55-492: Herman Winter (1885 – January 28, 1959) was an American labor union leader. Born in Helena, Montana , Winter moved to Kansas City, Missouri at an early age. He became a baker, and joined the Bakery and Confectionery Workers International Union of America . In 1903, he was elected as secretary-treasurer of his union local, then in 1908, he was elected as business agent and chair of
110-400: A 48-car runaway freight train slammed into a parked train near Carroll College, setting off an explosion that blasted out windows up to three miles away, causing most of the city to lose power and forcing some residents to evacuate in subzero weather. With the mountains, Helena has much outdoor recreation, including hunting and fishing . Great Divide Ski Area is northwest of town near
165-425: A Black literary society. A Black police officer patrolled the town's wealthiest (white) neighborhood. But in the later 1900s new discriminatory laws, such as a ban on mixed marriages and the establishment of many sundown towns , along with the attendant racist attitudes that led to them drove many Blacks out not just Helena but the state, to the point that the city's Black population today is a small fraction of what it
220-458: A gold camp during the Montana gold rush , and established on October 30, 1864. Due to the gold rush, Helena became a wealthy city, with approximately 50 millionaires inhabiting the area by 1888. The concentration of wealth contributed to the city's prominent, elaborate Victorian architecture . At the 2020 census Helena's population was 32,091, making it the 5th least populous state capital in
275-453: A lone delegate to Congress as strictly an advisor to the U.S. House of Representatives; a territorial delegate was not permitted to vote. The territorial government was meant to provide a training ground for a future move to statehood, allowing time for an area's institutions to mature and populations to grow. The governor served a four-year term, unless removed by the President. Duties of
330-513: A male householder with no wife present, and 47.6% were non-families. 39.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.07 and the average family size was 2.77. The median age in the city was 40.3 years. 20.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.3% were from 25 to 44; 29.5% were from 45 to 64; and 15.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of
385-417: A number of settlers had come from Minnesota. Finally, a Scotsman, John Summerville, proposed Helena , which he pronounced / h ə ˈ l iː n ə / hə- LEE -nə , in honor of Helena Township, Scott County, Minnesota . This immediately caused an uproar from the former Confederates in the room, who insisted upon the pronunciation / ˈ h ɛ l ɪ n ə / HEL -i-nə , after Helena, Arkansas ,
440-567: A point formed by its intersection with the crest of the Rocky Mountains; thence following the crest of the Rocky Mountains northward till its intersection with the Bitter Root Mountains; thence northward along the crest of the Bitter Root Mountains to its intersection with the thirty-ninth degree of longitude west from Washington; thence along said thirty-ninth degree of longitude northward to the boundary line of British possessions. Upon
495-448: A prospector of Irish descent, discovered a massive gold deposit in the mountains, northwest of Helena. He soon filed a mining patent on 20.25 acres and opened the famous Drumlummon Mine which produced a rich bounty of gold and silver worth millions of dollars. By fall of 1864, the population had grown to over 200, and some thought the name "Last Chance" too crass. On October 30, 1864, a group of at least seven self-appointed men met to name
550-522: A town on the Mississippi River . While the name "Helena" won, the pronunciation varied until approximately 1882 when the / ˈ h ɛ l ɪ n ə / HEL -i-nə pronunciation became dominant. Later tales of the naming of Helena claimed the name came from the island of St. Helena , where Napoleon was exiled, or was that of a miner's sweetheart. Helena was surveyed by Captain John Wood in 1865 for
605-536: Is 205th in size, as defined by Nielsen Media Research , and is the fifth smallest media market in the nation. Nation: States: Territories: Montana Territory The Territory of Montana was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 26, 1864, until November 8, 1889, when it was admitted as the 41st state in the Union as the state of Montana . The Montana Territory
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#1732869327999660-473: Is named for him. Members of the expedition included Helena residents: By 1888 about 50 millionaires lived in Helena, more per capita than in any city in the world. They had made their fortunes from gold. It is estimated about $ 3.6 billion in today's money was extracted from Helena during this period of time. The Last Chance Placer is one of the most famous placer deposits in the western United States. Most of
715-408: Is to be demolished but will be rebuilt using the same methods as in its original construction. In 1889, railroad magnate Charles Arthur Broadwater opened his Hotel Broadwater and Natatorium west of Helena. The Natatorium was home to the world's first indoor swimming pool. Damaged in the 1935 Helena earthquake , it closed in 1941. The property's many buildings were demolished in 1976. Today,
770-410: Is usually absent from May to September, and normally accumulates in only light amounts. Winters have periods of moderation, partly due to warming influence from chinooks . Precipitation mostly falls in the spring and is generally sparse, averaging only 11.4 inches (290 mm) annually. The hottest temperature recorded in Helena was 105 °F (41 °C) on August 24, 1969, and July 15, 2002, while
