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The town of Helena was born on a warm July evening in 1864, when four prospectors discovered gold along the banks of a rippling mountain stream they named "Last Chance." By the following summer, the strike was legend. Gold miners flocked to the diggings from all over the land. . . .

In addition to the miners, who dreamed of digging their fortunes out of the ground, came others hoping to make their fortunes off the miners. The clang of the blacksmith's anvil, bang of the carpenter's hammer, and cries of auctioneers and shopkeepers soon rang throughout the gulch. By 1870 there were hundreds of businesses in Helena, and the burgeoning downtown, which sprouted at the foot of what is now State Street, soon stretched for blocks in all directions.

Early businesses were located in log cabins, and soon sawmills were milling lumber to add false fronts to the early shops. But these clustered wooden buildings were vulnerable to fire, and several major blazes ravaged Helena during its first decade. Shopowners began to use brick and stone for most remodelling and new construction, transforming Helena from a ramshackle mining camp to a dapper young town. Although early buildings were often rather modest and functional, most builders found ways to add decorative touches and give them more class.

Helena lies near the heart of Montana's goldfields, and the town became a point of exchange for goods coming by steamboat through Fort Benton on the Missouri River, and silver and gold being hauled out of the mountains. Helena's importance rose as other Montana mines played out, and in 1875, the territorial capitol was moved from Virginia City to this thriving commercial center. By 1880, the settled population of Helena grew to over 3,000 residents. The Northern Pacific Railroad's first train pulled into town in 1883, strengthening the connections between the territorial capitol and the outside world. The railroad's long-awaited arrival was a tremendous boon to Helena, and within a few short years, the town's population quadrupled.

Helena's economy skyrocketed. Merchants, delirious with success, erected lavish business blocks, often named in their honor. The exuberance of the popular Victorian architectural styles embodied the unbridled optimism and prosperity of the day.

Examples of Gothic Revival, Romanesque, and French Second Empire architecture all appeared in Helena, along with many buildings which combined the different styles. A number of talented architects worked in Helena during this period, including some whose work later received national recognition. As the profile of tall buildings cut into the skyline, and modern conveniences like electricity, telephones and trolley cars became commonplace, the "Queen City of the Rockies" came of age.

This properous atmosphere was short-lived however, for Helena's "golden years" ground to a halt with the Panic of 1893. Sparked by federal curtailment of annual silver purchases, the ensuing depression sent Helena and other mining communities across the West into a tailspin. The town never regained the momentum it once had, and in time the freewheeling profit of the goldfields gave way to a more stable economy that revolved around the affairs of state government.

Although the downtown grew slowly over the decades that followed, through the twentieth century it continued to change. During the past ninety years many fine buildings, parks, and a walking mall have been built, while flames, earthquake tremors, and the iron ball of urban renewal have all taken a toll on historic downtown buildings. All of these factors have changed the Victorian face of the city, and given us the downtown we know today.

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Free copies of The Heart of Helena: A Historical Tour
are available at the Downtown Helena Business Improvement District (447-1535).