World’s Largest “M” Stands on a Wisconsin Mound Near Platteville

Four miles northeast of Platteville, a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, a huge white “M” rises above the landscape. It is 241 feet high and 214 feet wide, making it the largest “M” in the world. The landmark is set at a 45-degree angle, faces south and commemorates the area’s mining heritage. Visitors can see it all year.

How it began

The story dates to 1924, when Platteville’s engineering club wanted to take on the Colorado School of Mines. Colorado had already built an “M” on Mount Zion near its campus, and a friendly rivalry existed between the two schools. Then nothing happened for 12 years.

In the winter of 1936, engineering students Pat Medley and Alvin Knoerr climbed Platte Mound and stamped a giant “M” into the snow. Winter weather kept it intact long enough for people miles away to notice it. The prank was popular enough that plans for a permanent version were underway by the next year.

With the landowner’s permission and the university’s support, students began construction. The work took 400 tons of limestone and was finished in 1937. The letter has been maintained since then, with periodic upgrades such as cement, lime and fresh coats of whitewash.

In popular culture

The “M” appeared in the May 23, 1949, issue of Life magazine and has been lit with can lights on special occasions. In November 1987, 650 students gathered on the mound to form the logo of the music channel MTV. On July 4, 1998, Platteville became the only city in the country to host Disney’s Mickey’s Hometown Parade. To support the bid, members of the Platteville Jaycees recruited about 250 people, dressed them in black and arranged them into the shape of Mickey Mouse ears next to the “M.”

Those willing to make the climb can take more than 200 stairs to the top.