Helena

The Helena Valley was a transitional zone for a number of Native American tribes, including the Blackfeet, the Salish, the Crow, and the Bannock, with archaeological evidence indicating that people have been in the area for over 12,000 years. More recently, the Lewis and Clark expedition also crossed the valley while following the upper Missouri River in both 1805 and 1806.

After gold was discovered in “Last Chance Gulch” on Helena’s present-day main street in 1864, the city boomed and became known as the “Queen City of the Rockies.” Helena became the capital of Montana territory in 1875 and remained the capital when Montana became a state in 1888. Even as gold resources were depleted, Helena was able to transition out of mining and sustain a growing economy and population with the development of the Northern Pacific Railroad. In recent years, agriculture in the valley and outdoor recreation in the mountains, rivers, and nearby Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest has continued to grow and shape Helena.