Fur Trappers Rendezvous, 1825-40 -- Getting There, Part 3, Pompey's Pillar

Pompey's Pillar National Monument lies about 35 miles east of Billings, Montana.  Although Linda and I have passed this location several times in the past, we always seem to have passed the monument outside of visiting hours.  I decided to make sure to stop and visit it on this trip.  This meant doubling back on Friday, the second day of my trip to the Fur Trappers Rendezvous sites.

As I pulled up to the entry gate, I could see the "pillar" brightly lit by the sun in the east.

 

This large sandstone rock formation contains the only physical reminders of the Lewis & Clark expedition of 1804-1806 commissioned by the third United States president, Thomas Jefferson, to explore and document the relatively unexplored land west of the Mississippi river.  

 

When Lewis & Clark returned from their trip to the mouth of the Columbia River after wintering at Fort Clatsop near present-day Astoria, Oregon, the two leaders split up at Travelers Rest near Missoula with Lewis proceeding along a northern route and the Missouri River and William Clark taking a more southern route and following the Yellowstone River.  The two rejoined at the junction of the two rivers.

At Pompeys Pillar, the visitor has the opportunity to get a nice glimpse of the route traveled by Clark and see his signature carved into the sandstone.  The stone formation is named for Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, (nick-named Pompey) the eighteen month old son of Sacagawea who had led Clark through the Bozeman Pass to the Yellowstone.

 Clark recorded his impressions of the site in his diary as follows:

“this rock I ascended and from it’s top had a most extensive view in every direction. This rock which I shall Call Pompy’s Tower [named for Jean Baptiste ‘Pomp’ Charbonneau] is 200 feet high and 400 paces in secumphrance and only axcessable on one Side which is from the N. E the other parts of it being a perpendicular Clift of lightish Co­loured gritty rock on the top there is a tolerable Soil of about 5 or 6 feet thick Covered with Short grass. The Indians have made 2 piles of Stone on the top of this Tower. The nativs have ingraved on the face of this rock the figures of animals &c. near which I marked my name and the day of the month & year.”

Barely visible in this closer view of the stone formation is the viewing stand that I would climb for the same view of the Yellowstone Valley that William Clark noted in his diary.

 

The Visitor Center is relatively new, completed in 2006 to celebrate the bicentennial of the Lewis & Clark expedition.  The center is operated on a seasonal basis and is closed from October through April.

 

The climb to the top of the pillar is accomplished via a wooden stairway.  About two-thirds of the way up, William Clark's autograph is enclosed in a wood and glass case.

  

 

 

The view from the top is well worth the climb with views both to the east and west.

 

For tourists unable or unwilling to climb the stairs, a nice view of the Yellowstone river is available at ground level.

 

Also, at ground level, is a replica of several of the autographs on the pillar, including Clark's.

 

A series of informative signs at ground level, titled as the "Yellowstone River Walkway" provides an informative description of this portion of Captain Clark's return journey.

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

One other sign depicts the deterioration and restoration of parts of the Pillar.  One strong earthquake and this monument will be gone.  See it while you can.

 

An exhibit outside the visitors center documents a bit of the life Montana's indigenous nations and their lifestyles.

 

 

Close by, an artist's conception of the river scene as it ay have appeared to a variety of travelers in 1873.

 

More photos at this Flickr Album.

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fur Trappers Rendezvous, 1825-40 -- Getting There, Part 2, Montana Border to Billings

Not far past Theodore Roosevelt National Park the traveler arrives at the Montana border.  At this point it is only about 80 miles north to the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers.  At that river junction there are two tourist stops memorializing Fort Union, built by the Americans to establish territorial rights versus the Hudson Bay Company trappers in the area.  I chose not to take the trip up to inspect these on this trip but will keep it prominently in mind for the next visit to the area.

 

Just past the border is Wibaux, a picturesque Montana town, worth stopping to see.  There is a visitor's center where you can pick up current Montana and Wyoming maps and walk the streets a bit and absorb the Montana small-town atmosphere.

 

The town was named for Pierre Wibaux, an early settler and cattle rancher.

 

It's about 250 miles from Wibaux to Billings.  That's only three hours of driving at Montana speeds but can make for a full day or more if you stop to browse some of the attractions along the way.  I stopped for gas and coffee at Glendive and was disappointed to discover that their dinosaur museum was closed

 

Interstate 94 parallels the Yellowstone River in eastern Montana from Glendive to Livingston, just before reaching Bozeman.  Starting in much earlier times, travelers passed through this area on foot, in canoes and on trains before the highway followed this path.  Many interesting small towns appeared.  Here is a 1968 railroad timetable showing the schedule for both the Northern Pacific's limited and local trains along this portion of the route. 

 

There are many places to stop.  I pulled off at Terry to see if the county museum and Evelyn Cameron Gallery were open, (previous visit blog post here) but unfortunately they were not.  I was lucky to meet the museum curator, however, as he was just leaving after opening for a scheduled visitor.  He mentioned that there is now an exhibit across the street of World War II bombing photography at the Legion Hall.  Something to keep in mind for the next visit.

