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Welcome
to "Helena As She Was"
-- Your Helena, Montana History Wiki!
Share your
Helena-related images and other material via this free educational
resource!
Looking North Toward Sixth and Main, 1916
COLLECTION
OF KENNON BAIRD
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Since
going online in 2006, this site has welcomed more than
80 individual contibutors of Helena-related
images, ephemera and recollections. Those good folks,
through their interest in history and willingness to
share, have made "Helena
As She Was" a valuable (and
fun) Montana history resource for students, researchers,
and those who just want to remember days gone by.
An
average of 60 people per day visit this site, half of
those being new visitors! They have come from almost
every state in the union and from many foreign nations.
Hosted
and edited by Kennon Baird, a native of Helena,
this site is commercial-free and free to access.
There's a short biography of your host at the bottom
of the page.
It's
easy to share your Helena-related material via this
site! Scroll down this page past "Recent Additions"
and the Contributors Roster for more information...
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"Helena
As She Was" on Facebook
CLICK
THE FACEBOOK LOGO AND BECOME A FAN OF THIS SITE!
DISCUSS HELENA HISTORY, RECEIVE NOTIFICATION OF SITE UPDATES,
AND ENJOY SURPRISE EXTRAS. NOW OVER 2,000 MEMBERS! |
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A
New Helena History Book!
Benton Avenue Cemetery
A Pioneer Resting Place ~ Helena, Montana
by Charleen Spalding
LIBRARY
OF CONGRESS CONTROL NUMBER 2010921789
ISBN: 978-0-578-04912-0
310 PAGES - PIONEER TALES PUBLISHING, HELENA MT
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Although
this website is noncommercial in nature, when a beautifully-crafted
work like this
comes along, I feel no qualms about recommending it.
Historian Charleen Spalding has done something extraordinary
in her brand-new book: she has put together an invaluable
aid for history and genealogy researchers that reads
like high adventure. By noting every standing grave
marker in Helena's historic Benton Avenue Cemetery,
and painstakingly researching the lives of those interred,
Spalding presents to us a fascinating and true picture
of life in early-day Helena. Winners,
losers, the young and old, murder, mayhem, accidents,
suicide and disease -- it's all there, and it's all
very real. If you are interested in the history of Helena,
or in how life actually was in the west that has passed,
you should have a copy of this fascinating book! ---
Kennon Baird, publisher of "Helena As She Was"
"Benton
Avenue Cemetery - A Pioneer Resting Place"
is available for $29.95
(which includes shipping and handling)
by sending a check to:
The
book is also available in the Helena area at:
Hastings Books Music & Videos
3215 North Montana Avenue, Helena, MT
(406) 443-1505
Broadwater
County Museum
133 N. Walnut , Townsend, MT
(406) 266-5252
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8/29/2010
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The 1891 Temple Emanu-El
THE
FIRST JEWISH SYNAGOGUE BETWEEN ST. PAUL AND PORTAND STILL
STANDS AT 515 NORTH EWING. THE FEATURE INCLUDES A HISTORY
OF THE TEMPLE, AND THE COMMUNITY THAT BUILT IT, BY HISTORIAN
ELLEN BAUMLER. |
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07/07/2010
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Old
Brewery Theatre UPDATE
SCROLL
DOWN THE LINKED PAGE FOR 1972 INTERIOR PHOTOS OF THE OLD
BREWERY THEATRE, COURTESY OF BOB CLARKSON, CLARKSON STUDIO. |
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07/02/2010
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Aviation UPDATE
SCROLL
DOWN THE LINKED PAGE FOR UNIQUE 1927 PHOTOS OF CHARLES
LINDBERGH'S PLANE 'THE SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS' ON THE GROUND
IN HELENA.
COURTESY OF BOB CLARKSON, CLARKSON STUDIO.
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3/17/2010
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Army Air Corps "Snowbirds"
Visit Helena, 1930
SCROLL
DOWN THE LINKED PAGE FOR PHOTOS AND NEWSPAPER STORIES
ABOUT A RUGGED WINTER TEST FLIGHT. |
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02/24/2010
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The Fire Tower UPDATE
A
RARE VISIT TO THE TOP OF THE "GUARDIAN OF THE GULCH",
COURTESY OF CAPT. SEAN LOGAN OF THE HELENA FIRE DEPARTMENT.
