Lewis & Clark

Helena, MT

In September 1887, the Helena Weekly Herald noted "nine first-class brick residences" under construction on South Rodney Street.

Helena, MT

A small L-shaped dwelling with a full-length front porch stood on this lot by 1875 according to an early bird's-eye map of Helena.

Helena, MT

An early one-story wooden dwelling stood here by 1884, replaced by 1888 with a two-story brick residence, set slightly back from the street.

Helena, MT

Gold drew not only miners to the camp at Last Chance Gulch, but also tradesmen and merchants such as George Doan, a mechanic from New York.

Helena, MT

The elegant Second Empire style, rare in Helena, is beautifully expressed in this three-story residence built circa 1880 during Helena’s...

Helena, MT

Mining required back breaking labor and, after the easy pickings were gone, substantial capital.

Helena, MT

Helena confectioner Frank Hepperdeizel and his wife, Lois, were the first owners of this beautiful Queen Anne MT NATIONAL REGISTER SIGN...

Helena, MT

Exquisite leaded and beveled glass, magnificent classical columns, a denticulated porch frieze, and arched windows with stenciled heads...

Helena, MT

A simple log dwelling stood on this lot in 1892.

Helena, MT

An open front porch frames the entry of this dwelling, built as a single family home in the early 1880s when the neighborhood was newly...

Helena, MT

A square shape, low-pitched roof, wide bracketed eaves, and heavy window crowns suggest that this Italianate style apartment building may...

Helena, MT

Two distinct front porches attest to the separate histories of these two nineteenth-century homes, combined into one in the late...

Helena, MT

Machinist Frank Hanry and his wife Mary are this well-preserved home’s first known owners.

Helena, MT

Downtown Helena expanded in the 1940s at its north end where there had previously been little development.

Helena, MT

Newlyweds Elizabeth and Jacob Adami left their native Germany and traveled by ship, rail, and finally stagecoach to boomtown Helena in 1872.

Helena, MT

Senator T. C. Power met A. C. Johnson in Chicago and, taking a liking to the young man, offered him a job out west.

Helena, MT

George and Anna Pascoe, both natives of England, moved to Helena from Butte in 1908.

Helena, MT

Wraparound porches, octagonal bays, a myriad of rich textures and ornamental details make this Queen Anne style home a true tapestry of...

Helena, MT

Charles Hendrie opened Helena’s first iron foundry on this site before 1868.

Helena, MT

An octagonal tower, decorative brickwork, one-story open porch, and hipped roof identify this appealing Queen Anne style residence built...

Helena, MT

Stonework of native limestone showcases the masonry skills of Barry Antich, who built this home for his wife Katie and their five...

Helena, MT

Established by the state legislature in 1901, Montana’s Board of Health was originally housed in two small offices in the capitol building.

Helena, MT

The 1895 legislative act that allowed construction of Montana’s state house included provisions for heating the building.

Helena, MT

Newlyweds Isaac Boyer and Carrie Feldberg Boyer moved to their new home within a year of their 1907 marriage.

Helena, MT

Longtime Helena saloon proprietor Michael Byrns, his wife Emma, and their daughter Mary were the first residents of this early West Side...

Helena, MT

The home of territorial Governor Benjamin Potts sat on this property from the 1870s until this grand residence was built for prominent...

Helena, MT

Pioneer capitalist Charles W. Cannon built this architectural gem for his bride, Catherine, in 1868.

Helena, MT

According to reminiscences of the Butts family, builders of the Pioneer Cabin next door, two cabins stood on this lot in 1865.

Helena, MT

Montana promoter and Helena businessman Charles A. Broadwater built this house in 1889, less than a year after he opened his opulent...

Helena, MT

Gold-seeking miners once turned the soil in this neighborhood, but when the gold played out, residential development began.

Helena, MT

William C. Child came to Montana from Iowa in 1870 as an agent for the Wells Fargo Express Company.

Helena, MT

John B. Sanford was born on a farm in Maine to Quaker parents.

Helena, MT

During the 1870s this neighborhood, like much of early Helena, was the site of extensive hydraulic mining operations.

Wolf Creek, MT

Pioneers, homesteaders, ranchers, veterans, and children are among the silent occupants who lie beneath the sod in this small, still...

