Helena, Montana

Helena, Montana, is often called the "Queen City of the Rockies." Founded during the mini-gold rush of 1864, when gold was found in Last Chance Creek, the city quickly grew from a crime-ridden boomtown to a prosperous settlement. Home to fifty millionaires by 1888, Helena's rapid growth was attributed to its compelling combination of a vibrant economy and Old West character. Today, the city remains much the same, still attracting residents with a thriving economy, beautiful nineteenth-century architecture, and many museums and events that recall and preserve its gold mining heritage.

Landscape

Helena sprang up alongside the meandering Last Chance Creek shortly after gold was discovered along the banks of the creek in 1864. Its location in the center of Montana served the city well as a supply distribution point and state capital seat when the gold rush ended. Helena is located in a rolling, grassy valley that is part of the Rocky Mountain Region of the state. Surrounding the valley are foothills covered with pine, fir, and other predominantly coniferous trees.

The city, which has an area of only 14 square miles, sits in the middle of National Forest Service land at an elevation of 4,157 feet. Towering to the west of the city are the Rocky Mountains. Helena is located just 8 miles from the continental divide. There are no rivers or streams that run through Helena, although the Missouri river runs near the city, and there are several very popular lakes nearby.

Helena's climate is moderate, with four distinct seasons. The predominant weather pattern is sunny, dry and clear due to the fact that the city sits in a rain shadow. Snow melts rather quickly during the winter, and although the average snowfall per year is 37.2 inches, the snow does not sit on the valley floor for very long. According to 2023 data from the National Weather Service, high temperatures in July average about 84 degrees Fahrenheit, with lows in the low 50s. Helena's temperatures in January average 35.3 degrees and reach an average low of 15 degrees. As is the case in many places, climate change has negatively impacted the city, with an increase in the threat of wildfires, earlier snowmelt, and reduced stream flows.

People

As of 2022, the United States Census Bureau estimated the population of Helena to be 33,885. The population jumps to more than 86,000 if you include the nearby surrounding areas that are outside the small city limits. The major ethnic groups in Helena are White (88.1 percent of the population) and American Indian and Alaska Native (1.4 percent). The Black and Asian population can be numbered at less than 1 percent each. The same census reports those who identify as Hispanic or Latino at 4.5 percent of the population.

Helena offers its residents several festivals and events that celebrate the city's heritage. Each July, the four-day East Helena Rodeo is held. Marketed as a "complete rodeo," the event prides itself on being true to the Old West style. Downtown Helena celebrates its cultural heritage in the spring with weekly art walks, a farmer's market, and an annual music festival that is held every year during the last weekend in June. Along with a wide variety of musical performers and styles, the festival features artists, craft booths, food vendors, and street performers.

Economy

During the mid to late 1800s, the economy of the city was almost entirely dependent on its role as a supply base for travelers on the Oregon Trail and prospectors looking for gold. Money flowed into the city, for the Last Chance Placer was extremely lucrative. (The Last Chance Placer was the source of "placer" or alluvial gold that originated in rock formations but has been moved by either water or glaciers, settling in soil or sediment.) Prospecting helped produce financial success, and many of those who had hit gold elsewhere were also attracted to the city. By 1888, Helena was the home of fifty millionaires, the highest number per capita than anywhere in the world. A railroad had been built in 1883 and Helena prospered, becoming the state capital in 1894.

The Panic of 1893, along with the eventual decline of the Last Chance Placer, had a sobering effect on the city. The economy slowed, and the downtown area declined. Gambling and prostitution were rampant, and the city and its economy went downhill for many decades. In the 1960s, an urban renewal took place. Brothels and gambling halls were closed, and new offices took their place. Slowly, the economy began to recover, aided by the fact that, as the state capital, there were many government jobs available.

In the 1990s, a new and ambitious downtown revival project began. Today, a pedestrian mall dominates the downtown area. The beautiful setting includes public art, coffee shops, bookstores, and specialty shops. Nineteenth-century buildings that were not destroyed in the raids during the 1960s have been restored, and as a result, the city's economy has improved.

While the city of Helena itself is not a tourist attraction, many tourists come through the city on their way to experiencing outdoor activities in the state. While this does serve to boost the economy, the biggest employer of the city is the state government. The majority of businesses in Helena employ fewer than 100 people. Therefore, the economy of Helena is driven by small businesses and government agencies. As in the past, Helena also remains a center for providing and transporting supplies to nearby ranchers, miners, and farmers.

Landmarks

While there are many cities in the west that started as humble mining towns, Helena is unique because of its nineteenth-century architecture. The city's architecture reflects the financial success of its nineteenth-century residents, who built lavish mansions, office buildings and churches--the most elaborate being the St. Helena Cathedral. The original Governor's mansion was built in the Queen Anne style, and has pain painstakingly restored, as well as the state capital building, which is of the Greek Renaissance style.

