Travel in Time with Dan: The Washington Monument—Persistence Cast in Stone
Hey everybody, how are you doing? It’s Dan Blanchard here with another edition of Travel in Time with Dan, where we mix travel with history, with leadership, and… of course… with me, Dan Blanchard!
Today, we are standing on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., looking up at one of the most recognized, iconic symbols in American history: the Washington Monument! Standing at 555 feet, it remains the tallest obelisk in the world and the tallest structure in Washington, D.C…. a status maintained out of pure respect for George Washington’s legacy!
When you look at this pristine white tower today, it looks like it was always meant to stand right here. But the truth is, the story behind this monument is a decades-long roller coaster of political strife, financial ruin, and national division!
To get the real story on how this epic project survived hostile takeovers, a Civil War, and decades of standing as an unfinished “stump,” I traveled back in time to the early 1880s to meet the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officer who stepped up to finish the job: Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Lincoln Casey!
I caught up with him right at the base of the scaffolding as workers prepared to set the final stones near the top. Here is our conversation!
The Fictional Interview: Dan Blanchard Meets Thomas Lincoln Casey
Dan Blanchard: Colonel Casey! Dan Blanchard here from Travel in Time with Dan. Wow, looking straight up this tower takes my breath away! But man, this project took a wild, messy path to get to this point!
Thomas Lincoln Casey: (Wiping dust from his uniform, offering a firm handshake) Mr. Blanchard! Welcome to the site. “Messy” is putting it mildly! When I took over this assignment, people were beginning to wonder if this country would ever finish a monument to its own father.
Dan: Right! I mean, George Washington was the ultimate leader… the “farmer general” who gave back power after winning the Revolution and was elected by unanimous vote! If anybody deserved a smooth build, it was him! But architect Robert Mills originally wanted a grand Greek temple at the base with a monster pyramid!
Casey: (Nodding) A magnificent vision, but in 1848 the Monument Society ran out of money and ordered Mills to drop the temple and build a plain obelisk. And then, of course, the political madness hit.
Dan: Oh yeah, the “Know-Nothings”! That political party pulled off a hostile takeover of the Monument Society in the 1850s, mismanaged everything, and funding dried right up! Mills died, the Civil War broke out, and for over twenty years this monument just sat here as a 152-foot stump!
Casey: (Sighs, looking up at the lower portion) It was an absolute disgrace. Cattle grazed around it, and an unregulated slaughterhouse operated right here at the base, surrounded by mud and filth. It sat that way until Congress finally stepped in for the 1876 Centennial and gave us $2 million to finish it.
Dan: And if you look closely at the monument today, you can actually see where you restarted! Right at that 152-foot mark, the stone color changes because you had to use granite and marble from different quarries! It’s like a permanent scar marking those decades of delay!
Casey: A permanent record of our national struggle, yes. When Congress put the Army Corps of Engineers in charge, there was plenty of political noise and second-guessing. But my philosophy was simple: amid all the chaos, my job was to ignore the noise and simply execute the plan.
Dan: And you did! You even topped it off with something super unique… a tiny pyramid cap made of solid aluminum!
Casey: (Smiles proudly) Indeed! In our time, aluminum is an exotic, extremely expensive metal… priced closer to silver! Putting that cap at 555 feet was a statement to the world about American engineering and technology. When we finish, this will be the tallest building on earth!
Dan: It held that record for five years until the Eiffel Tower came along in 1889! But Colonel, sitting inside this obelisk are 200 commemorative stones donated by states and groups… including my home state of Connecticut’s stone right at the 70-foot level inside that old stump section!
Casey: Connecticut’s contribution is locked safely inside the stone heart of this nation, Mr. Blanchard.
Dan: That brings me right to my big leadership lesson for today: Great achievements require persistence over generations! Great monuments aren’t built with stone alone… they are built with perseverance!
Casey: (Nods in agreement) Well said, Dan. Robert Mills didn’t live to see this finished. The politicians who cut the budget in 1848 are gone. I didn’t start this vision, but my duty was to pick up the stalled work and finish it for the people who come after us. True leadership means picking up the burden when others drop it.
Dan: Boom! That is real perseverance! Financial collapse, political takeovers, a Civil War, and even a modern earthquake in 2011 couldn’t stop this tower!
Casey: Nothing worth building is ever easy, Mr. Blanchard. But if you stay focused and keep stacking stone upon stone, the finished work will outlast the struggle.
Dan: Colonel Casey, before I head back to my time, what’s your final word of advice for leaders facing a stalled project today?
Casey: Don’t let a “stump” become your permanent ending! Ignore the chaos, ignore the critics, execute the plan, and keep building until the job is done!
Dan: Drop the chisel! Colonel Casey, thank you for your service, your grit, and for finishing this great monument!
Casey: The honor was mine, Dan! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to inspect that aluminum pyramid one last time before we set it on top!
The Travel in Time Wrap-Up
Standing at the base of that 555-foot obelisk with Colonel Thomas Lincoln Casey made one thing crystal clear: great achievements require persistence over generations.
The Washington Monument sat as an unfinished stump surrounded by pigs and filth for over twenty years. It took 36 years, multiple leaders, and endless perseverance to finally cap it off with that aluminum peak.
When you visit today, you don’t see the Know-Nothings, the Civil War delays, or the financial collapse… you just see a soaring symbol of American unity. The finished victory erases the struggle.
What “stump” in your life or work is waiting for you to pick it back up and finish it?
Until next time, this is Dan Blanchard with the Travel in Time with Dan show… where we mix travel with history, leadership, and me! Take care, and have a wonderful day!
Enjoyed this monumental journey into perseverance? Don’t forget to check out our companion book chapters, YouTube videos, and podcasts to keep uncovering history and inspiring leadership!
Uncovering History. Inspiring Leadership.
📺 Watch the episode: YouTube | 🎙️ Listen to the podcast: Spotify | 📖 Read the blog: granddaddyssecrets.com | 📚 Dan’s book: Travel in Time in the Northeast
