Near Worden in Yellowstone County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
The Pompeys Pillar Legacy
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, September 14, 2020
1. The Pompeys Pillar Legacy Marker
Captions: (upper left) Captain Clark leaving his mark at Pompeys Pillar, as imagined by James Kenneth Ralston.; (lower right) "...at 4 PM arrived at a remarkable rock situated in an extensive bottom on the (starboard) side of the river... this rock i ascended and from (its) top had a most extensive view in every direction. This rock which I shall call Pomp's Tower is 200 feet hit and 400 paces in (circumference)" -William Clark.
On July, 25, 1806, Captain William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition stopped here and carved his name and the date into the rock. His inscription is the only evidence still visible along the trail to mark the Corps of Discovery's historic journey. Clark was not the first or the last to be drawn to this amazing geological formation. He wrote in his journal, "The nativs have ingraved on the face of this rock the figures of animals &c. near which I marked my name and the date of the month & year." The Plains tribes still treat the Pillar as a sacred site.
The Pillar contains hundreds more historical markings left by early American fur trappers, explorers, homesteaders, and others in the 19th and 20th centuries, who like Clark, admired this "remarkable rock."
Today, we honor this heritage by viewing and photographing the Pillar-but no longer marking upon it.
Leave the inscriptions to history!
Erected by Bureau of Land Management.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Exploration.
this page online
Location. 45° 59.732′ N, 108° 0.243′ W. Marker is near Worden, Montana, in Yellowstone County. Marker can be reached from State Highway 312 near South 31st Road, on the right when traveling west. The marker is located at the base of the boardwalk stairs up Pompeys Pillar. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3001 Highway 312, Worden MT 59088, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Changing Faces of Pompeys Pillar (here, next to this marker); Pompey's Pillar (within shouting distance of this marker); Yellowstone River: A Water Expressway (within shouting distance of this marker); Three Forks: Clark's Party Splits (within shouting distance of this marker); Transportation: Traveling Downstream (within shouting distance of this marker); Transportation: Hoofing It (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); A Crossroads of Events (about 400 feet away); Injury Forces a Halt to Build Canoes (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Worden.
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, September 14, 2020
2. The Pompeys Pillar Legacy Marker, detail
Clark leaving his mark at Pompeys Pillar, as imagined by James Kenneth Ralston.
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, September 14, 2020
3. Pompeys Pillar
Credits. This page was last revised on January 28, 2021. It was originally submitted on January 28, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 105 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 28, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
