HELENA (hel'-e-na), the capital city of Montana, U.S.A., the county seat of Lewis and Clark county; near the centre of the western part of the State, at the eastern foot of the Continental Divide. It is on Federal highway 91; is served by the Great Northern and the Northern Pacific railways ; and has a municipal airport. The population was 12,037 in 1920 and was 11,803 in 1930 by Federal census.
Helena is delightfully situated, at an altitude of 3,955ft. in the hollow of the Prickly Pear valley, a rich agricultural region sur rounded by rolling hills and lofty mountains. It is an important touring centre. Mt. Helena forms a background for the city. The State capitol has a fine site, with open country in two directions. In the State library are files of scarce old newspapers and other valuable material on the early history of the region. Mt. St. Charles college for men (Roman Catholic) was established in 1909. Intermountain Union college was formed in 1923 by the consolidation of the College of Montana (Presbyterian; estab lished in 1878 at Deer Lodge) and Montana Wesleyan college (Methodist; established at Helena in 1889). There is a U.S. assay office in Helena. At East Helena (pop. 1920, 1,109) are quartz crushers and smelters and a large zinc reduction plant of the Anaconda Mining company (built in 1927).
Gold was discovered in Last Chance Gulch, now the main street of Helena, in July 1864. About the same time silver-bearing lead ores were found 20m. S.E., and a little later gold-bearing quartz veins were found 5m. S. On Oct. 3o, 1864, a town was organized, which within two years had a population of 7,500. Gold to the value of $16,000,000 was taken from the gravel of Last Chance Gulch, mostly before 1868. By 1870 the placers were exhausted, and a period of stagnation set in, lasting until the Northern Pacific railway reached this point. On July 4, 1883, the first regular train left the city, carrying 1,000,0oo1b. of silver bullion. The total yield of gold, silver, lead and copper has totalled between $150,000,000 and $200,000,000. Helena was burned down in 1869 and in 1874. It was made the capital of the Territory in 1874 and in 1881 was chartered as a city.