Pompeys Pillar National Monument - Montana
Posted by: 
BruceS
N 45° 59.724 W 108° 00.339
12T E 731875 N 5097896
Pompey's Pillar is a 150-foot butte with the signature of William Clark etched in its sandstone, the only remaining physical evidence found along the route that was followed by the expedition, located about 25 miles northeast of Billings, Montana.
Waymark Code: WM6VTG
Location: Montana, United States
Date Posted: 07/25/2009
Views: 17
"Pompey's 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 (21 ha), making it one of the smallest National Monuments in the U.S. It was previously designated a National Historic Landmark on July 25, 1965.
The pillar itself stands 150 feet (45 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 (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; he 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." - Wikipedia
From near by historical marker:
Pompey's Pillar
Called Iishiia Anaache or "Place Where the Mountain Lion Dwells" by the Apsaalooka (Crow) people, Pompey's Pillar was a well-known landmark to the Plains Indians. It was here, at a strategic natural crossing of the Yellowstone, or Elk River as it was know to the Apsaalooka, that the Indian people met to trade and exchange information. They painted pictographs and etched petroglyphs onto the sheer cliffs of the feature. Apsaalooka legend reports that Pompey's Pillar was once attached to the sandstone bluffs on the north side of the river. At one point, however, the rock detached itself from the cliffs and rolled across the river to it present site.
Pompey's Pillar was also a significant landmark for Euro-American explorers, fur trappers, soldiers and immigrants. It was discovered by Canadian North West Company employee Francois Lacocque in 1805. A little less than a year later, on July 25, 1806, it was visited by a 12 man detachment under the command of William Clark that included Sacajawea and her infant son. Clark cared his name and date on the rock and named it in honor of Sacajawea's son. He was just one of hundreds of individuals who for generations have left their marks on the rock.
The coordinates listed are for the observation area on the top of the pillar.