Tower Ladder (Devils Tower National Monument)

Tower Ladder—Devils Tower National Monument
Location Devils Tower National Monument, Devils Tower, Wyoming
Coordinates 44°35′23″N 104°42′50″W / 44.58972°N 104.71389°W / 44.58972; -104.71389Coordinates: 44°35′23″N 104°42′50″W / 44.58972°N 104.71389°W / 44.58972; -104.71389
Built 1893
MPS Devils Tower National Monument MPS
NRHP Reference # 00000855
Added to NRHP July 24, 2000[1]

The Ladder at Devils Tower was first constructed and used in 1893 by William Rogers and Willard Ripley to publicly ascend Devil's Tower. Two years later Roger's wife Linnie ascended the tower via the ladder, one of a total of about 215 who have used the ladder. The last use was by Babe "The Human Fly" White in 1927.[2]

The present tower ladder consists of a series of wooden stakes connected on the outside by vertical wood planks. One end of each stake is driven sideways into a rock crevice, vertically ascending the southeast side of the tower. Attached with nails and/or bailing wire to the other end of the stakes are 12-inch lengths of 1 x 4 - inch lumber. The ladder ascends from about 100 feet above the ground to the summit, and is about 170 feet long. Because of its small scale in comparison to the tower, it is very difficult to see in modern photographs, and visitors to the tower usually must view it through a telescope.[3] The lowest 100 feet were removed in the 1930s as a safety measure. The remaining ladder was restored in 1972.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ National Park Service (2008-04-15). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. ↑ "Devils Tower Ladder". National Register of Historic Places. Wyoming State Preservation Office. 2008-11-08.
  3. ↑ "Tower Ladder". List of Classified Structures. National Park Service. 2008-11-08.
  4. ↑ Kathy McKoy (April 15, 2000). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Tower Ladder" (pdf). National Park Service.


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