POMPEYS PILLAR HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION INC Information

(2001) Pompeys Pillar National Monument was established and placed under the management of the Secretary of the Interior through the Bureau of Land Management. Pompeys Pillar is one of the most famous sandstone buttes in America. It bears the only remaining physical evidence of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, which appears on the trail today as it did 200 years ago. On the face of the 150-foot butte, Captain William Clark carved his name on July 25, 1806, during his return to the United States through the beautiful Yellowstone Valley. Captain Clark named the Pillar "Pompeys Tower" in honor of Sacagawea's son Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, whom he had nicknamed "Pomp. Nicholas Biddle, first editor of Lewis and Clark's journals, changed the name to "Pompeys Pillar." Native Americans called the Pillar "the place where the mountain lion lies. Some observers suggest that a sandstone formation, that is a part of the Pillar, which resembles a mountain lion's head, is the reason for the name. Another theory cites live mountain lions being spotted in the area. In November 1991, through the efforts of the Committee for the Preservation of Pompeys Pillar this natural historic landmark was purchased from private ownership. The private owners also donated original J. K. Ralston paintings, other artwork, and a Lewis and Clark historical library to the public at the time of the acquisition. Pompeys Pillar National Monument is open from April 30th through October 15th. The landmark is open to walk-in visitation during the off-season. BLM staff and Pompeys Pillar Historical Association volunteers provide visitor services during the operating season.