▁( including ▁a ▁portion ▁of ▁Tower ▁Rock ) ▁to ▁R uf us ▁Hard y ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 4 . ▁White ▁sett le ▁James ▁Austin ▁purchased ▁ ▁of ▁Hard y ' s ▁land ▁( not ▁including ▁Tower ▁Rock ) ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 0 7 . ▁Title ▁to ▁Tower ▁Rock ▁in ▁Section ▁ 3 6 ▁is ▁unclear ▁between ▁ 1 9 0 2 ▁and ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 2 0 s , ▁but ▁title ▁revert ed ▁to ▁the ▁state ▁some ▁times ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 2 0 s ▁as ▁school ▁trust ▁land . ▁ ▁Cre ation ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁park ▁The ▁priv ately ▁owned ▁portion ▁of ▁Tower ▁Rock ▁was ▁acquired ▁by ▁the ▁Mont ana ▁Department ▁of ▁Transport ation ▁( MD OT ) ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 7 ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁land ▁ac quisition ▁of ▁I - 1 5 ▁construction . ▁But ▁because ▁the ▁inter state ▁passed ▁east , ▁rather ▁than ▁west , ▁of ▁Tower ▁Rock , ▁the ▁new ▁state ▁land ▁was ▁never ▁developed . ▁MD OT ▁later ▁attempted ▁to ▁sell ▁the ▁land , ▁but ▁local ▁residents ▁successfully ▁pet ition ed ▁to ▁have ▁the ▁sale ▁can ce led . ▁ ▁Tower ▁Rock ▁was ▁added ▁to ▁the ▁National ▁Register ▁of ▁Historic ▁Places ▁on ▁March ▁ 1 8 , ▁ 2 0 0 2 . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁a ▁bill ▁was ▁introduced ▁in ▁the ▁Mont ana ▁Legisl ature ▁prohib iting ▁the ▁state ▁from ▁s elling ▁Tower ▁Rock ▁and ▁the ▁surrounding ▁a cre age . ▁Although