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN THE LINKED PAGE. |
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2/18/2010
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Helena High School
UPDATE
COURTESY
OF RAY LINDESY, TWO PHOTOS OF THE 1955 HELENA HIGH
BENGAL BAND IN ACTION -- IN THE AUDITORIUM OF WHAT IS
NOW HELENA MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND MARCHING IN THE VIGILANTE
PARADE. THANKS, RAY! |
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2/17/2010
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Charley Pride in
Helena
THE
COUNTRY MUSIC STAR'S GROUNDBREAKING CAREER
FIRST TOOK HOLD IN HELENA. THE FEATURE INCLUDES 1964 PHOTOS
OF CHARLEY PRIDE AND THE NIGHT HAWKS, COURTESY OF PERCUSSIONIST
MONTY COWLES. |
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2/16/2010
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The Button Shop
THE
CREATIVE JEAN ALLEN HAD TWO RUSTIC LOG CABIN SHOPS IN
HELENA. ONE OF THEM STILL STANDS ON ELEVENTH AVENUE. |
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2/11/2010
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Buttrey's Supermarkets
UPDATE
THERE
ARE SEVERAL NEW IMAGES AND AN UPDATED HISTORY ABOUT THIS
EARLY MONTANA SUPERMARKET CHAIN. THE CENTERPIECE OF THE
UPDATE IS A 1968 PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY JODIE MILLER, SHOWING
HER AND AN ELEPHANT INSIDE BUTTREYS! |
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2/8/2010
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Oro Fino Terrace
STYLISH
ca. 1887 RESIDENCES ON NORTH BENTON AVENUE, BUILT BY
HARRY W. CHILD, THE
MAN WHO MORE OR LESS RAN YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK IN
THE EARLY YEARS. LOST TO FIRE IN 1985. PHOTOS COURTESY
OF RHONDA WILSON AND SEAN LOGAN.
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1/10/2010
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Marlow Theatre UPDATE
SCROLL
DOWN THE LINKED PAGE FOR AN APRIL 1, 1951 PHOTO OF THE
MARLOW'S 33RD ANNIVERSARY CAKE. COURTESY OF THE WES AND
CAROL SYNNESS COLLECTION. |
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1/16/2010
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Pine Hills
Golf Course & Other Early Helena Courses
"THEY
SENT THE CADDIES OUT WITH SHOTGUNS TO CLEAR THE PATH OF
RATTLESNAKES". |
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1/10/2010
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Marlow Theatre UPDATE
SCROLL
DOWN THE LINKED PAGE FOR A HUGE 1938 PHOTO OF HELENA MOTION
PICTURE THEATER EMPLOYEES GATHERED AT THE MARLOW. CAN
YOU IDENTIFY ANY OF THESE PEOPLE? |
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1/7/2010
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Zigay and
Rogal Furriers, 130 E. Sixth Avenue
INCLUDES
A BEAUTIFUL 1947 PHOTO OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FUR
VAULT. |
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12/19/2009
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Emerson School
- Later May Butler School
ORIGINAL
1890 BUILDING ON RODNEY ST. WITHSTOOD THE 1935 EARTHQUAKES. |
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12/5/2009
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Arthur P. Curtin Co.
A
HUGE DOWNTOWN DEPARTMENT STORE ON GRAND STREET. IT BECAME
GRAND STREET FURNITURE IN 1938. THE ENTIRE BLOCK -- ALONG
WITH GRAND STREET -- WAS DEMOLISHED BY URBAN RENEWAL IN
1973. SPECIAL THANKS TO SEAN LOGAN FOR SHARING HIS PHOTOS
OF THE BUILDINGS. |
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11/24/2009
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New
York Store/Fligelman's/J. M. McDonald Co.
DOWNTOWN
HELENA ONCE HAD REAL DEPARTMENT STORES. THIS PIONEER ENTERPRISE
BEGAN IN 1885. A HIGHLIGHT OF THE FEATURE ARE PHOTOS OF
1918-1930 DISPLAY WINDOWS, COURTESY OF VINCE MORAVEK. |
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11/16/2009
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Peter Pan Restaurant UPDATE
ON
SEPT. 18 2009, ACE "HELENA AS SHE WAS" IMAGE
CONTIBUTOR KERRY BROWN SERENDIPITOUSLY SPIED A SECTION
OF THE DERELICT PETER PAN
RESTAURANT BUILDING BEING MOVED EAST ON SIERRA DRIVE.
