride. In many places, the letters are ingrained in the local culture. For example, the letters along Utah's Wasatch Front are so well-known that the University of Utah and Brigham Young University (the campuses themselves) are commonly called "the U" and "the Y." At many colleges and high schools, re-painting or vandalizing an opponent's letter are common pranks during rivalry week.
After September 11, 2001, many were temporarily painted in Stars and Stripes motifs in a juxtaposition of civic and national pride. In fact, the A for the University of Arizona has remained so, probably due to the coincidental match with school colors. In a global display of local culture, a 300-foot wide set of Olympic rings (in electric lights only) illuminated the hills above Salt Lake City during the 2002 Winter Olympics.
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
- Monograms.kmz, a set of about 250 that can be viewed in Google Earth (courtesy of BYU Geography Department)
- Mountain Monograms, A website explaining the origins and with an incomplete list and pictures
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