Helium Time Columns Monument and Museum

Erected 1968, commemorating the 100th Anniversary of discovery of helium in the gaseous atmosphere surrounding the sun. (The discovery of traces of helium on earth was first announced in 1895.) The four time columns are filled with books, documents, and various artifacts that will tell future generations about life in 1968. After the time columns were filled, the caps were welded on and the contents sealed in a helium atmosphere. In twenty-five, fifty, one-hundred, and one thousand years from the time of filling, the four individual columns are to be opened. Helium is an element which occurs in commercial volume in natural gas produced since 1918 from wells in the Texas Panhandle. In 1929 the first of several helium processing plants began operations near Amarillo. Large quantities of helium extracted from natural gas are stored underground northwest of Amarillo, and will provide a valuable source of supply for many years. Once used only in lighter-than-air craft, helium now serves vital needs in industry, science, and the nation's military and space programs. (1968)

Helium Time Columns Monument and Museum is a historical marker in Amarillo, Potter County, dedicated in 1968. It is one of 48 historical markers documented in Potter County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 68 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 35.2016, -101.9139 near Amarillo. The nearest cataloged historic site is Amarillo (historical marker), about 1.0 miles away. Others within a short drive include Smith-Rogers House, Amarillo Helium Plant, and William Henry Bush.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5375002430. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.