A Twin Cities couple's decision to scrawl their junior high-like profession of love into a sandstone pillar in Montana could become a national scandal.
Their names now stand etched into Pompeys Pillar, a national monument bearing the 207-year-old signature of one of this nation's most revered explorers, Capt. William Clark of Lewis and Clark fame.
Clark's signature, carved in the stone on July 25, 1806, is roughly three feet away from the new inscription, which includes the Plymouth couple's first names with a "+" in the middle, a heart and the date "10/10/13."
The discovery of the new carving, made while the site was officially closed during the government shutdown, has prompted a federal investigation that could result in a felony charge against the couple. They are not being named because they have so far not been charged with a crime.
For some Montana residents who live near the Pillar, about 25 miles east of Billings, the law can't move quick enough.
"A lot of people are heartbroken about the vandalism because of the historical value and the meaning of Pompeys Pillar," said Jonathan Peart, executive director of the nonprofit Friends of Pompeys Pillar.
In Huntley, Mont., 16 miles from the monument, heartbreak has escalated into anger. Locals at Stroker's Tavern want to see the couple returned to Yellowstone County.
The pair deserve more "than just a slap on the hand," said Gina Loose, a 51-year-old construction company manager. "They can come do the cleaning. They can come do the restoration. They can do it during the middle of summer when the rattlesnakes are out. See how they like it."
