City of Mountains and Gulches: Helena, Montana

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Our first views of Helena Photo, Helena, Montana

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Montana's capital city lies at the southern end of a long valley. The Big Belt Mountains lie east, Rocky Mountain ranges and peaks west and north. Mt. Helena, which is also a city park, looms 1300 feet above the city. We approach Helena on the I-15, past the aptly named Gates of the Mountains. There the Missouri River narrows between thousand-foot dark limestone cliffs before opening up again. Our first view of Helena below in its valley, dwarfed by big clouds and massive mountains, glittering in afternoon sunlight, is a breathtaking highlight. Helena National Forest's one million acres lie east, south, and west of Helena Valley. A vast wilderness complex, the Bob M...Read More

Montana's capital city lies at the southern end of a long valley. The Big Belt Mountains lie east, Rocky Mountain ranges and peaks west and north. Mt. Helena, which is also a city park, looms 1300 feet above the city. We approach Helena on the I-15, past the aptly named Gates of the Mountains. There the Missouri River narrows between thousand-foot dark limestone cliffs before opening up again. Our first view of Helena below in its valley, dwarfed by big clouds and massive mountains, glittering in afternoon sunlight, is a breathtaking highlight.

Helena National Forest's one million acres lie east, south, and west of Helena Valley. A vast wilderness complex, the Bob Marshall, stretches down to Helena from the north. Moose, elk, black bears, mountain goats and bighorn sheep abound in surrounding forests and mountains, and deer come down to browse on residential lawns. Flowing east of Helena, the Missouri River is subdued by three hydro-electric dams, Canyon Ferry, Hauser, and Holter, forming lakes of the same names.

Since at least 12,000 years ago, Blackfeet, Bannock, Salish and Crow tribes hunted, camped, and traveled through Helena Valley. In 1864, Helena's founders, known as the Four Georgians made a fortuitous find of high quality gold nuggets, prospecting in a gulch on top of which downtown Helena now stands. Named Last Chance Gulch because they were about to give up, they got lucky instead. So began the boom that created Helena. Over the next four years, Last Chance and other placers produced at least .5 million (though figures vary widely).

Visiting Last Chance Gulch is like finding a hidden treasure. It's tucked away in a narrow canyon with more streets veering around it than going into it, so it's a bit of a challenge actually getting there. Main Street IS Last Chance Gulch, so follow it as far south as you can until it turns into a pedestrian mall. Then look for a parking place and get out and walk. Wandering around in the gulch is an adventure in itself.

St. Helena Cathedral, the State Capitol Building, and extensive Mansion Districts are the man-made crown jewels in the Queen City.

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Brewhouse Pub and Grille

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Restaurant | "Brewhouse Pub & Grille"

Brewhouse Pub and Grille Photo, Helena, Montana

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Food Fun Beer = Us reads the marquee under the Brewhouse Pub & Grille sign. Behind it stands a ridged metal gray malt silo. We spied this busy brewhouse and eatery on one of our first days in Helena, and ended up eating there twice: once for a snack and a beer, another time for dinner. They're connected to, actually on top of, Lewis and Clark Brewery, and you can view the shiny tanks and fermentation vessels in the brewery below,when seated in the bar area. Not only that, but also you can read on the back of their beer menu exactly how they craft their product: from the cracking of the malt, to the lautering of the wort, to the boiling in of the hops.The bar was where we ni...Read More

Food Fun Beer = Us reads the marquee under the Brewhouse Pub & Grille sign. Behind it stands a ridged metal gray malt silo. We spied this busy brewhouse and eatery on one of our first days in Helena, and ended up eating there twice: once for a snack and a beer, another time for dinner. They're connected to, actually on top of, Lewis and Clark Brewery, and you can view the shiny tanks and fermentation vessels in the brewery below,when seated in the bar area. Not only that, but also you can read on the back of their beer menu exactly how they craft their product: from the cracking of the malt, to the lautering of the wort, to the boiling in of the hops.

The bar was where we nibbled on Brewhouse's highly touted Maui chips - homemade potato chips with a seasoned dipping sauce, that complemented Bob's pint of Firetower amber, and my pint of Tumbleweed IPA. Even though it was mid-afternoon about halfway between lunch and dinner, the Brewhouse wasn't lacking for customers. Some were finishing a late lunch in the sun on the deck out back, which overlooks the nicely landscaped Great Northern Town Center. The tasty snack and quality beer decided us to come back again.

