The Lewis and Clark Trail has almost no physical evidence from the expedition of the Corps of Discovery. However, Pompeys Pillar National Monument, near Billings, Montana, bears a famous signature from one member of the Corps of Discovery.

In July 1806, William Clark climbed a rock that he later named Pompy’s Tower. He named the rock after the nickname “Pompey,” which he gave to Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, the son of Shoshoni guide Sacajawea. Clark carved his name and date into the pillar. He observed, “This rock which I shall call Pompy's Tower is 200 feet high.” Long before Clark reached Pompeys Pillar, American Indians used the pillar as a campsite. They called it the place “where the Mountain Lion Lies.” During Clark’s visit to Pompeys Pillar, he found American Indian rock piles as well as many engravings of figures and animals on the rock.

The gold rush brought many Americans down the Yellowstone River in the mid-1800s. The Northern Pacific Railroad provided access to the Yellowstone River Valley, and many passengers started to visit Pompeys Pillar. In 1954, the Foote family purchased the property, and to protect the monument, they covered Clark’s signature with the glass case still present today. Currently, the Bureau of Land Management manages Pompeys Pillar National Monument.

The Pompeys Pillar National Monument added the interpretive center in 2006. The center has exhibits on Native cultures, Clark’s expedition down the Yellowstone River, and the plant and animal life of the area. Guests can visit the bookstore and gift shop and take the boardwalk to see Clark’s signature. The center also hosts annual “Clark Days,” with camping, nature walks, and presentations on the Corps of Discovery.

Call (406) 875-2400 or visit http://www.blm.gov/7ykd for more information concerning operating hours, fees, directions, etc.

Credits and Sources:

Content for this Next Exit History site sponsored by the Lewis & Clark Trail Heritage Foundation. For more information visit http://lewisandclark.org/.

Clinton, William J. “Establishment of the Pompeys Pillar National Monument.” Accessed May 2014.  http://clinton6.nara.gov/2001/01/2001-01-17-proclamation-on-pompeys-pillar-nationalmonument.html.

Friends of Pompeys Pillar. “History.” Accessed May 2014. http://www.pompeyspillar.org/history/.

Lewis, Meriwether, William Clark, Bernard DeVoto, Stephen E. Ambrose, and Erwin Raisz. The Journals of Lewis and Clark. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1997.

 

National Park Service. “Lewis and Clark Expedition: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary.”  Accessed May 2014. http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/lewisandclark/pom.htm.

U.S. Department of the Interior. “Pompeys Pillar National Monument.”  Accessed May 2014.

http://www.blm.gov/mt/st/en/fo/billings_field_office/pompeyspillar.html.