Devils Tower National Monument: A History

A concise history of the Tower and surrounding area, tracing indigenous legends that explain its origin through Kiowa and Cheyenne stories, recounting its encounter by 19th-century explorers and geological surveyors who described its columnar trachyte structure, and describing how it acquired its common English name. The booklet outlines scientific and popular responses to the formation, its designation as the first national monument under the Antiquities Act, and later preservation, interpretation, and visitor stewardship efforts, combining natural-history description, geological observations, and human history to explain the site's significance and development as a protected public resource.