Several days later we returned during Happy Hour (two-for-one pints) to try the seasonal Octoberfest lager, and order some beer battered onion rings to accompany our brews, with a couple of delicious dipping sauces, creamy ranch and a mustardy one. The beer was great, but the rings a bit too done for our taste (more brown than golden-brown), however, quite flavorful . For the main course, we split the $7.95 special, a succulent hot "porkie" sandwich topped with lettuce, red onion and tomato, in a bun, with sides of tossed green salad, and bowl of hearty potato-cheese soup. Brewhouse's menu also includes burgers, pizza, steak, and seafood.

Going to the bathroom after dinner was an unexpected treat. The spotlessly clean well-lit (big frosted windows) good-sized room was painted a gorgeous shade of intense blue contrasting with white beneath, with classy and amusing prints hung on the walls.

This hangout seems to be a favorite of college students (Carroll College is right across the street) as well as locals. The two times we ate there, it was buzzing.

939 1/2 Getchell Street
Phone: (406) 457-9390
Located in the Great Northern Town Center, just off of Euclid Avenue by the Lewis & Clark Brewery. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on October 7, 2007

Brewhouse Pub and Grille
939 1/2 Getchell Street
Helena, Montana 59601
(406) 457-9390

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Riley's Irish Pub

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Restaurant

Riley's Irish Pub Photo, Helena, Montana

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Once we finally found Last Chance Gulch, which is rather hidden in Helena's oldest section, one of the first places that caught our eye was Riley's Irish Pub, on the ground floor of a historic old building. We checked it out, we liked what we saw, and we proceeded to work up our appetites exploring the Gulch before dinner.We were ready for eats when we returned several hours later. Both of us ordered the Wednesday night special, what a deal! For $9.95 apiece, we got hot delicious Irish pasties, nicely spiced and chunky chips, and two 9-ounce beers apiece, sampling four different brews between the two of us. Pasties are the quintessential meal-in-a-pie, filled with meat, potatoes, and ...Read More

Once we finally found Last Chance Gulch, which is rather hidden in Helena's oldest section, one of the first places that caught our eye was Riley's Irish Pub, on the ground floor of a historic old building. We checked it out, we liked what we saw, and we proceeded to work up our appetites exploring the Gulch before dinner.

We were ready for eats when we returned several hours later. Both of us ordered the Wednesday night special, what a deal! For $9.95 apiece, we got hot delicious Irish pasties, nicely spiced and chunky chips, and two 9-ounce beers apiece, sampling four different brews between the two of us. Pasties are the quintessential meal-in-a-pie, filled with meat, potatoes, and veggies.

There's some controversy about the origin of the pastie. Most sources state they were invented in Cornwall, England by miners' wives as a nutritious easily packed meal-in-one their husbands brought down into the mines with them to eat for lunch. Most Irish pubs that serve them, however, contend that these delicious little pies were first baked by Irish Catholic priests, and were later brought down to England by the Irish.

The Riley Coat of Arms hanging over the entry door is colorful but not that appetizing. Two rampant lions are holding up a red hand dripping blood, which is indeed the heraldic crest of the Riley or O'Reilly family of County Cavan. The interior of the pub is classic and classy, with lots of rich dark grainy wood, austere but comfortable furnishing, upholstered in greens and maroons. Our cozy booth and the surrounding interior had a distinctly European feel.

Traditional Irish dishes such as Irish stew and corned beef and cabbage are featured, in addition to appetizers, soups, salads, burgers, and sandwiches. Quality Irish brews and ales as well as local ones are on tap.

15W 6th Avenue
(406) 495-9067 Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on October 7, 2007

Riley's Irish Pub
P.O. Box 293
Helena, Montana 59624
(406) 495-9067

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Montana State Capitol

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Attraction

Montana State Capitol Photo, Helena, Montana

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After 25 years as a territory, Montana became the 41st state in 1889. Though Helena had been the territorial capital, there was bitter contention between copper kings in Anaconda and Helena about which of those two cities would gain title to state capital. Helena won, and the attractive Greek neoclassical capitol building was constructed between 1899 and 1902. Its Montana sandstone exterior is topped by a massive copper dome.A bronze statue of Lady Liberty stands atop the dome. Directly in front of the capitol stands a statue of a man on horseback, waving a sword high in the air. This is Thomas Francis Meagher, a fighting Irish revolutionary, exiled from his motherland to Tanzania as ...Read More

After 25 years as a territory, Montana became the 41st state in 1889. Though Helena had been the territorial capital, there was bitter contention between copper kings in Anaconda and Helena about which of those two cities would gain title to state capital. Helena won, and the attractive Greek neoclassical capitol building was constructed between 1899 and 1902. Its Montana sandstone exterior is topped by a massive copper dome.

