Platte Mound M facts for kids
The Platte Mound M is a giant letter "M" made from stones. These stones are covered in whitewash, which is a white paint-like coating. The "M" sits on Platte Mound, a hill about four miles east of Platteville, Wisconsin. This special "M" is the biggest hillside letter "M" in the entire world! It stands about 241 feet (73 meters) tall and 214 feet (65 meters) wide. Its "legs" are 25 feet (7.6 meters) wide.
Contents
Building the Giant "M"
The Idea Begins
The idea for the Platte Mound "M" started in the summer of 1936. Two students from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Raymond Medley and Alvin Knoerr, were working at a mine in Colorado. There, they saw a big letter "M" on a mountain called Mount Zion. That "M" stood for the Colorado School of Mines. Raymond and Alvin thought it would be cool to have an even bigger "M" on Platte Mound. This new "M" would represent the miners from Platteville.
First Try in the Snow
That winter, the students made their first "M" on the mound. They drew the letter "M" in the deep snow. A cold spell hit the area, and the snow "M" stayed visible for several weeks! The letter "M" was chosen because the university had a School of Mines.
Building with Stones
After the snow melted, some students were hiking on the mound. They started using large rocks to build one leg of an "M" while they rested. The unfinished letter was easy to see. The head of the engineering department, H. B. Morrow, saw it. He decided to make it a special project for the engineering students.
Making it Bigger
Older students measured the letter carefully. They wanted to make sure it would be bigger than the "M" in Colorado. Younger students built the letter using tools like picks, crowbars, and wheelbarrows. These tools were borrowed from a local CCC camp. The "M" was built using limestone rocks found right on the mound.
Checking the Work
Professor Morrow and other teachers drove far away to look at the "M" from a distance. They suggested changes to make the letter look perfect from below. This was important because the slope of the hill could make it look distorted. The building work was finished about six months later.
First Celebration
The giant "M" was celebrated at the university's homecoming event on October 16, 1937. A torch was carried 4.5 miles (7.2 kilometers) from the school's Tech building to the mound. The "M" was lit up by this torch. People could see the glowing letter from 28 miles (45 kilometers) away!
Lighting and Care of the "M"
Early Lighting Traditions
Before 1940, the "M" was only lit for homecoming. After World War II, a new tradition started. The "M" would also be lit on the evening of the spring Miner's Ball.
Keeping the "M" Clean
During World War II, fewer men were at the university. Because of this, the "M" was not taken care of as well. Female students noticed that the letter was falling apart. This led to a new custom: students would clean the "M" in the fall. Then, in April, they would whitewash it. This cleaning and painting happened on the Thursday before the Miner's Ball.
Famous Magazine Story
On April 29, 1949, a reporter from Life magazine named Francis Miller visited. He watched as 250 quart cans with corncobs were lit around the "M". It took 23 minutes for the torch to be carried to the mound. His story about the "M" appeared in Life magazine on May 23, 1949.
Who Owns and Cares for the "M" Now?
Platte Mound is about one mile long and half a mile wide. It rises 450 feet (137 meters) above the land around it. The college first got permission to build the "M" from the property owner, William Snow. Later, a man named Mr. Clausen bought the land. He then gave it to the Board of State College Regents.
Since the mining engineering department closed in the 1990s, engineering students at the university have continued to maintain the "M". As of 2008, a student group called the Society of Automotive Engineers does all the yearly maintenance. This includes removing brushes and trees in the fall. They also light the "M" for Homecoming in the fall using fiberboard wicks in coffee cans filled with kerosene. In the spring, they whitewash it to keep it bright and white.
