02/13/2024
Remembering my grandfather Leonard Marsh today. This is a story that ran in the Friends of Pompey's Pillar newsletter a couple of years ago. Miss you gpa. If you are traveling through the Billings, Yellowstone County area, stop at the Pillar for some very cool history...and see William Clark's actual signature in the sandstone.
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Robert “Leonard” Marsh was born June 2, 1899 in Garfield, Arkansas. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Jefferson Marsh. In 1913, the Marsh family moved from Arkansas to Montana to homestead on Mill Creek, about 25 miles north of Pompey’s Pillar. Nearby were a number of families that had also moved to Montana from the east, including the Phelps family. The Phelps family had moved from Kansas to Colorado in 1917, and then to Montana in 1919. This is where Leonard met Hazel Phelps, who he eventually married.
After a significant drought in the area, many of the homesteaders sold or abandoned their homestead claims and moved. Like many others devastated by the drought, the Marsh family moved to Billings in 1926. Thomas Jefferson Marsh became the ditch rider for the Big Ditch, with a homesite that exists today where the Big Ditch enters the tunnel through the Rims. Leonard and Hazel lived on Terry Ave and raised 5 children. Leonard supported the family, holding a long, successful career as a truck driver for Gamble Robinson, retiring in 1965.
After retirement, Leonard purchased a home in Ballantine and a small farm just east of Pompey’s Pillar, sitting between the Foote farm and the old road near the Interstate bridge. Pompey’s Pillar is the single site that contains physical evidence of the visit by the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Mr. Marsh met Don Foote, his new neighbor, and through this connection began working for Mr. Foote as the greeter and caretaker of the Pompey’s Pillar rock attraction. It was during this time, beginning around 1966, that the access road was improved and a small welcome hut / concession store was built on the east side near the dirt access trail.
Leonard worked for the Foote family as improvements were made to the Pillar area for visitors, including walkways and a flagpole placed on the top of the rock. He loved his time working at Pompey’s Pillar. He gave many tours of the rock and surrounding area to young and old alike, from Montana, all across the United States and as far as Japan and England. It was during the 1960’s that his grandson, Michael, a current member of Friends of Pompey’s Pillar, became enamored with the rich history and geology of Pompey’s Pillar. Michael has many times shared the story of his first seeing William Clark’s signature etched in the sandstone on the East side of the Pillar.
Ownership of the attraction was later transferred from the Foote family to the Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”). The site has had significant improvements over the years, including a much improved walking path on the pillar itself and around the grounds as well as a world-class Visitor Center. Pompey’s Pillar continues operations throughout the summer months, managed by a group of dedicated volunteers.
For more information about Pompey’s Pillar National Monument, please visit the BLM website at
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