Pompey’s Pillar National Monument, under the management of the Bureau of Land Management, is located about 25 miles east of Billings, Montana, off of Interstate 94. The sandstone feature has a two-acre base and stands roughly 150 feet tall.

William Clark and his detachment visited the pillar on the return voyage of their expedition to the Pacific Ocean. On July 25, 1806, Clark ascended the “remarkable rock,” took its rough measurements, and enjoyed the view of the Yellowstone River and the Rocky Mountains. Clark originally named this outcropping “Pomp’s Tower” after Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, or “Pomp,” the son of Sacajawea. Clark also etched his name and the date on the rock. This signature is the only known remaining visible evidence of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Pompey’s Pillar also holds a rich history for American Indians. Crow, Shoshone, Sioux, and several other tribes utilized the pillar for temporary campsites and religious activity, including engraving the pillar with images of animals, as they passed through the area on trading or hunting expeditions. Archaeological investigations have revealed evidence of animal bones, mussels from the Yellowstone River, Indian tools, and other debris from human activity dating back through 11,000 years of regional occupation.

Researched, written, and narrated by University of West Florida Public History Student Jonathan Harwood.