A few miles prior to reaching Terry, I saw a nice view of nearby bluffs along the Yellowstone as I-94 crossed the river.  I took the next exit and backtracked along the frontage road to arrive at one of Montana's many fishing access points.

 

 

Walking down to the river's edge, I ran into a lady who works for the highway department and whose job description includes scraping bat guano samples off of the overpasses.  (See college thesis here.)  She suggested a spot near Terry for pictures of the red clay hills.

  

Next time I pass through the area I will have to bring a couple of fishing rods including my fly-rod and pick up a five-day fishing license.   

  

There are several historical markers along this stretch of Interstate and a particularly nice one to stop and visit is the Rosebud and Cattle Brand site about an hour's drive west of Terry.

 

 

 

The parking lot, rest stop and historical marker give little indication of the spectacular view of the Yellowstone that lies just beyond the picnic table enclosed by a windbreak. (see red arrow in photo below)  The visitor might be discouraged by the snake warning but walking out to the edge of the bluff gives a very rewarding view of the river valley and the grove of cottonwood trees on the far side of the Yellowstone.

    

 

Forsyth seemed like a town worth visiting briefly since it is marked with a large "F" and a cross on the hillside south of the highway.  The town lies on the north side of the freeway and boasts two fishing access points on the Yellowstone.

 

I bypassed the town of Hysham this year.  Intrigued by the sign a bit east of town we did take a brief tour on our 2020 trip. 

I arrived at Pompey's Pillar which is about thirty miles east of Billings too late to visit this National Monument.  We have passed this monument several times in the past but always seem to arrive very late in the afternoon and have not stopped.  I decided that I had enough time to double back the next day and we will explore it in the next blog post.

More photos at this Flickr Album.  

 

Fur Trappers Rendezvous, 1825-40 -- Getting There, Part 1, Crossing North Dakota

Tom decided to visit several sites in Wyoming/Montana/Idaho associated with the famous fur trapper Rendezvous of the early 1800s.

Coincidentally, the American Computer Museum was presenting their annual Stibitz-Wilson Awards in Bozeman, MT, to several deserving computer scientists on Friday evening, Sept 26th. This seemed like an ideal time to take a week-long trip from the Twin Cities to these western states.

I always feel that a first day's drive west from the Twin Cities should get me to about Bismark (435 miles) and set out on Wednesday morning with that goal in mind.  Somewhere around St. Cloud, MNDOT signs were flashing warnings about "all lanes closed" and "use alternate routes."  Shortly before reaching Saulk Center, all traffic on I-94 slowed to a near stop and we proceeded at a walking pace for about three miles.

It seems a semi had overturned and was completely blocking the driving lanes and both shoulders of I-94.  (photo from radio station KNSI, here.)  

I skipped the stop at the Welcome Center in Fargo, although you can see it at this post from a previous trip in 2022. 

After checking in at the local Days Inn in Bismark, I visited the North Dakota state capitol building.  One of just a few capitols that do not feature a dome, this building presents a pretty view situated in a large grassy setting. 

Several other views of the building can be seen on my Flickr Album for this portion of the trip.

The capitol was closed by the time I arrived but I had enough daylight to capture this statue of North Dakota's notable governor, John Burke, who managed to rise to the position of U.S. Treasurer in the Woodrow Wilson administration.

 

And I had time to take several photos of the Sakakawea statue at the North Dakota Heritage Center adjacent to the capitol.

 

 

  

 

 

 

On the next trip I will have to make it a point to arrive in time to tour the Heritage Center. 

The Days Inn in Bismark turned out to be a good choice since they not only have the usual assortment of rolls and cereal available for breakfast, but from 7 until 9 in the morning, chef Cheyenne arrives to prepare eggs, sausage and hash-browns cooked to your specifications.  This proved to be the best "free breakfast" of the trip and Cheyenne received a generous tip!

On the second day, my modest goal was to reach Billings, Montana, just over 400 miles west of Bismark.  The speed limit on North Dakota and Montana Interstates is 80 MPH so it is not a long day's drive but there is a great deal to stop and see along the way.

The occasional "Scenic View" signs highlight a number of sights, beyond just the green grazing grasslands.

 

  

 

 

But sometimes it is worth stopping just to take a look at the road ahead.

 

Of course, "Salem Sue," the world's largest holstein cow,  perched high on a hill is always worth a stop.  (Previous blog post here.)

  

 

And the Enchanted highway offers a chance for a nice drive through the farmland offering different views depending on the season. 

  

 

 

  

 

After a change of time zone from Central to Moutnain,

 

the highlight of the day was the painted canyon overlook at Theodore Roosevelt Park.  Note that there are hiking opportunities here of various length - allow time during your visit.  Autumn is an appropriate time to consider a longer stop here and take advantage of the moderate temperature.

 

This was a calm day (it can be quite windy at times crossing North Dakota.)  Visitors were lingering at the overlook and enjoying the view.