August 17, 2009

Pompey’s Pillar

Our days travel northeast included a ninety mile side trip to Pompey’s Pillar.  This is a sandstone monolith on the banks of the Yellowstone River in east central Montana.  On their return trip from the Pacific, Lewis and Clark split their party for a while in order to explore more territory.  Lewis went north top follow the Missouri and Clark went more south along the Yellowstone.  Clarks party stopped at this spot on their journey.  The Indians had known about this place for centuries, but Clarks’ party may have been the first white men to see it.  Clark named it ‘Pompys Tower’. He named it after Sacajewas’ son who had a very long and very French Canadian name.  Clark called him ‘Little Pomp’.  The name of the landmark got changed by historians who modified things out of ignorance.  (As a grown man ‘Little Pomp’  lived in Auburn for a while during gold rush era. He went by his given name which was still very long and very French Canadian )  For centuries Indians had been scratching pictographs on the sandstone.  Clark scratched his name and date of encampment on the monolith also.  Of all the miles traveled and places seen by the Corps of Discovery,  this is the only remaining trace of their journey.  Needless to say it is well protected from elements and people but is still able to be visited.

Click on picture to see whole thing.

 

Here is a duplicate that may be easier to read.  Click on picture to see it all.

Interesting historical note:  Custer and his army camped across the river from this spot days before they journeyed south to the Little Bighorn River.

Local residents:

One more thing.  We now know what ‘Big Sky’ means.  Short of being on the ocean, you can not see more sky at one time than standing in central or eastern Montana and turning 360 degrees.

Here is a picture of last nights sunset. Click on picture to see all of it.