Helena also offers its residents several museums and outings that celebrate the city's heritage. The Montana historical society has a museum in Helena that catalogs the history of the state, much of which is centered in Helena. To learn more of Helena's history, the city also offers the Last Chance Tour Train, which presents a one-hour tour of Helena's history.

The city's largest park is Mount Helena, which covers 630 acres and rises 1,000 feet above the city. The park includes hiking and biking trails, as well as other recreational areas. Another popular park is Memorial Park, which features a band shell and public swimming pool.

Visitors who wish to see the original site of the "Four Georgians" gold discovery will be disappointed, as the Last Chance stream and gulch are now buried far beneath the street that bears its name. Still, it is possible to stroll along the street, which follows the path of the original stream, and ends at the pedestrian mall, where you can visit a restored pioneer cabin and view an impressive display of gold. Surrounding the pioneer cabin is Reeder's Alley, which is a restored miner's village.

History

Helena is located on land very near the Oregon Trail. Although homesteaders and prospectors occasionally passed by on the trail, the area was not a popular place to settle. There were no supply camps or Army outposts nearby. All that changed quickly with the lucrative gold strike in 1863 in Alder Gulch in southwestern Montana. Prospectors started coming to the state, drawn by the promise of riches. In 1864, a group of four men known as the "Four Georgians" (due to the fact that they were reportedly all from Georgia), stopped to look for gold along a creek before heading back to Alder Gulch. The stop was meant to be a quick, casual look for "color;" the last stop on their way back to where the real gold was, which is how the name "Last Chance Creek" came about.

The four men found a placer, or alluvial gold, at the surface and along the banks of the creek and most particularly in the gulch. The placer made them rich, and they eventually went back east with their money. Others, however, flocked to the town, then called "Crabtown," after one of the four Georgians, and a mining town was born. In less than one year, the population of the rough town numbered over 3,000 people. Later, the name was changed to something more appealing: Helena.

Between 1869 and 1870, two large fires swept through the town. Although a wooden observation tower was built in 1870, it failed to stop three more devastating fires from occurring during the next four years. In 1886, a more substantial watchtower was built. Nicknamed the "Guardian of the Gulch," it still stands today and is a popular tourist attraction.

In 1875, Helena became the capital of Montana territory. By 1888, the city had changed dramatically from a rough-and-tumble miner's settlement to a relatively peaceful and prosperous enclave of upscale shops and millionaire mansions.

In 1889, Montana became a state, and in 1894, Helena was officially named its capital. The town continued to grow and prosper until the Panic of 1893, at which time miners stopped coming to the area, and the demand for and trading of ranching and farming supplies leveled off. Helena slowly returned to its roots, becoming a strange combination of government workers and rough-edged gamblers, both served by a great number of brothels and gambling halls. Many of these facilities shared space with government offices in the stunning and lavish buildings that were built just a few years prior. The city's decline continued for decades until the 1960s, when many of the historic buildings were razed in an attempt to clean up and rid the downtown area of undesirable and illegal activities.

The downtown area of Helena remained vacant until the late 1980s and early 1990s, when many projects were undertaken to revitalize the area. A pedestrian mall was built, and Reeder's Alley was restored, as was the original governor's mansion and St. Helena's Cathedral.

As of 2023, more than fifty percent of Helena's population has a college degree and primarily works in service industries and government agencies. The stable economy, natural beauty, and low cost of living of the area continue to attract people wanting to settle in the West, just as they did more than two hundred years ago.

Trivia

• The fight for the designation of Montana's state capital was waged between two millionaires and copper kings, Marcus Daly (advocating for Anaconda) and William A. Clark (pushing for Helena). The two had been business rivals, and the fight over the location of the state capital was another in a series of battles between the two men. In the course of the political contest, the two spent over $3 million, with William Clark and Helena succeeding by a couple thousand votes.
• It is against the law to throw something across a street in Helena.
• There are more moose, antelope, and elk in Montana than there are people.

“Helena, MT.” Census Reporter, censusreporter.org/profiles/16000US3035600-helena-mt/. Accessed 21 Feb. 2024.

“NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data.” National Weather Service, www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=TFX. Accessed 21 Feb. 2024.

“QuickFacts: Helena City, Montana.” US Census Bureau, www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/helenacitymontana/. Accessed 21 Feb. 2024.

“Resolutions of the City of Helena, Montana.” City of Helena, 26 June 2017, www.helenamt.gov/files/assets/helena/v/1/government/departments/public-works/documents/res‗‗20347‗-‗climate‗change‗reaffirmation.pdf. Accessed 21 Feb. 2024.