Monuments near Mt. Rainier, Washington
Towering 14,411 feet tall, Mount Rainier is the biggest mountain in Washington and the tallest singular peak in the lower 48 states. Located 68 miles southeast of Seattle, this active volcano and its surrounding area is home to a few monuments. Though each was created for uniquely different reasons, all serve as a remembrance of an important historic event. Carefully set below the shadows and fog of Mount Rainier, these monuments draw large crowds of people to the area each year.
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Stevens-Van Trump Historical Monument
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On a cold and blustery day in 1870, pioneers Hazard Stevens and Philemon Van Trump set out to climb Mount Rainier. Knowing the dangers that were to lie ahead, the Nisqually Indian guides refused to take them past the timberline. Amazingly, Stevens and Van Trump were successful in making the first summit of Washington's highest peak. Above Sluiskin Falls, at the very spot where Nisqually guides waited for the two pioneers to return, a memorial stone and concrete bench have been placed. This monument honors the first two climbers to ascend Mount Rainier.
Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument
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The time was 8:32 a.m. on Sunday morning, May 18, 1980. The skies above Mount St. Helens turned black as the ground erupted from below, triggered by a magnitude 5.1 earthquake. In its wake, 230 square miles of forest had been knocked down or buried beneath huge volcanic deposits. In 1982, President Ronald Reagan and Congress created the 110,000-acre Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument for research, recreation and education. The entire area of land within the monument, located only 50 miles from Mount Rainier, has been left undisturbed to respond naturally to the effects of the eruption. Many visitors come to this site to gaze at the aftermath of the largest volcanic explosion on record.
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Marine Memorial Airplane Crash Monument
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On Dec. 10, 1946, flight R5C 39528, piloted by Maj. Robert V. Reilly, was heading from San Diego, California, to Portland, Oregon, in treacherous conditions. The plane was carrying 29 Marines right out of boot camp that were heading to Seattle to be stationed. The plane crashed, killing all 32 on board. In July 1947, park ranger Bill Butler discovered the wreckage on Mount Rainier's southwest side, but the bodies were in an area too dangerous to remove. It was decided that these men were to be left on the mountain and buried together within the snow. On Aug. 24, 1947, Marines and family members of the fallen gathered for a memorial at the stone monument that was placed to honor the Marines.
Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center
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The Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center is located in the Paradise area of Mount Rainier National Park. This center offers exhibits, films, guided ranger tours, a book store, snack bar, gift shop, public restrooms, brochures and maps of the area. The original Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center opened in 1966 and was renamed in 1987 after Senator Henry M. Jackson, following his death. Jackson played and important role in the development of the program at Mount Rainier. A new Jackson Visitor Center was erected in 2008 and the original building was demolished in the spring of 2009.
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References
- US Forest Service: Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument
- Mountsthelens.com: Welcome to MountStHelens.com
- Washington Trails Association: Skyline Trail Loop
- Washington Trails Association: Camp Muir
- Visit Rainier: Hike to Gobbler's Knob & Lake George
- Seattlepi.com: Ghosts of Rainier: 'God's monument' to 32 Marines
Resources
- Photo Credit volcano mount st. helens from forest image by Nwrainman from Fotolia.com
