11 Most Endangered
Pompey's Pillar
Year Listed: 2002
Location: Montana
Current Status: Lost
Threat: Development
On the south bank of the Yellowstone River in Montana, Pompey's Pillar, a sandstone butte that is approximately 100 feet tall, bears the only physical evidence of the remarkable 8,000-mile expedition of Lewis and Clark. Here, William Clark ascended a rock, surveyed a limitless view and carved his name and the date--July 25, 1806. Soon, though, the landscape of this pristine and isolated National Historic Landmark may change forever. In the shadow of Pompey's Pillar, United Harvest Corporation, a grain exporting conglomerate, is planning to erect a 100-acre grain-loading trucking and railroad terminal with four looming 150-foot-tall grain elevators. Putting this massive industrial facility next to Pompey's Pillar would be like building a 15-story factory complex next to the Grand Canyon.
Update
Despite several years of concerted efforts by various preservation organizations to maintain the pristine area, United Harvest Corporation completed the construction of its grain terminal and elevators in August 2002, greatly altering the historic landscape around Pompey’s Pillar. Not all is lost, however, as preservation and interpretation of the site continues. In 2003 the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) partnered with Minot State University to document the Pillar’s rock art and the site gained increased public attention as a signature event of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commemoration in July 2006. That same year the BLM completed construction of the Pompey’s Pillar Interpretive Center. While the grain elevators are a sad addition to the landscape, the public continues to visit and appreciate this amazing national monument.
