Roosevelt Arch facts for kids
The Roosevelt Arch is a grand stone arch. It stands at the north entrance to Yellowstone National Park in Gardiner, Montana, United States. The U.S. Army built it near Fort Yellowstone. President Theodore Roosevelt placed its first stone in 1903. The top of the arch has a famous quote. It's from the law that created Yellowstone in 1872. The quote says: "For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People".
The idea for the arch came from Hiram Martin Chittenden. He thought the entrance to the park near Gardiner wasn't grand enough. Before 1903, visitors came by train to Cinnabar, Montana. This was a few miles from Gardiner. From there, people rode horse-drawn carriages into the park. In 1903, the railway finally reached Gardiner. The arch was planned as part of the new train station area.
Building the Arch
Many people believe architect Robert Reamer designed the Roosevelt Arch. He also designed the train depot. However, we don't have full proof of this. Building the arch started on February 19, 1903. It was finished on August 15, 1903. The cost was about $10,000. This archway was the first main entrance to Yellowstone.
President Roosevelt was visiting Yellowstone while it was being built. He was asked to place the first stone for the arch. This is why it was named after him. He placed the stone on April 24, 1903. This stone covered a time capsule. Inside the capsule were a Bible, a picture of Roosevelt, local newspapers, and other items. Thousands of people came to Gardiner for the special opening.
What the Arch Looks Like
The arch is made of special hexagonal blocks of columnar basalt. This stone was found nearby. The arch is about 52 feet (16 m) high. Two tall towers stand on each side of the main archway. These towers have small passages for people to walk through. These passages have heavy wooden doors.
Curved walls made of the same basalt stone connect to the arch. These walls are 12 feet (3.7 m) high. They end in short towers. The quote from the Organic Act is above the arch. It's on a rectangular concrete slab. Other panels are next to the arch, above the pedestrian doors. One says "Yellowstone National Park". The other says "Created by Act of Congress, March 1, 1872".
Early plans for the design included a lake and a waterfall. But these could not be built in the dry area. So, they were never made. Instead, a small pond was built in front of the arch. There were also unusual trees from California called sequoias. Over time, the pond and trees disappeared. The park's north entrance station was just past the arch from 1921. It was moved much farther south in 1961.
The Roosevelt Arch is an important part of the North Entrance Road Historic District. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.
