HELENA, Mont., city and capital of the State and county-seat of Lewis and Clark County, on the Northern Pacific and the Great Northern railroads, about 70 miles north by east of Butte. The city is surrounded on all sides by the Rocky Mountains; on the south and west the mountains are within two miles of the city, while to the north there is a wide val ley between the city and the foothills, and the same condition exists on the east. The city is protected from severe wind storms, and in the winter season there is a difference between its temperature and that of the mountain coun try of from 10 to 20 degrees. The country tributary to Helena is rich in both mineral and agricultural resources. The mines are prin cipally gold-producing, while the products of the farms are cereals and the ordinary vege tables. Also tributary to the city are large areas devoted to the raising of cattle and horses, but this industry is gradually being re placed by diversified farming. Helena is the richest city tier capita not only in Montana but in the entire Rocky Mountain country. It is principally a city of homes; cattlemen, miners and others engaged in industries elsewhere in Montana make it their residence because of its church, school and social attractions.
The original of Helena was °Last Chance Gulch"; the town came into existence as a result of discoveries of placer.gold in 1864. by four prospectors, John S. Cowan, John Crab, D. J. Miller and Robert Stanley, who came from Alder Gulch, now Virginia City, in the southern part of the State. On 16 Tub/ 1864 they sunk two holes to bed rock and in each they found gold. It was the "Last Chance" that turned out favorably and that was the name of the camp until Helena was adopted. The news of the find spread; soon there were 500 men in the camp; such was the nucleus of the present capital.
The educational institutions are the public and parish schools, the Montana Wesleyan Uni versity (Methodist), Mount Saint Charles College, Saint Vincent Academy (Catholic) and the State, city and other libraries. Among the principal buildings are the government build ing, costing $500,000, State Capitol (cost, with the two new wings, $1,100,000), County Court house (cost, $100,000), High School building ($150,000), Saint Helena Cathedral ($400,000), Y. M. C. A. building ($115,000), and seven graded school buildings valued at $250,000. There are also Saint John's Hospital, Saint Peter's Hospital, Saint Joseph's Orphanage, House of the Good several fine churches, Masonic Home and the Odd Fellows' Home. All secret societies are well represented, the leading one being the Masonic fraternity which owns two temples. The city is noted for its clubs, the Montana, Lambs and Elk's being social organizations, and the Helena Com mercial Club one of the most active bodies in the West. On the Missouri River, 12 miles from Helena, are located the great power dams of the Montana Power Company, one being located at Canyon Ferry, one at Hauser Lake and one now in process of construction at Hol ter. These three dams furnish an aggregate of
110,000 horse power which is electrically trans mitted to Helena for operating street cars and lighting the city and for manufacturing purposes. Helena is the principal financial centre of the State and has the distinction of having the lar gest per capita bank deposits of any city in the country. It is also one of the mining centres of the State. The principal gold mines now working within three to eight miles of the city are the Franklin, The Scratch Gravel Gold Mining Company. The Eastern Belle Gold mining Company in the Scratch Gravel Dis trict, the Carbon Hill Mining and Milling Com pany and the Stem Winder Company in Grass Valley, The Whitlatch Union, The Butte and Helena Whitlatch and the Yellow Boy Mine. The districts tributary to Helena in which min ing is active are the Marysville district, the Rimini district, the Lump Gulch, Clancy, Wickes, Corbin, Radersburg, York, Winston, Hassel and Townsend districts, in all of which are producing mines. In the 20 years after the first discovery of gold $25,000,000 were taken from the ground on which is now located the business part of the city, and it is no un usual thing at the present time, when the foun dation for a new building is being prepared, to strike gold in the excavation. This was the case when the excavation was made for the Placer Hotel four years ago, the contractor for the work securing more than $1,000 from the bed rock on which the foundation is placed.
The government is of the commission form, being vested in a mayor and two councilmen who appoint all subordinate officials. The as sessed property valuation is about $15,000,000. Helena has one of the most extensive orna mental lighting systems in the State. Leading away in all directions to scenic points is a sys tem of splendidly constructed roads, notable among which are the Le Grande Canyon boule vard and the Transcontinental automobile route over Priest's Pass of the main range of the Rocky Mountains. Helena has been the capital of Montana since 1869. In that year the capital was removed by popular vote from Virginia City. After Montana was admitted as a State two elections were held for the perma nent location of the capital and in 1894 Helena was chosen. Its altitude is 4,200 feet. The climate is not severe, the locality having the distinction of possessing the longest season be tween frost and frost of any section of the State. The average temperature in January and February, the two coldest months in the year, is 20 degrees above zero, with little mois ture in the air. In summer the average tem perature is 75 degrees. Pop. 15,000.