Prineville in Crook County, Oregon — The American West (Northwest)
Clues to a Volcanic Past
Photographed by Duane Hall, September 9, 2010
1. Clues to a Volcanic Past Marker
Around forty-four million years ago, avalanches of hot ash, pumice and volcanic dust flowing from local volcanic centers filled this ancient valley. A long period of erosion followed.
These flows are still visible in the layers of Stein's Pillar. Finally, Mother Nature patiently sculpted the landscape you see today. Rain, wind and frost slowly chiseled along cracks in the rocks, forming the valley and leaving Stein's Pillar as a beacon to travelers.
Major Enoch Steen explored this area in the 1860's. His name was misspelled so often that the incorrect version became official. The pillar had aided travelers and enticed geologists for many years. The diagram may help you imagine the remaining layers of volcanic deposits that provide clues to this area's past.
Erected by Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Natural Features.
Location. 44° 25.025′ N, 120° 37.121′ W. Marker
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Oregon’s High Desert. It is also in the American Mountain West and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor. Globally, it is in North America, the Pacific Rim, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.
Also see . . . Summit Post -- Steins Pillar. (Submitted on April 15, 2013.)
Photographed by Duane Hall, September 9, 2010
2. Clues to a Volcanic Past Marker
Photographed by Duane Hall, September 9, 2010
3. Stein's Pillar
Credits. This page was last revised on December 13, 2024. It was originally submitted on April 15, 2013, by Duane Hall of Abilene, Texas. This page has been viewed 976 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 15, 2013, by Duane Hall of Abilene, Texas. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.
