Our National Monuments

Celebrating a century of treasured landmarks

You find them in both major metropolitan areas and some of the most remote corners of the country. They protect canyons and craters, redwood forests and vast deserts. They commemorate natural disasters and mankind's accomplishments. They're national monuments, diverse parcels of land all across the country that preserve both pristine lands and the ruins of ancient civilizations.

From the heights of Mount St. Helens in Washington state to the underwater splendor of Buck Island Reef in the Virgin Islands, from Effigy Mounds in rural Allamakee County, Iowa, where prehistoric American Indians built ceremonial earthen mounds in the shape of bears and birds, to Pompeys Pillar near Billings, Mont., where explorer William Clark carved his name in the sandstone mesa in 1806, these sanctuaries represent a wealth of American treasures.

The precedent for such land acquisition came with the Antiquities Act of 1906, when Congress entrusted the president with discretionary power "to declare by public proclamation historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest" as national monuments.

President Theodore Roosevelt, an avid conservationist, lost no time in exercising his new authority. On Sept. 24, 1906, he set aside the majestic monolith Devils Tower in Crook County, Wyo., as the nation's first national monument.

Antiquities Act centennial

Now as the nation celebrates 100 years of the Antiquities Act, scores of national monuments are found in 28 states and encompass some 240,000 square miles, roughly the size of the states of Colorado and Montana.

They range in size from African Burial Ground National Monument, a 15,000-square-foot site in New York City where enslaved and free Africans were interred between the 1690s and 1790s, to the vast 140,000-square-mile Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Monument, the newest and largest marine sanctuary in the world.

Among the most popular national monuments is the Statue of Liberty, where more than 5 million visitors arrive annually by ferry to meet the Lady of the Harbor. A gift from France dedicated in 1886, the statue was designated a national monument by President Coolidge in 1924.

With its urban setting, Lady Liberty couldn't be more antithetical to Scotts Bluff National Monument, situated on a lonely prairie in western Nebraska, where a towering 800-foot buttress known to the Plains Indians as Ma-a-pa-te, or "hill that is hard to go around," dominates the horizon. More than 150 years ago, it was a landmark to westward-bound travelers on the Oregon Trail. Today, visitors to the 3,000-acre spread are rewarded with the same spectacular views of the Great Plains as witnessed generations ago, as well as a visitor's center that explores American Indian and pioneer life and the geology of the land.

St. Augustine, Fla., long has billed itself as "the oldest city in America." The city's most conspicuous testament to that claim is Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, a stone fortress completed in 1695 by the Spanish empire. A favorite of tourists, the fortification draws more than a million visitors a year, while only 14 miles south of St. Augustine stands a lesser-known remnant of Spanish dominion. The centerpiece of Fort Matanzas National Monument, accessible by a free ferry, was built between 1740 and 1742 and marks Spain's last effort to ward off Britain's advances from the north.

Monument management

A patchwork of federal agencies supervises the operation and protection of national monuments, including the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

"The presidential proclamation that establishes a national monument designates which agency will manage the monument," says Peter Mali of the National Landscape Conservation System, an initiative of the BLM.

U.S. presidents have created 124 national monuments while Congress has added 38 to the total. However, through the years, some shifts in designation and administration have taken place; for example, Grand Canyon National Monument, dedicated in 1908, was converted to a national park in 1919.

Because the intent is for monuments to be enjoyed by the nation's citizens, costs are kept to a minimum. Many monuments have no entrance fee and none exceeds $12 per person.

Financial planner Steve Schmorleitz, of Citrus Heights, Calif., is so enamored with America's treasures that he created the website www.nationalparklover.com to showcase his photography and the natural beauty of the country.

"I've been to every national monument west of the Rockies and many others as well," Schmorleitz says. Among his favorites are Bandelier National Monument near Santa Fe, N.M., and Canyon de Chelly National Monument in northeastern Arizona. "Both really represent the national monument as it was set out to be. They both represent history and natural beauty."

Bandelier is home to a host of ancient ruins including freestanding structures made of stone and mud as well as the homes of cliff dwellers who lived in the canyon walls of the Jemez Mountains.

Canyon de Chelly recalls two Indian civilizations, the prehistoric-era Anasazi and the Navajo, who have dwelt amid the stunning sandstone spires and sheer red cliffs for centuries.

People who prefer greenery in their visual diet enjoy trekking through Muir Woods National Monument 12 miles north of San Francisco. "This is the best tree-lovers monument that could possibly be found in all the forests of the world," declared conservationist John Muir of the coastal redwood forest that now bears his name.

Indeed, walking among towering ancient trees, which measure more than 300 feet tall and 30 feet in diameter, is awe-inspiring, while a glimpse of the forest floor reveals a lush green carpet of trillium and horsetail ferns.

If you like to explore without concern for the weather, go underground at Jewel Cave National Monument, near Custer, S.D. Recognized as the third longest cave in the world, its crystalline chambers sparkle in tones of bronze, purple, gray and pink.

For an entirely different spelunking expedition, visit Russell Cave National Monument near Bridgeport, Ala. Formed of limestone, the caverns were inhabited by prehistoric people for more than 8,000 years. The educational experience includes a walk through a pristine forest and living history exhibits that reconstruct daily life of the ancient cave dwellers.

Whether you like biking, hiking, driving, scuba diving, or just roaming through the air-conditioned comfort of an information-laden visitor's center, there's a national monument beckoning you to join in the centennial celebration.

 

Here are a few websites to begin your quest to a national monument:

• www.cr.nps.gov/archeology/sites/antiquities
• www.blm.gov/nlcs/monuments
• www.fws.gov
• www.fs.fed.us

Michael Nolan is a freelance writer in Nashville, Tenn.

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