President Theodore Roosevelt issued a proclamation under the Antiquities Act designating Devils Tower in northeastern Wyoming as the first United States National Monument. This act formally protected 1,153 acres around the dramatic monolith, drawing upon new federal authority to preserve distinct natural features of scientific, historic, or scenic interest. The decision marked a turning point in U.S. conservation policy by adding a precedent for executive protection of public lands.
Before 1906, Devils Tower was already recognized for its unusual geology and prominence. It rises some 1,267 feet above the Belle Fourche River and features columnar jointing in igneous rock—a striking remnant of volcanic activity. The surrounding area had been part of a U.S. Forest Reserve established by Congress in the 1890s. Nonetheless, at that time no specific federal framework existed for preserving individual natural landmarks as monuments.
The Antiquities Act, signed into law earlier in 1906, granted the president the authority to declare federal lands as national monuments without requiring full congressional approval. Roosevelt’s use of that power for Devils Tower inaugurated the practice of safeguarding exceptional lands by presidential proclamation. The act aimed to curb looting, exploitative collecting, and destruction of irreplaceable features.
Roosevelt’s choice of Devils Tower was strategic. The site was relatively accessible, clearly bounded, and possessed clear geological distinctiveness. The acreage chosen—1,153 acres—was judged “sufficiently large to provide for the proper care and management of the monument,” with the remainder of nearby lands opened to settlement in 1908. The Little Missouri Buttes were excluded from the protected zone. Roosevelt acted on representations from Wyoming’s Representative Frank Mondell, whose influence in Congress and on public land legislation played a crucial role in securing the site’s protection.
The proclamation invoked the newly minted statutory authority, and the Theodore Roosevelt Center preserves the original document. Over time, the monument’s boundaries were expanded. The public lands component came under the management of the National Park Service when that agency was formed in 1916.
The designation of Devils Tower as the first national monument carried symbolic weight. It signaled that federal policy would no longer confine preservation only to areas established by acts of Congress. It expressed an evolving view of the federal government’s role in protecting unique landscapes and geological wonders. After Devils Tower, Roosevelt and later presidents used the act to proclaim additional monumental sites, including the Grand Canyon (initially as a monument) and other culturally or scientifically important areas.
Devils Tower also held cultural and spiritual significance before federal designation. Indigenous peoples of the Plains—Lakota, Cheyenne, Kiowa, and others—long regarded the tower as a sacred site. Its vertical striated rock face became the center of legends and rituals, connecting communities to ancestors and the land. While the proclamation preserved the land for all, it also introduced federal oversight over a site already sacred to multiple tribes.
The monument status helped regulate human activity, enforce legal protection, and restrict exploitative practices. Federal stewardship addressed visitor safety, path development, and interpretive education over time. The Civilian Conservation Corps, during the 1930s, constructed infrastructure and improved access under monument status. In later decades, policies balanced climbing access with Indigenous concerns, leading to a voluntary closure of climbing during June to respect tribal ceremonial periods.
The historical significance of the 1906 proclamation rests on its role as legal and symbolic foundation for America’s monument system. It showed the federal government could act decisively to protect lands before they were endangered by development. It broadened the conservation toolbox beyond national parks created by Congress. It also tested the balance between preservation and use, a tension that continues in public-land debates.
Devils Tower’s status as the first national monument remains a touchstone in the history of U.S. conservation policy. It underscores the intersection of geology, federal law, cultural heritage, and environmental stewardship. Its protection in 1906 established a model for subsequent monuments and affirmed that singular natural features could receive national recognition and care outside the slow rhythms of legislative processes.
References / More Knowledge:
Theodore Roosevelt Center. “Devils Tower National Monument Proclamation.” https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/Research/Digital-Library/Record?libID=o293443
National Park Service. “Early Conservationists — Devils Tower.” https://www.nps.gov/deto/learn/historyculture/early-conservationists.htm
National Park Service. “Basic Information — Devils Tower National Monument.” https://www.nps.gov/deto/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm
Wyoming Historical Society. “Frank Mondell, Theodore Roosevelt and Devils Tower National.” https://www.wyohistory.org/encyclopedia/protecting-public-land-frank-mondell-theodore-roosevelt-and-devils-tower-national
Wikipedia. “Antiquities Act.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiquities_Act
Wikipedia. “Devils Tower.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devils_Tower