ONLINE VACATION
HELENA, MONTANA, USA
11/18/13
Hi Everyone. Today's trip is to one of the United States'
northern-most state. We are going to Helena, Montana.
Helena (pronounced Hel-in-a) is the capital city of the U.S. state of
Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. As of the 2010
census, the population was 28,190.
Helena was founded with the July 14, 1864 discovery of gold in a gulch off
the Prickly Pear valley. The city's main street is named Last Chance
Gulch and lies close to the winding path of the original gulch through
the historic downtown district.
The original camp was named "Last Chance". By fall, the population had
grown to over 200 and the name "Last Chance" was viewed as too crass.
On October 30, 1864, a group of at least seven men met to name 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 of the area. 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. Finally, it was decided to be Helena. After
a long disagreement on the pronunciation, that was decided also.
By 1888, about 50 millionaires lived in Helena, more per capita than any
city in the world. About $3.6 billion (in today's dollars) of gold was
taken from Last Chance Gulch over a 20-year period. The Last Chance
Placer is one of the most famous placer deposits in the western United
States. Most of the production occurred before 1868 and much of the
placer is now under the streets and buildings of Helena (but even as
late as the 1970s, when repairs were being made to a bank, a vein of
placer gold was found under the bank's foundation). This large
concentration of wealth made for a large amount of culture, much of
which still exists and is also evidenced in the varied architecture of
the city and its Victorian neighborhoods.
Helena has a semi-arid climate, with long, cold and moderately snowy
winters, hot and dry summers, and short springs and autumns in
between. January is normally the coldest month with average
temperatures between 13 and 33 degrees Fahrenheit. July is normally
the warmest month with average temperatures between 54 and 86 degrees F.
Although there is very little rainfall, June normally has the most
with 2.06 inches of rain, and a yearly total of 11.18 inches of
rain. Snowfall has been observed in every month of the year, but is
usually absent from May to September, and normally accumulates in only
light amounts. December is normally the snowiest month with an average
of 6.8 inches, with a yearly total of 35.5 inches of snow.
I hope you enjoy the trip to Helena, Montana.
~Marsha~
DOWNTOWN
CAPITOL BUILDING
WALKING MALL
SAINT HELENA CATHEDRAL
BROADWATER NATATORIUM HOTEL
(HAD THE FIRST INDOOR SWIMMING POOL IN THE WORLD)
UNKNOWN BUILDINGS
LAST CHANCE TOUR TRAIN
SCENERY
SLEEPING GIANT MOUNTAIN
LAKE
LITTLE SNOW
FIRE TOWER
VARIOUS ANIMALS
ELK
OLD PHOTOS
HOUSES FOR SALE
northern-most state. We are going to Helena, Montana.
Helena (pronounced Hel-in-a) is the capital city of the U.S. state of
Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. As of the 2010
census, the population was 28,190.
Helena was founded with the July 14, 1864 discovery of gold in a gulch off
the Prickly Pear valley. The city's main street is named Last Chance
Gulch and lies close to the winding path of the original gulch through
the historic downtown district.
The original camp was named "Last Chance". By fall, the population had
grown to over 200 and the name "Last Chance" was viewed as too crass.
On October 30, 1864, a group of at least seven men met to name 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 of the area. 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. Finally, it was decided to be Helena. After
a long disagreement on the pronunciation, that was decided also.
By 1888, about 50 millionaires lived in Helena, more per capita than any
city in the world. About $3.6 billion (in today's dollars) of gold was
taken from Last Chance Gulch over a 20-year period. The Last Chance
Placer is one of the most famous placer deposits in the western United
States. Most of the production occurred before 1868 and much of the
placer is now under the streets and buildings of Helena (but even as
late as the 1970s, when repairs were being made to a bank, a vein of
placer gold was found under the bank's foundation). This large
concentration of wealth made for a large amount of culture, much of
which still exists and is also evidenced in the varied architecture of
the city and its Victorian neighborhoods.
Helena has a semi-arid climate, with long, cold and moderately snowy
winters, hot and dry summers, and short springs and autumns in
between. January is normally the coldest month with average
temperatures between 13 and 33 degrees Fahrenheit. July is normally
the warmest month with average temperatures between 54 and 86 degrees F.
Although there is very little rainfall, June normally has the most
with 2.06 inches of rain, and a yearly total of 11.18 inches of
rain. Snowfall has been observed in every month of the year, but is
usually absent from May to September, and normally accumulates in only
light amounts. December is normally the snowiest month with an average
of 6.8 inches, with a yearly total of 35.5 inches of snow.
I hope you enjoy the trip to Helena, Montana.
~Marsha~ DOWNTOWN
CAPITOL BUILDING
WALKING MALL
SAINT HELENA CATHEDRAL
BROADWATER NATATORIUM HOTEL
(HAD THE FIRST INDOOR SWIMMING POOL IN THE WORLD)
UNKNOWN BUILDINGS
LAST CHANCE TOUR TRAIN
SCENERY
SLEEPING GIANT MOUNTAIN
LAKE
LITTLE SNOW
FIRE TOWER
VARIOUS ANIMALS
ELK
OLD PHOTOS
HOUSES FOR SALE