|
Arguably the most famous landmark on
the Platte-Sweetwater Route [the late Merrill Mates
noted that 97 out of 100 of the best known
journals/diaries mentioned the site], Chimney Rock is
located several miles south of the north fork of the
North Platte River about 150 miles west of the forks
of the Platte River.
As to its dimensions, Mr. Mattes, the
former National Park Service paragon of trail history,
provides the benchmark. An 1895 U.S. Geological survey
concluded that the top of Chimney Rock was 4,242 feet
above sea level, while a 1964 study noted a loss of 17
feet by reporting the elevation of the site as being
4,225 feet above sea level. As to the actual
dimensions of the monument itself, Mattes noted that
in 1969 "The tip of the Rock. . .is 325 feet
above the base of the cone, or about 470 feet above
the North Platte River. The vertical spire alone
measures 120 feet." Mattes also commented that
his study of drawings/sketches/ descriptions of the
site originating between 1837 and 1867 "suggests
that the spire may then have towered 50 to 100 feet
higher."
Virgil K. Pringle, 1846
Thursday, June 18 Came in view of the chimney early in the
morning, which was 20 miles distant. Divided
our company into three parts for the greater
convenience of traveling. Proceeded ahead 20
miles and camped on the river. 20 miles.
Friday, June 19 Passed the chimney in the fore part of the day
and the formation of the bluffs have a
tendency to fill the mind with awe and
grandeur. The chimney might pass for one of
the foundries in St. Louis, were it blackened
by burning stone coal. There is a nearby bluff
near it, that reminds me of prints that I have
seen of the capitol at Washington. Made 20
miles and camped near Scott's Bluffs. 792
miles. |
|
Elizabeth Dixon Smith, 1847
July 8 made 12
miles saw chimney Rock it is a curiosity in deed a
rock or rather a hard clay standing alone towering in
the are perhaps 300 feet all of the lofty rocks alone
here is composed of the same meterial some of them
resemble old demolished villages half sunk in the
ground with stoves pipes sticking out at the top. to
day we the dredfulest hail storm that I ever witnessed
which me and a young woman had like to have been
caught in as we went out to visit the famous chimney
rock fortuneately we reached one of the foremost
wagons just as the hail began to pelt us. it tore some
of their waggon covers off broke some bows and made
horses and oxon run a way & made bad work they say
about it is subject to tornadoes.
 |
JOURNAL OF CROSSING THE PLAINS TO OREGON IN 1852 by John T. Kerns
Tuesday,
June 15-We traveled twenty miles and
passed the opposite of Court House rock and
encamped oposite the Chimney Rock and in sight
of the Scott's Bluff ... The Chimney Rock,
another work of nature resembling that of art,
stands on the south of the Platte river and is
also some distance from the river. As the
mountains are continually crumbling and
falling down, I suppose this must have been a
column of the mountain at the foot of which it
stood and this being a solid column, it has
endured while around has fallen from it. It is
also composed of sandstone. Remarks: our sick
are all better. We witnessed one death this
afternoon, 1066 miles. |
Margaret A. Frink, 1850
Wednesday, June 5. The weather to-day was quite hot and
oppressive. We had to cross a long stretch
without water. The road we took led us close
to the base of Chimney Rock, where we
stopped for some time to satisfy our
curiosity. The base is shaped like a large
cone, from the top of which rises a tall
tower or chimney, resembling the chimney of
a manufacturing establishment. According to
Fremont, it was once five hundred feet high,
but has been worn down by the winds and
rains until it is no more than two hundred
and fifty feet in height. It is composed of
marl and soft sandstone, which is easily
worn away. Mr. Frink carved our names upon
the chimney, where are hundreds of others. |
 |
John S. Zieber, 1851
Monday, June 30-We camped for
the night near Chimney Rock on the S. Side of the
river. We had seen it in all our last day's travel and
the wonder was that we seemed so near it and yet could
not seemingly get any nearer by even a half day's
travel.
For
additional information on Chimney Rock, see the
following:
Merrill Mattes, The
Great Platte River Road, Chapter XII:
"Chimney Rock, Eighth Wonder of the World"
Robert L. Munkres,
"The Sentinels of the North Platte." [With
accompanying photographs] The
National Tombstone Epitaph, June, 1983.
|
|