A bronze statue of Lady Liberty stands atop the dome. Directly in front of the capitol stands a statue of a man on horseback, waving a sword high in the air. This is Thomas Francis Meagher, a fighting Irish revolutionary, exiled from his motherland to Tanzania as a young man. Finding his way to the Americas, he soon became major of a Union Irish brigade in the Civil War. After the war, he was appointed governor of Montana Territory. He drowned in the Missouri River under suspicious circumstances at age 43.

Moving inside, the Rotunda is gleaming and spacious, with tall scagliola columns and frescoed dome typical of Renaissance style. Four circular paintings depict images of frontier Montana: Indian, cowboy, prospector, and trapper. We arrived too late for the last organized hourly tour, but we were encouraged to take the self-guided tour, and we were given a paper that explained step-by-step where to go and what to see.

Two sculptures can be seen standing together on the third-floor balcony. Montana Democrat Senator Mike Mansfield, longest serving majority leader (1961-1977), and U.S. ambassador to Japan (1977-1988), holds a pipe in his hand, while his wife, Maureen, stands by his side. College-educated Maureen persuaded Mike, a high school dropout and underground copper miner, to further his education and go into politics. Mike Mansfield was a strong supporter of diplomatic and economic means of conflict resolution. He died a month after 9/11, at age 98.

The capitol is a veritable art museum, with other statues, busts, and original Charlie Russell and Edgar Paxson paintings on display in the Old Supreme Court, Senate, and House of Representatives wings. One notable statue, found on the second floor landing, depicts Jeanette Rankin, teacher, suffragette, and first woman elected to U.S. Congress (1916), a Republican pacifist in the House of Representatives.

Ascending the grand stairway and turning left will lead you to the Old Supreme Court, which became a committee hearing room in 1983. It contains wonderful original paintings and stained glass ceiling. On the right side of the Rotunda, upstairs is the Senate, which convenes every other year for 90 days. Continue on down the hallway to the House lobby and chambers. The painting above the House rostrum is by many considered to be one of Charlie Russell's finest: Lewis and Clark Meeting the Indians at Ross Hole.

Location: 1301 East Sixth Avenue
Phone: (406) 444-4789 Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on October 7, 2007

Montana State Capitol
1301 East Sixth Avenue
Helena, Montana

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Saint-Helena Cathedral

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Saint-Helena Cathedral Photo, Helena, Montana

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One cannot fail to notice the Gothic spires of St. Helena Cathedral from almost anywhere in Helena. Those 230 foot tall narrow twin spires are compelling. They draw Bob and me up the hill to get a closer look one of our first days in town. The red tiled roofs and smooth pale gray Bedford limestone walls glow in afternoon sunlight. The cathedral itself seems to aspire heavenward, with everything in its architecture pointing, almost yearningly, upward to the sky. We wander around outside, admiring the cathedral from different angles.This intricate and airy geometric Gothic Revival cathedral, designed by architect A. Von Herbulis, is patterned after the Votivkirche in Vienna. The hillto...Read More

One cannot fail to notice the Gothic spires of St. Helena Cathedral from almost anywhere in Helena. Those 230 foot tall narrow twin spires are compelling. They draw Bob and me up the hill to get a closer look one of our first days in town. The red tiled roofs and smooth pale gray Bedford limestone walls glow in afternoon sunlight. The cathedral itself seems to aspire heavenward, with everything in its architecture pointing, almost yearningly, upward to the sky. We wander around outside, admiring the cathedral from different angles.

This intricate and airy geometric Gothic Revival cathedral, designed by architect A. Von Herbulis, is patterned after the Votivkirche in Vienna. The hilltop site was purchased by the Catholic Diocese of Helena in 1905, and the cornerstone for the cathedral laid in 1908, but it wasn't until December 1914 that the first Mass was held, and the cathedral dedicated. It would be another ten years before the interior, including the stained glass windows, was completed.

