Pompeys Pillar National Monument
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Pompeys Pillar National Monument | |
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| IUCN Category III (Natural Monument) | |
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| Location: | Montana, USA |
| Nearest city: | Billings, MT |
| Coordinates: | |
| Area: | 51 acres (206,000 m²) |
| Established: | January 17, 2001 |
| Total Visitation: | 50,000 (in 2002) |
| Governing body: | U.S. Bureau of Land Management |
Pompeys Pillar National Monument is 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 (206,000 m²), making it the smallest National Monument in the U.S. The pillar itself stands 100 feet (30 m) above the Yellowstone River and consists of sandstone from the late Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation, 75-65 mya. The base of the pillar is approximately 1 acre (4,000 m²).
The pillar features an abundance of Native American petroglyph, 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; he said 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 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.
[edit] External links
- Whoopah Ride- Daily adventure that visits Pompey's Pillar Rock from Billings, Montana.
- Welcome to Pompeys Pillar National Monument. U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Retrieved on August 13, 2006.
- Pompeys Pillar National Monument. National Landscape Conservation System. Retrieved on August 13, 2006.
- Pompeys Pillar National Monument. The Wilderness Society. Retrieved on August 13, 2006.
- Pompeys Pillar National Monument. Pompeys Pillar Historical Association. Retrieved on August 13, 2006.