Helena, MT

The Northern Pacific Railroad arrived in Helena in 1883, and the town boomed.

Helena, MT

Reputedly the first two-story building on Main Street and one of Helena’s few remaining structures dating to the 1860s, this stone...

Helena, MT

Locally quarried blue-gray granite complements the shingled upper stories in this commanding nineteenthcentury home.

Helena, MT

Lydia Jane English was recently widowed when she and her family moved into this substantial Italianate style residence, built in 1888.

Helena, MT

Since its completion in 1959, the Executive Residence has not only served as home for Montana’s first families, but also played an...

Helena, MT

Montana’s leading architectural firm of Link and Haire designed this attractive building for Charles George Eybel in 1922.

Helena, MT

A probate judge deeded brothers Anton and Martin Holter this property in 1872.

Helena, MT

Emphasizing balance, symmetry, and restraint, the Renaissance Revival style organizes large buildings into horizontal layers, with each...

Helena, MT

The Helena branch of the Federal Reserve Bank opened in 1921, the result of lobbying by Norman B. Holter and other farsighted local...

Helena, MT

A constant threat of fire during the 1870s prompted residents to move away from the gulch and settle in this outlying neighborhood.

Helena, MT

Entrepreneur T. H. Kleinschmidt was the original owner of this early Italianate style dwelling, built as investment property circa 1884.

Helena, MT

Helena’s Baptist congregation organized in 1880 under Reverend James T. Mason, who conducted services in the county’s first small...

Helena, MT

This magnificent structure was the second home of Montana Territory’s first bank, chartered in 1866.

Helena, MT

Outstanding architecture and a long history of community service make this stunning landmark much beloved.

Helena, MT

In 1865, Montana’s territorial legislature passed its first conservation law, limiting the capture of trout to rod or pole.

Helena, MT

In 1889, the year Montana became a state, the growing city of Helena realized its need for a cemetery in addition to the three sponsored...

Helena, MT

Rodney Street was prime residential real estate when developer Richard Lockey sold this lot to Francis Pope in 1872.

Helena, MT

Born in Germany and raised on a farm in Indiana, Bartholomew Gehring left home in 1862 at the start of the Civil War.

Helena, MT

St. Louis-born George Booker struck out on his own at 13, followed gold rushes to Pike’s Peak and Alder Gulch, and settled in Helena in...

Helena, MT

George and Esther Grossberg built this Craftsman style bungalow in the early 1920s.

Helena, MT

The Italianate style residence of pioneer businessman George Herrmann has long presided over the north slope of Tower Hill, commanding...

Helena, MT

The steamboat Alone brought Stephen Gilpatrick to Montana on the cusp of the 1863 gold rush to Alder Gulch.

Helena, MT

On July 16, 1928, a devastating fire swept between the Granite and Gold Blocks (note inscription, second story center).

Helena, MT

Territorial Governor Preston Leslie was a resident of this early Helena home, constructed in the late 1870s.

Helena, MT

Meriwether Lewis’s Masonic apron and an O. C. Seltzer mural depicting the first Masonic meeting in Montana are among the treasures...

Helena, MT

Property owner Hattie Haight hosted the Immanuel Mission of the First Baptist Church in this modest home from 1891 to 1893, catering to...

Helena, MT

The lure of gold drew miner James H. “Missouri Jim” Halford and his wife, Ellen, to Montana Territory in the mid 1860s.

Helena, MT

Danish immigrants Henry and Matilda Blase settled on this property in the 1880s.

Helena, MT

English immigrants Frances and Henry Hay came to Helena in the mid-1860s and were among the first to settle on West Main where Hay mined...

Helena, MT

Professor T. F. Campbell built a log cabin on this corner where he opened Helena’s first public school in 1865.

Helena, MT

Henry Sieben came to Montana a seventeen-year-old uneducated orphan and rose to pioneer Montana’s livestock industry.

Helena, MT

This appealing residence was an early addition to one of Helena’s first neighborhoods, completed circa 1880 and enlarged in 1884 by...

Helena, MT

Pioneer businessmen Anton and Martin Holter made fortunes in hardware, construction, mining investments, and real estate development.

Helena, MT

On a cold day in February, 1889, a small colony of Sisters of the Good Shepherd arrived in Helena from St. Paul, Minnesota.