Bob and I climb the steps to the massive pointed arched front doors. They're bordered by carved floral designs and cherub heads and topped by a circular rose window. On either side of the doors stand carved jamb figures, tall and gaunt, perhaps saints or prophets, holding crosses, Bibles, shields and swords. We try the doors and find them locked; maybe it's too late in the afternoon.

We learn later from someone in the know that those front doors are locked most of the time, and the way to get inside the cathedral is through the side doors. Several days later we return, and sure enough, gain entry through the east doors. As magnificent as the exterior is, the interior of the cathedral is even more awe-inspiring. No wonder it took ten years to complete.

Pointed archways and high ceilings draw the eyes upwards again. And what I see first is stained glass, lots of it. Thirty-seven of the windows tell the Bible story and Christianity, from Genesis on. These were painted by the Zettler firm of Munich, Germany in the 1920s and renovated by Reverend Daniel Peter Hillen, a Helena artist in his own right, in the 1980s. Even though the morning is cloudy, the stained glass radiates light. There are also many statues of Carrara marble, and oaken pews and woodwork. Ornate bronze light fixtures hang from the ceiling.

The Cathedral has undergone numerous renovations, restorations, and structural fortifications since the 1950s, and these are ongoing. Currently, the church bells have been silent for more than a year; they are being fitted with new ringing mechanisms and stronger supports. By Christmas 2007, fifteen bells will be able to chime more than 10,000 songs, played manually or automatically.
Take a virtual tour of the lovely stained glass windows and other parts of the cathedral, including sanctuary, baptistry, and side chapels, when you click on the above link.
530 North Ewing Street Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on October 7, 2007

Saint-Helena Cathedral
530 North Ewing
Helena, Montana

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Great Northern Town Center

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Attraction | "Great Northern Carousel "

Great Northern Town Center Photo, Helena, Montana

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The Great Northern Carousel is an anchor of sorts for the Great Northern Town Center. More than 11 acres of centrally located abandoned and decaying railyards have largely been converted to retail, offices, apartment and condo housing, restaurants, fitness center, eight-plex theater, and Best Western motel/conference center, since 1997. Urban infill is always a better idea than suburban sprawl, and credit goes to a Helena developer with a vision, Alan Nicholson, largely responsible for its creation. To further enhance the town center, a brand new science/technology/culture museum called E...Read More

The Great Northern Carousel is an anchor of sorts for the Great Northern Town Center. More than 11 acres of centrally located abandoned and decaying railyards have largely been converted to retail, offices, apartment and condo housing, restaurants, fitness center, eight-plex theater, and Best Western motel/conference center, since 1997.

Urban infill is always a better idea than suburban sprawl, and credit goes to a Helena developer with a vision, Alan Nicholson, largely responsible for its creation. To further enhance the town center, a brand new science/technology/culture museum called Exploration Works! is slated to open in Fall of 2007.

Carousels, or merry-go-rounds, were actually an invention from the time of the Crusades. Crusaders from Europe watched in fascination as Arabs and Turks honed their combat skills thusly. Whether on mechanical or flesh-and-blood horses going round and round, the object of the game was the same: little wars, be they ring-tossing, or whacking the opponent with perfume-soaked balls. The observant knights thought it jolly good fun and brought this new form of entertainment back to Europe.

Steam power in 1870 gave a powerful boost to amusement rides in general, and carousels in particular. The Golden Age of carousels in the U.S. took place between 1890 and 1930, with around 5000 in operation. Today less than 150 remain. If only actual wars had declined as steeply in popularity...

The Great Northern Carousel is a work of art, delightful fun for all, and not at all war-like. Families with kids come here for the kids to ride the animals, many of them indigenous to Montana, round and round to carousel band-organ music. Rain, snow, or sunshine, Great Northern Carousel is housed indoors, so it's open all seasons. Sharing the space under its roof is the Painted Pony, an ice cream parlor, gift shop, and birthday and party venue.

Great Northern Carousel turns with 38 hand sculptured animals and two chariots. Bette Largent of Spokane, Washington hand-painted the animals, among them many that are indigenous to Montana, others purely fanciful ones. Beautiful stained glass scenery panel windows decorate and enhance the top of the carousel. There's the Capitol, the Guardian of the Gulch firetower, elk, grizzly bears, hot air ballons. They were created by Helena artist Mary Harris. Antique stained glass panels from the Old Broadwater Hotel grace the west wall, catching afternoon sunlight.

