Devils Tower became the first U.S. national monument in 1906, adding to the history commemorated by America250.
President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed Devils Tower National Monument on September 24, 1906, using authority granted by the Antiquities Act of 1906. The law allowed presidents to protect historic landmarks, archaeological sites, and objects of scientific interest on federal land.
Devils Tower is a striking igneous formation in northeastern Wyoming. Its vertical columns rise dramatically above the surrounding landscape, and geologists have proposed several explanations for how the formation developed as molten rock cooled and weathered.
The site has longstanding cultural and spiritual importance for several Indigenous nations, including the Lakota and Cheyenne. The name “Devils Tower” comes from a historic translation dispute, while many Indigenous communities use other names. It is often confused with Mount Rushmore, but Mount Rushmore became a national memorial, not the first national monument.