825-745: The Continental Divide , Mount Helena City Park , Spring Meadow Lake State Park , Lake Helena , Helena National Forest , the Big Belt Mountains , the Gates of the Mountains Wilderness , Sleeping Giant Wilderness Study Area , Bob Marshall Wilderness , Scapegoat Wilderness , the Missouri River , Canyon Ferry Lake , Holter Lake , Hauser Lake , and the Elkhorn Mountains . According to
880-527: The Helena Civic Center are two of Helena's many significant historic buildings. Many working Helenans (approx. 18%) work for agencies of the state government. When in Helena, most people visit the local walking mall. It was completed in the early 1980s after Urban Renewal and the Model Cities Program in the early 1970s had removed many historic buildings from the downtown district. During
935-587: The Montana State Capitol was completed. Until the 1900 census , Helena was the most populous city in the state. That year it was surpassed by Butte (with a population of 30,470), where mining industry was developing. Among the settlers the city's prosperity attracted were Blacks fleeing racism in the South . Many found work in the mines or on the railroads and established a middle class that supported Black-owned businesses, Black churches , Black newspapers and
990-700: The United States and British Canada began arriving to work the streams of the Missouri River watershed looking for fur-bearing animals such as the beaver , undoubtedly bringing them through the area now known as the Helena Valley. Gold strikes in Idaho Territory in the early 1860s attracted many migrants who initiated major gold rushes at Grasshopper Creek ( Bannack ) and Alder Gulch ( Virginia City ) in 1862 and 1863 respectively. So many people came that
1045-490: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 16.39 square miles (42.45 km ), of which 16.35 square miles (42.35 km ) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km ) is water. Helena has a semi-arid climate ( Köppen BSk ), with long, cold and moderately snowy winters, hot and dry summers, and short springs and autumns in between. Snowfall has been observed in every month but July, but
1100-545: The ghost town of Marysville . Helena is also known for its mountain biking . It was officially designated as an International Mountain Bicycling Association bronze level Ride Center on October 23, 2013. Helena High School and Capital High School are public high schools in Helena School District No. 1. In 2017, Helena voters elected as mayor former Liberian refugee Wilmot Collins , who
1155-596: The 1861 map); however, the boundary between the Idaho Territory and the Montana Territory followed the Bitterroot Range north of 46°30′ north (as shown on the 1864 map). This change was due in part to Congress unifying the area with the creation of Idaho Territory in 1863, coupled with the subsequent political maneuvering of Sidney Edgerton , soon to be the first Territorial Governor of Montana, and his allies in
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#17328693279991210-527: The Broadwater Fitness Center stands just west of the Hotel & Natatorium's original location, complete with an outdoor pool heated by natural spring water running underneath it. Helena has been the capital of Montana Territory since 1875 and the state of Montana since 1889. Referendums were held in 1892 and 1894 to determine the state's capital; the result was to keep the capitol in Helena. In 1902,
1265-590: The Congress. They successfully implemented the boundary change that won the Flathead and Bitterroot valleys for Montana Territory. The Organic Act of the Territory of Montana defines the boundary as extending from the modern intersection of Montana , Idaho , and Wyoming at: The forty-fourth degree and thirty minutes of north latitude; thence due west along said forty-fourth degree and thirty minutes of north latitude to
1320-464: The Gulch", a wooden fire watch tower built in 1886. It still stands on Tower Hill overlooking the downtown district. The tower, built in 1874, replaced a series of observation buildings, the original being built in response to a series of devastating fires that swept through the early mining camp. On August 2, 2016, an arson attack severely damaged the tower and it was deemed structurally unstable. The tower
1375-652: The Kansas City Central Labor Union. In 1911, Winter was elected as vice-president of the international union, becoming secretary-treasurer in 1936, and president in 1943. In 1948, he was additionally elected as a vice-president of the American Federation of Labor (AFL). He retired from his posts with the Bakery Workers in 1950, but retained his AFL post, and when in 1955 it merged into the AFL-CIO , he
1430-691: The McHaffie and Indian Creek sites on opposite sides of the Elkhorn Mountains southeast of the Helena Valley show that people of the Folsom culture lived in the area more than 10,000 years ago. Before the introduction of the horse 300 years ago, and since, other native peoples, including the Salish and the Blackfeet , visited the area seasonally on their nomadic rounds. By the early 1800s, people of European descent from
1485-517: The Organic Act, prescribed a somewhat standard organization for the territorial government of Montana. It established executive, judicial, and legislative branches of government, however, the federal government held a dominant role in administering the new territory. Particularly, the Congress reserved the right to nullify any laws passed by the citizen-elected territorial legislature. The President of
1540-446: The President. Duties of the office included 1) the recording of all laws and proceedings of the legislative assembly and the acts of the governor, 2) the transmission of copies of the laws and journals of the legislative assembly to the President and the leaders of Congress, and 3) the transmission of executive proceedings and correspondence twice a year to the President. Importantly, the secretary also served as acting governor in case of