Open daily
989 Carousel Way
(406) 457-5353
website:www.nca-usa.org/psp/Helena Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on October 8, 2007

Great Northern Town Center
40 W. 14th Street, Suite 4B
Helena, Montana 59601
(406) 457-5542

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Grizzly Gulch - Limekilns

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Attraction

Twin lime kilns at the start of Grizzly Gulch Photo, Helena, Montana

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So many gulches, so little time... Our week in Helena was rapidly coming to an end. We'd just discovered Last Chance Gulch in the old South End of town, and looking at our map, we noticed two more gulches forking south and southwest from Last Chance, Orofino, and Grizzly... Deciding to save Orofino (and Unionville - 3 miles) for another time, we take the right fork up Grizzly Gulch. The surrounding lands are mostly part of Helena National Forest.We are quickly rewarded by ruins of kilns. A sign next to the first set of twin kilns identifies them as lime kilns, built by Joseph O'Neill during the 1860s. Young Joseph came to Montana from Massachusetts, looking to strike a fortune in gold...Read More

So many gulches, so little time... Our week in Helena was rapidly coming to an end. We'd just discovered Last Chance Gulch in the old South End of town, and looking at our map, we noticed two more gulches forking south and southwest from Last Chance, Orofino, and Grizzly... Deciding to save Orofino (and Unionville - 3 miles) for another time, we take the right fork up Grizzly Gulch. The surrounding lands are mostly part of Helena National Forest.

We are quickly rewarded by ruins of kilns. A sign next to the first set of twin kilns identifies them as lime kilns, built by Joseph O'Neill during the 1860s. Young Joseph came to Montana from Massachusetts, looking to strike a fortune in gold, but his claims yielded only modest results. Instead, he began a freighting business, livery stables, and started building lime kilns. He also found romance, marrying widow Eliza Wearing.

The mountains lining Grizzly Gulch were full of the high-quality light-colored limestone that when fired in the kilns, produced quicklime, or calcium oxide. This is an essential ingredient in mortar used in brick and stone buildings. After a series of devastating fires burned down many of Helena's wooden structures in the 1870s, brick and stone became even more popular as building materials.

Limestone is actually derived from sea fossils, from the ancient shallow ocean that covered much of Montana during Cambrian times. Limestone is exposed on many of the outcroppings in Helena's gulches, and thus could be easily quarried and fed into the tops of the kilns below. Pine fires burned two or three days straight in the kilns. Afterwards, workers shoveled cooled quicklime powder from the bottom of the kilns into wooden barrels.

The gulch limekilns were sold several times and ended up in the hands of the James McElvey family. But in the early 1900s, competition from a limestone plant smartly situated next to the Northern Pacific Railroad put the Grizzly Gulch operations out of business.

As we continued driving up Grizzly Gulch, we kept stopping to view and photograph the kilns, many in sets of two, some holding together well, others crumbling. National Forest Service publications explain the fragile nature of these ruins, and though access is not restricted, request people refrain from climbing them.

A bit further up Grizzly Gulch you can access back trails to Mt. Helena City Park. Read Less

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on October 8, 2007

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Reeder's Alley

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We spent the better part of an afternoon nosing around historic Reeder's Alley, at the south end of Last Chance Gulch. At first glance, it doesn't look like much. A conglomeration of mismatched buildings - some log cabins, some wooden, and quite a few red-brick ones. Between them, a faded pinkish-gray brick pathway leads up the tree-shaded alley. However, there's more than meets the eye and plenty to keep the interest. This location is the site of Helena's oldest buildings and its mining boomtown beginnings.I didn't realize there even was a visitor center in Reeder's Alley until after exploring some and just happening to stumble onto it, but that's a good place to begin. ...Read More

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Last Chance Gulch and Mall

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Bullwhacker of Last Chance Gulch Photo, Helena, Montana

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Last Chance Gulch is where it all began, the heart of old Helena. For it was here that four guys known locally as the Four Georgians, though there's some speculation that there may have been more than four, and that not all of them were actually from Georgia, found GOLD. Prospecting does not a well-platted city make, and old south Helena's streets exemplify futile attempts at straight lines, succeeding less often, but providing more interesting geometry and adventure than any perfectly platted city.Old buildings, new structures, and all ages in between are intertwined and side by side, making for an entertaining if not always consistent experience in architectural viewing. On the...Read More

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