Pompeys Pillar National Monument

Infobox_protected_area | name = Pompeys Pillar National Monument
iucn_category = III

---

caption =
locator_x = 88
locator_y = 30
location = Yellowstone County, Montana, USA
nearest_city = Billings, MT
lat_degrees = 45
lat_minutes = 59
lat_seconds = 43
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 108
long_minutes = 00
long_seconds = 21
long_direction = W
area = convert|51|acre|ha|0
established = January 17, 2001
visitation_num = 50,000
visitation_year = 2002
governing_body = U.S. Bureau of Land ManagementInfobox_nrhp2 | name =Pompey's Pillar
nhl=yes
nmon=yes


caption =
nearest_city= Pompey's Pillar, Montana
lat_degrees = 45
lat_minutes = 59
lat_seconds = 44
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 108
long_minutes = 0
long_seconds = 17
long_direction = W
locmapin = Montana
area =
built =1806
architect=
architecture=
added = October 15, 1966
governing_body = Private
refnum=66000440cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2008-04-15|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service] 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 convert|51|acre|ha|0|, making it one of the smallest National Monuments in the U.S. It was previously designated a National Historic Landmark on July 25, 1965.cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=308&ResourceType=Site
title=Pompey's Pillar |accessdate=2007-06-28|work=National Historic Landmark summary listing|publisher=National Park Service]

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 convert|1|acre|ha|1.

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.

References

External links

*cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | year = | url = http://www.mt.blm.gov/pillarmon/ | title = Welcome to Pompeys Pillar National Monument | format = | work = | publisher = U.S. Bureau of Land Management | accessdate = 2006-08-13 | accessyear =
*cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | year = | url = http://discovernlcs.net/TheNLCS/Monuments/PompeysPillar.cfm | title = Pompeys Pillar National Monument | format = | work = | publisher = National Landscape Conservation System | accessdate = 2006-08-13 | accessyear =
*cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | year = | url = http://www.wilderness.org/WhereWeWork/Montana/pompeys.cfm | title = Pompeys Pillar National Monument | format = | work = | publisher = The Wilderness Society | accessdate = 2006-08-13 | accessyear =
*cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | year = | url = http://www.pompeyspillar.org | title = Pompeys Pillar National Monument | format = | work = | publisher = Pompeys Pillar Historical Association | accessdate = 2006-08-13 | accessyear =