Pompey's Pillar

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William Clark in 1806 came down the Yellowstone River on his way back to St. Louis. Lewis, his partner had decided to follow the Missouri back and they met at the mouth of the Yellowstone. On his journey down the Yellowstone he stopped to carve his name in a pillar, now called Pompey's Pillar. For about a century & 1/2 people carved their names into this pillar until the government took it over. There were signs all over saying that if you moved off the ramps an alarm would sound. I have trouble believe it through, as there were animals all over and if they had an alarm system it would be going off all the time. When I was a girl in the 70's, I remember walking around the pillar and seeing all of the names which are now for the most part hidden from the public's view.

They called it Pompey's after the son of Toussaint Charbonneau & Sacajawea. The child's given name was Jean Baptiste, but they called him Pomp - I am not going to ask for logic on that one. I went out to take pictures of it yesterday with my son. The intrepid center, which is new, has not opened for the season as of yet. But this makes for a nice afternoon stop on a trek through Montana.

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Photos

Intrepid center
I really wish I could have gotten in there.

yellow belly marmots
These were all over the area. They had left their calling cards on the walk way, which is one of the reasons for my doubting the alarms LOL

From the top - south
There is quite a view from the top. I took several shots and all were very different.

South west shot
There is a Canadian goose on the rock. Not sure if there was a nest under her or not. Not common to see them alone.

Dug out canoes
This is what they would have been traveling in.

Comments

[Montana Dating]

Nice!
Wow Pompey Pillar is good! Thanks for sharing information about this.. Anyway it is unbelievable how they preserved the signature... Peace! Marlow Abbott