Quartzite Border Markers/Yellowstone Trail

Quartzite Border Markers/Yellowstone Trail. . Several large red/pink stones can be located throughout the park that have an interesting history. In 1889 North Dakota and South Dakota simultaneously were admitted to the Union and became the 39th and 40th state. , In 1890 US Congress passed a bill to survey and delineate the entire border with 'conspicuous monuments of the most durable material. This conspicuous and durable material was decided on quartzite stone that would be mined in the Sioux River Valley close to Sioux Falls, SD. It took 2 years to place the markers, which if you stop and think about digging holes for 720 alone, it was quite an undertaking. , Charles L. Bates, the surveyor commissioned to complete the project, was quoted in the Sturgis Weekly Record as saying " …he set about 720 of the most superb scratching posts for cattle that were ever seen." , Each of these monuments weighs in at 800 lbs each and is 10° tall. The markers that came to the west side of the state were transported to Dickinson, ND by rail and loaded on horse-drawn carts to move to their precise locations at ½ mile intervals along the entire 360-mile border. The carvings on the sides depict location. While many can still be found in the wild, several of them have fallen or been removed. , Another of the many interest that Ole Quammen was involved in was the formation of the Yellowstone Trail. It was a transcontinental road used to travel along the northern tier of the United States at a time when roads were not marked or in good condition. , Quammen was among the group of men that gathered in 1912 to for the Yellowstone Trail Association. The goal of the Association was to promote road improvements and promote tourism. , The road dissected this very park and the original pillars are still standing at the southeast corner of the park.