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A couple miles down a dusty gravel road off I-80 in the middle of nowhere — somewhere between Laramie and Cheyenne, Wyoming — the Ames Monument, a mysterious pyramid, suddenly rises out of the earth. But, why is it THERE?
Overview of the Ames Monument
Once upon a time, the small railroad town of Sherman, founded in 1867, stood in the same area. It existed because it was an important stop on the First Transcontinental Railroad route — trains were inspected and changed engines there. Several hundred people lived in the town, which contained two hotels, a general store, two saloons, a post office, and a school.
In 1875, Union Pacific Railroad proposed a monument to honor the Ames brothers, Oakes and Oliver, for their invaluable contribution to the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad. Before their involvement, only 12 miles (19.3 kilometers) of track had been laid. Sherman — near the railroad’s highest elevation at 8,247 feet (2,513.7 meters) — was chosen as the monument’s location.
Oakes (1804—1873) was a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts, while Oliver Jr. (1807—1877) was the president of Union Pacific Railroad. Their grandfather, John Ames (1728–1803), founded the Ames Company, a shovel manufacturer, in 1774. Together with their father, Oliver Ames Sr. (1779—1863), the family became rich during the Gold Rush by selling axes and shovels to miners in California and Australia. The company, which still exists today as Ames True Temper, also supplied shovels for the excavation of the Panama Canal.
The Ames Monument was built ¼ mile (400 meters) from Sherman, just south of the tracks, between 1880 and 1882. It was so important that even ex-President Rutherford B. Hayes attended its dedication ceremony. Passing trains would slow down or even stop so passengers could get a closer look.
Controversies Surrounding the Monument
In 1873, the Ames brothers were implicated in fraud associated with the financing of the railroad by bribing congressmen, inflating the construction cost, and pocketing up to $50 million. This made the idea of a monument controversial, but at a meeting in Boston on March 10, 1875, Union Pacific’s board of directors and stockholders voted to authorize the project anyway.
In 1885, a few years after its completion, Union Pacific realized they had accidentally built the monument on land open to claim by homesteaders. William Murphy purchased the site and planned to cover the monument with advertising. The railroad contested and, through legal proceedings, eventually obtained a special deed after 1889. In exchange, Murphy accepted two residential lots in Laramie worth far less than his monument claim, ending up financially ruined because of the dispute.
Decline of Sherman
Unfortunately for the monument and the town of Sherman, the railroad tracks were relocated 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) south in 1901 and the town was slowly abandoned. After the station house closed in 1918, the remains of Sherman were later razed and the monument fell into oblivion.
Union Pacific donated the land to the State of Wyoming in 1983 and Ames Monument State Historic Site was established. It was designated a National Historic Landmark on October 31, 2016.
Features of the Ames Monument
The Ames Monument was designed by Henry Hobson Richardson (1838–1886) to blend into the mountain landscape. Norcross Brothers of Worcester, Massachusetts, oversaw its construction, employing 85 workers who lived on-site. The project cost $64,000, which was an astronomical amount of money back then — today, that’s over $1.5 million!
Measuring 60 feet (18.3 meters) on each side and standing 60 feet high, the pyramid was made of granite quarried from Reed’s Rock ½ mile (800 meters) to the west. The faces of the Ames brothers are represented by two 9-foot (2.74 meter) bas-relief portraits by sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848–1907). The portraits have succumbed to weather and vandalism over time and have lost some of their original lustre.
How to Get to the Ames Monument
To get to the Ames Monument, take exit 329 on I-80 at Vedauwoo. Turn south onto Vedauwoo Road and then left onto Monument Road. Continue until you reach the small parking lot.
The site is open daily and there’s no admission (as of January 2026). A few interpretive panels offer more details. Climbing the monument is strictly prohibited.