1595-417: The United States appointed the most powerful positions in the territory, including a governor, secretary of the territory, and three members of the territorial supreme court, with the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate . The citizens of the territory elected a legislative assembly, consisting of a Council and House of Representatives, which together created the laws for the territory. Citizens also elected
1650-647: The United States and the 6th most populous city in Montana. It is the principal city of the Helena Micropolitan Statistical Area , which includes all of Lewis and Clark and Jefferson counties; the MSA's population being 83,058 according to the 2020 Census. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record . The city is served by Helena Regional Airport (HLN). The Helena area was long inhabited by various indigenous peoples. Evidence from
1705-453: The allegations, as he believed that he could not win over a majority of the executive. The union was expelled from the AFL, and Winter thereby lost his vice-president post. He died early in 1959. Helena, Montana Helena ( listen ; / ˈ h ɛ l ə n ə / ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the seat of Lewis and Clark County . Helena was founded as
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1760-413: The city was $ 34,416, and the median income for a family was $ 50,018. Males had a median income of $ 34,357 versus $ 25,821 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 20,020. About 9.3% of families and 14.5% of the population were below the poverty line , including 16.4% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over. Helena has a long record of economic stability with its history as being
1815-539: The city was 48.0% male and 52.0% female. As of the census of 2000, there were 25,780 people, 11,541 households, and 6,474 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,840.7 people per square mile (710.7 people/km ). There were 12,133 housing units at an average density of 866.3 units per square mile (334.5 units/km ). The ethnic makeup of the city is 94.8% White, 0.2% African American, 2.1% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.4% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. 1.7% of
1870-447: The city was 93.3% White , 0.4% African American , 2.3% Native American , 0.7% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 0.6% from other races , and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.8% of the population. There were 12,780 households, of which 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.2% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.6% had
1925-702: The city. Fort Harrison is also home to Fort Harrison VA Medical Center , where many Helena-area residents work. Several school districts provide public education from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. Helena Public Schools has two components: Helena Elementary School District and Helena High School District. Almost all of Helena is in Helena Elementary School District and Helena High School District. A small portion extends into East Helena K-12 Schools . The Helena Elementary School District consists of 13 schools covering students from pre-kindergarten to 8th grade. There were 5,181 students enrolled in
1980-486: The coldest temperature recorded was −42 °F (−41 °C) on January 31, 1893, January 25, 1957, and February 2, 1996. See or edit raw graph data . As of the census of 2010, there were 28,190 people, 12,780 households, and 6,691 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,724.2 inhabitants per square mile (665.7/km ). There were 13,457 housing units at an average density of 823.1 units per square mile (317.8 units/km ). The racial makeup of
2035-705: The continental divide and east of the Bitterroot Range , which had been acquired by the United States in the Oregon Treaty , and originally included in the Oregon Territory . The part of the Oregon Territory that became part of Montana had been split off as part of the Washington Territory . The boundary between the Washington Territory and Dakota Territory was the Continental Divide (as shown on
2090-457: The death, removal, resignation, or absence of the governor from the territory. Dem Democratic Rep Republican The eligible citizens of Montana Territory voted for a delegate to Congress, electing them to a two-year term. The territorial delegate had a seat in the House of Representatives and, as any other representative, participated in debates, yet they did not have the right to vote. During
2145-533: The district during the 2021–2022 school year. The Helena High School District has two schools for students in 9th through 12th grade. Helena High School had 1,128 students enrolled for the 2021–2022 school year while Capital High School had 1,350. Helena's public library is the main branch of the Lewis & Clark Library. Branches are also in Augusta , East Helena , and Lincoln . Helena's Designated Market Area
2200-631: The establishment of the Wyoming Territory in 1868, an enclave of Dakota Territory known as Lost Dakota was accidentally created. This error was overlooked by the federal government until 1873, when it was annexed and thereby incorporated into Gallatin County , Montana. The Montana Territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Montana on November 8, 1889. The act of Congress of 1864 creating Montana, known as
2255-516: The federal government created a new territory called Montana in May 1864. The miners prospected far and wide for new placer gold discoveries. On July 14, 1864, the discovery of gold by a prospecting party known as the " Four Georgians " in a gulch off the Prickly Pear Creek led to the founding of a mining camp along a small creek in the area they called "Last Chance Gulch". In 1876, Thomas Cruse,