Helena, MT

Contractors Anton and Martin Holter, who operated Helena’s first sawmill, built this frame residence as a rental investment in 1888.

Helena, MT

Helena architects Heinlein and Matthias designed this elegant European-style hotel, formerly the Windsor House.

Helena, MT

Stonemason Frank Jezick emigrated from Croatia in 1882, leaving behind his wife Mary and three children.

Helena, MT

In 1879, Jennie Atchison (sister of Montana’s first governor, Joseph Toole) moved from Missouri to Helena with her husband Dr. J. B....

Helena, MT

Lucy Healey kept house for her seven children in a small dwelling on this property during the 1870s.

Helena, MT

Historic maps of the South-Central neighborhood show that, by 1888, a substantial frame residence had been built atop this gentle knoll...

Helena, MT

In May of 1890, Montana’s first governor, Helena trial lawyer and territorial statesman Joseph Kemp Toole, brought his bride, Lilly, to...

Helena, MT

During his second term of office in 1903, Montana’s first governor J. K. Toole commissioned Eugene Fisk to build this magnificent home of...

Helena, MT

The western gold rushes not only lured miners but entrepreneurs seeking business opportunities.

Helena, MT

Prussian-born entrepreneur Theodore H. Kleinschmidt was 25 years old when he arrived in the gold camp of Virginia City, Montana, in 1864...

Helena, MT

This rare example of European half-timber construction in the midst of a Montana mining camp beautifully illustrates how pioneer...

Helena, MT

A small rectangular gabled dwelling built against a one-room log cabin stood on this spacious corner in the 1870s.

Helena, MT

In 1892, a small Chinese laundry was the sole occupant of the block’s south side.

Helena, MT

Much Montana history unfolded within this magnificent landmark, which served as both territorial capitol (18871888) and state capitol...

Helena, MT

Masterful stonework of local granite in the Romanesque style creates a somber effect in this 1890 institution.

Helena, MT

Concerns about communicable diseases and unsanitary slaughterhouse conditions prompted the creation of the Livestock Sanitary Board in 1907.

Helena, MT

Merchant-turned-real-estate-developer Richard Lockey built this three-story commercial building in partnership with Jacob Leiser in 1891.

Helena, MT

The flamboyant Second Empire style is exceptionally well articulated in this grand residence, showcasing the considerable talent of its...

Marysville, MT

Marysville’s Methodist Episcopal Church was built in 1886 by its congregation on land purchased from Thomas Cruse, who founded the town...

Helena, MT

Masons have been a dynamic force in Montana since early territorial days, playing key roles in events that shaped the state’s history.

Helena, MT

Shortly before the end of World War II, Governor Sam Ford urged the Montana State Legislature to create a commission to regulate the...

Helena, MT

Time stands still within the quiet confines of this nationally renowned social club, the oldest in the Northwest.

Helena, MT

Montana’s original Highway Department building reflects the ascendancy of the automobile in twentieth-century America.

Helena, MT

The statue atop the Capitol’s grand copper dome was a century-long mystery.

Helena, MT

An unknown yet gifted architect created this glorious three-story residence with its turret, pillars, intricate ornamentation, and...

Helena, MT

A modern brick veneer does not mask the original footprint of this early Helena home.

Helena, MT

This was one of five structures rebuilt after the disastrous lightning-sparked fire of 1928.

Helena, MT

The Olsen House was built in stages after Amelia Derrick Olsen purchased this property in 1874.

Helena, MT

Jacob Opp and his sons Lawrence and Arthur worked for the longtime undertaking firm of Herrmann and Company before opening their own...

Helena, MT

Montana’s Original Governor’s Mansion was built as a private residence for the William Chessman family in 1888, and was home to the Peter...

Helena, MT

Attention to detail distinguishes this one-story brick residence, designed in 1934 by Helena architect E. B. Benson.

Helena, MT

The stylish Courthouse Square neighborhood prospered in the 1880s, as evidenced by this fashionable two-andone-half-story boardinghouse...

Helena, MT

Wilson Butts followed the stampede to Last Chance Gulch in 1864, staked his claim here, and built a serviceable one-room cabin.

Helena, MT

The Northern Pacific finally extended its tracks to Helena in 1883, and the town became increasingly MT NATIONAL REGISTER SIGN TEXT 1990...

