John Otto made the first ascent of Independence Monument on June 14, 1911, flying Old Glory from the summit for Flag Day.

[9] Subsequently, he would make the ascent on July 4 each year to again display the flag to celebrate Independence Day, although his method differed from contemporary rock climbing.

The pipes Otto attached were removed in the mid-1950s by the Park Service, but handholds and steps which he carved into the sandstone remain.

[10] John Otto married Boston artist Beatrice Farnham on June 20, 1911, at the base of Independence Monument in Wedding Canyon.

[12] Established rock climbing routes on Independence Monument:[13] This monolith is the remnant of a differentially eroded fin composed primarily of cliff-forming Wingate Sandstone, which consists of wind-borne, cross-bedded quartzose sandstones deposited as ancient sand dunes approximately 200 million years ago in the Late Triassic.