Devils Tower National Monument Wyoming - DEVTOW005
by Frank J Benz
Title
Devils Tower National Monument Wyoming - DEVTOW005
Artist
Frank J Benz
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Devils Tower National Monument Wyoming
Devils Tower was established as the first United States National Monument on September 24, 1906 by President Theodore Roosevelt. Devils Tower is an laccolithic butte made up of igneous rock in a section of the Black Hills called the Bear Lodge Mountains. The tower has a dramatic rise of 1,267 feet above the Belle Fourche River, is 867 feet from its base to the summit with the summit being 5,112 feet above sea level. The oldest rocks that can be seen in the Devils Tower Monument were laid down in a somewhat shallow sea during the Triassic period between 195 to 225 million years ago. Until the forces of erosion began,
Devils Tower did not visibly protrude out of the landscape until the overlying sedimentary rocks eroded away. As the elements wore down the softer sandstone and shales the highly resistant igneous rock that makes up the tower survived the forces of erosion and the tower began to form. As a result of this continual erosion of the surrounding area the gray columns of Devils Tower started to appear as a highly visible isolated mass above the landscape. The Tower is continually being eroded, rocks are always breaking off and falling from the steep walls and on some very rare occasions an entire column will collapse and fall. Huge piles of rubble, broken columns, boulders, rocks and stones can be found all around the base of the Tower no doubt indicating that at one time in the past it was much larger than we can see today.
At some time in the very distant future Devils Tower will eventually completely erode away. Indian tribes with historical and geographical ties to Devils Tower include the Arapaho, Crow, Lakota, Cheyenne, Kiowa and Shoshone indians and is considered a sacred place by them. There are over twenty indian tribes that have potential cultural affiliation with the Tower according to the National Park Service. The Lakota indians claim to have an ancient and sacred relationship with the Black Hills of South Dakota and with Devils Tower. The Lakota often had winter camps at the Tower, they fasted, prayed, left offerings and performed sweatlodge ceremonies at the Tower as well.
Uploaded
July 18th, 2016
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