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2310-481: The first time. The original streets of Helena followed the paths of miners, thus making the city blocks of Early Helena various sizes and shapes. In 1870, Henry D. Washburn , having been appointed Surveyor General of Montana in 1869, organized the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition in Helena to explore the regions that would become Yellowstone National Park . Mount Washburn , within the park,
2365-484: The next decade, a three-block shopping district was renovated that followed the original Last Chance Gulch. A small artificial stream runs along most of the walking mall to represent the underground springs that originally flowed above ground in parts of the Gulch. The Archie Bray Foundation , an internationally renowned ceramics center founded in 1952, is just northwest of Helena, near Spring Meadow Lake. A significant train wreck occurred on February 2, 1989, in which
2420-402: The office included 1) the faithful execution of the laws, 2) to serve as the commander-in-chief of the militia, and 3) to serve as the superintendent of Indian affairs. The governor also had to approve or veto laws within three days of passage by the territorial legislative assembly. Dem Democratic Rep Republican The secretary of the territory served a four-year term, unless removed by
2475-431: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 11,541 households, out of which 27.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.9% were non-families. 37.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size
2530-399: The production occurred before 1868. Much of the placer is now under Helena's streets and buildings. This large concentration of wealth was the basis of developing fine residences and ambitious architecture in the city; its Victorian neighborhoods reflect the gold years. The numerous miners also attracted the development of a thriving red light district . Among the well-known local madams
2585-488: The rest of the state. Education is a major employer, with two high schools and accompanying elementary and middle schools for K–12 students as well as Helena College . Major private employers within the city of Helena include Carroll College and the medical community. Helena's economy is also bolstered by Fort William Henry Harrison , the training facility for the Montana National Guard , located just outside
2640-477: The state capital and being founded in an area rich in silver and lead deposits. However, this situation has resulted in a slow growing economy. Its status as capital makes it a major hub of activity at the county, state, and federal level. According to the Helena Area Chamber of Commerce, the capital's median household income is $ 50,889, and its unemployment rate stood at 3.8% in 2013, about 1.2% lower than
2695-399: The town, authorize the layout of the streets, and elect commissioners. The first suggestion was "Tomah", a word the committee thought had connections to the local Indian people. Other nominations included Pumpkinville and Squashtown (as the meeting was held the day before Halloween ). Other suggestions were to name the community after various Minnesota towns, such as Winona and Rochester, as
2750-401: Was Josephine "Chicago Joe" Airey , who built a thriving business empire between 1874 and 1893, becoming one of Helena's largest and most influential landowners. Helena's brothels were a successful part of the local business community well into the 20th century, ending with the 1973 death of Helena's last madam, "Big Dorothy" Baker . Helena's official symbol is a drawing of "The Guardian of
2805-408: Was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.83. In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.4% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males. The median income for a household in
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#17328693279992860-406: Was described as "regarded as a kind of father-confessor by those now in the leadership". In 1957, the Bakery Workers union split over allegations of corruption by its president, James G. Cross. Winter argued that the allegations should be investigated, but had not been correctly raised with the union executive or conference. However, Curtis Sims counterclaimed that Winter had advised him not to raise
2915-889: Was in the early 20th century. In 1916, the United Daughters of the Confederacy commissioned the construction of the Confederate Memorial Fountain in Hill Park. It was the only Confederate memorial in the Northwestern United States . The fountain was removed on August 18, 2017, after the Helena City Commission deemed it a threat to public safety following a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The Cathedral of Saint Helena and
2970-522: Was organized out of the existing Idaho Territory by Act of Congress and signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln on May 26, 1864. The areas east of the Continental Divide had been previously part of the Nebraska Territory and Dakota Territory and had been acquired by the United States in the Louisiana Purchase . The territory also included a portion of the Idaho Territory west of
3025-542: Was widely reported to be Helena's first black mayor. The Independent Record reported contested research indicating that in the early 1870s one E. T. Johnson, listed in the city directory as a black barber from Washington D.C., had been elected mayor, before Helena became an incorporated town. Helena is located at 46°35′45″N 112°1′37″W / 46.59583°N 112.02694°W / 46.59583; -112.02694 (46.595805, −112.027031), at an altitude of 4,058 feet (1,237 m). Surrounding features include
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