Helena, MT

Influential merchant and investor T. C. Power built his fortunes by controlling much of territorial Montana’s commerce and Indian trade.

Helena, MT

The Warren Street location of this substantial brick home, built by Helena businessman William Preuitt circa 1874, offered a bird’s eye...

Helena, MT

This well-preserved commercial structure illustrates Helena’s growth from mining camp to prosperous town.

Helena, MT

Pennsylvania brick mason Louis Reeder came to Helena in 1867 to practice his trade.

Helena, MT

Robert E. Fisk came to Montana with the 1866 Fisk Expedition organized by his famous wagon-master brother, James.

Helena, MT

Thomas K. Dane established a hotel on this corner in 1875 when Helena became the territorial capital.

Helena, MT

Small dwellings along this stretch of West Main Street housed miners and other boarders from the mid-1860s.

Helena, MT

The history of this magnificent home, one of the earliest of the great mansions built on Helena’s west side, is finely interwoven with...

Helena, MT

Frontier lawyer Wilbur Fisk Sanders established his reputation in 1863 by courageously prosecuting Virginia City’s most dangerous outlaws.

Helena, MT

Originally this was a one-story stone building erected in 1874 to accommodate the business of Morris and Julius Sands.

Helena, MT

The Algeria Shrine Temple, completed in 1921, was built by the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine both for their use...

Helena, MT

Montana Avenue was a wagon trail when the first students trekked across treeless pastures to class in 1888.

Helena, MT

Helena’s West Side blossomed on the heels of placer mining discoveries.

Helena, MT

In 1869, a small contingent of the Sisters of Charity journeyed to Helena by rail and stagecoach from their motherhouse at Leavenworth,...

Helena, MT

Fathers Kuppens and D’Aste of the Society of Jesuits built Helena’s first Catholic church here in 1866, predicting that “this rocky hill...

Helena, MT

Once connected to the old St. Louis Hotel on Jackson Street, this 1882 building in the heart of Helena’s original downtown displays the...

Helena, MT

Dwellings, bunkhouses, and stables dotted the hilltop during the 1880s, forming an extension of Louis Reeder’s MT NATIONAL REGISTER SIGN...

Helena, MT

Opportunity drew European Jewish immigrants to the gold camp at Last Chance where business and religion brought them together.

Helena, MT

Much of the great wealth that once came from Montana soil was melted and weighed in this dignified building, constructed in 1875.

Helena, MT

Politician John G. Winant wrote in 1936 that the Great Depression made Americans aware that there were no more frontiers.

Helena, MT

Broad proportions and a horizontal emphasis combine with natural colors to make this classic bungalow a handsome ambassador of that...

Helena, MT

Ferdinand and Caroline Wassweiler settled here in 1865 on 160 acres, operating a small hotel and bathhouse near this site.

Helena, MT

As early as 1866, Rodney Street was Helena’s primary north-south connection and thus supported a variety of early businesses.

Helena, MT

Englishman C.C. Thurston established a brickyard at this site in 1883.

Helena, MT

Enclosed within the walls of this distinguished residence is the one-story log cabin young Charles Bray built for himself during the 1880s.

Helena, MT

Small in scale but highly distinctive, this colorful Modern style office building is an eye-catching anchor at one of Helena’s busiest...

Helena, MT

Richard Hoback and C. W. Cannon platted this area from a dwindling placer claim called the California Bar.

Helena, MT

The free-wheeling territorial period was drawing to a close when this stylish Queen Anne style residence was built circa 1889.

Helena, MT

This early gable-front-and-wing residence was constructed in 1878 by postal clerk William F. Bishop for $2,000.

Helena, MT

Nineteenth-century charm is well preserved in this 1883 Queen Anne style residence, built by pioneer physician William L. Steele.

Wolf Creek, MT

In 1886-1887 the Montana Central Railroad wound its way through the steep Prickly Pear Canyon, an area prized for its superb trout fishing.

Helena, MT

Although modest compared to Helena’s imposing West Side mansions of a slightly later period, this wellpreserved home was very grand for...

Helena, MT

Only seven years after organizing, the Helena chapter of the Young Women’s Christian Association, Independent, opened this residential...