Devils Tower National Monument: Historic Resource Study

This study presents historical contexts associated with Devils Tower National Monument (DETO). First, we describe the Tower itself. The following five chapters elucidate themes, better known as historical contexts. The first theme describes how Native Americans occupied the region since about 13,000 years before present. Evidence is clear of their continuous presence in the area. Eras of exploration and settlement follow. The establishment of Devils Tower as the nation’s first national monument, created by Theodore Roosevelt’s executive order under the Antiquities Act, occurred in 1906. During the 1930s, development of the park continued with some twists unique to Devils Tower. The CCC era is of particular interest for National Park Service sites across the nation, and Devils Tower is no exception. MISSION 66 improvements transformed the monument and laid out a modernized, standardized park landscape in Devils Tower. The history of climbing also has a significant and unique place in the history of Devils Tower. Buildings and structures dating from 1973 are now of sufficient age to be considered for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. We discuss the 1970s in several places in these narratives and offer a theme and historical context for the 1970s to the present. What is particularly significant for Devils Tower National Monument is how nature and culture come together in every age with the result that people perceive the Tower differently, draw various inspirations from it, and experience Bear Lodge/Devils Tower in unique ways.This is published as Devils Tower National Monument: Historic Resource Study. National Park Service, Intermountain Office, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 2023. Document is available online at the National Park Service History Electronic Library & Archive: http://npshistory.com/index.htm. Posted with permission