ON NOV. 15 2009, LONG-TIME WEBSITE CONTRIBUTOR TERRY BASS
SENT IN PHOTOS OF THE BUILDING AT ITS NEW LOCATION IN
THE 1900 BLOCK OF SIERRA DRIVE. SCROLL DOWN THE LINKED
PAGE FOR THE LATEST PHOTOS OF THIS VENERABLE BUILDING,
NOW ONCE AGAIN BEING PUT TO GOOD USE. |
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11/14/2009
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A Tribute to Broadcaster Al
Johnson
A
VERSATILE ARTIST AND TRUE GENTLEMAN, AL JOHNSON WAS THE
PREEMINENT VOICE OF HELENA RADIO FOR NEARLY HALF A CENTURY.
SCROLL DOWN THE LINKED PAGE FOR A TRIBUTE TO AL, INCLUDING
RARE PHOTOS AND AUDIO. Special
thanks to Walli Johnson and Wally Peel |
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10/31/2009
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Mount Helena UPDATE
SEVERAL
1923 PHOTOS OF THE SUMMIT HAVE BEEN ADDED, INCLUDING TWO
SHOWING THE WOODEN FRAME OF A SHELTER. |
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10/19/2009
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KCAP Radio UPDATE
SCROLL
DOWN THE LINKED PAGE TO VIEW AN APRIL, 1972 KCAP "TOP
40 HITS" SURVEY HANDOUT. IT FEATURES PHOTOS OF ON-AIR
PERSONALITIES YOU MAY RECALL, PLUS A LIST OF SONG TITLES
THAT ARE SURE TO JOG YOUR MEMORY. COURTESY OF THE DON
MAYNARD ARCHIVES. |
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10/05/2009
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Grandon Hotel UPDATE
SCROLL
DOWN THE LINKED PAGE FOR TWO DRAMATIC PHOTOS OF THE 1968
FIRE THAT DESTROYED THE GRANDON. COURTESY OF THE GEORGE
HUBER COLLECTION VIA CAPT. SEAN LOGAN AND THE
ONLINE HELENA FIRE DEPT. ARCHIVES. |
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09/15/2009
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Civic Center UPDATE
SCROLL
DOWN THE LINKED PAGE FOR RECENT PHOTOS OF THE CIVIC CENTER
AUDITORIUM AND BALLROOM, COURTESY OF KATHRYN FEHLIG. |
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08/30/2009
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1894 Williams Street
Bridge UPDATE
SCROLL
DOWN THE LINKED PAGE FOR RECENT PHOTOS OF THE BRIDGE
BEING DISASSEMBLED FOR REMOVAL. |
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08/26/2009
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Allen's Court Square Livery
& Stables
STILL
STANDING AT 312 BRECKENRIDGE. PHOTO COURTESY OF KEITH
NAY. |
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08/20/2009
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East of Helena UPDATE
PHOTOS OF THE AUG.
14 2009 ASARCO
STACKS DEMOLITION,
PLUS A LINK TO THE INDEPENDENT RECORD DEMOLITION VIDEO. |
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08/19/2009
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Red's Cycle Shop &
Paul "Red" Drennon
A
LOOK BACK AT HELENA'S IRREPRESSIBLE "MAN'S MAN",
RED DRENNON
-- INCLUDING A SPECIAL REMINISCENCE BY WESTERN AUTHOR
RALPH BEER. |
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08/16/2009
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The Flood of 1878
A
POWERFUL SUMMER RAINSTORM CAUSED FLASH FLOODING AND LANDSLIDES.
HELENA'S WOODEN FLUME SYSTEM WAS OVERWHELMED.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SEAN LOGAN. |
HAVE
YOU SEEN US? |
08/12/2009
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Historic Light Fixtures Stolen! Reward!
Boulder
Hot Springs near Boulder, Montana, is offering a $1,500
reward for information leading to the return of three
antique light fixtures stolen from the historic building.
The
fixtures disappeared between 3:45 and 7:45 p.m. Monday,
July 20,2009 during business hours, said general manager
Kerri Kumasaka.
Kumasaka
asked that anyone with information about the fixtures
contact the hot springs at 406-225-4339 or the Jefferson
County Sheriff’s Office at 406-225-4075.
PHOTO
AND INFO COURTESY OF THE INDEPENDENT RECORD
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08/11/2009
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West of Helena UPDATE
PRESENTING A NEW MENU FOR THE 'WEST OF HELENA' PAGES.
FEATURES LIKE THE KESSLER BREWING COMPANY, STATE NURSERY,
MOUNT HELENA AND FORT HARRISON NOW HAVE INDIVIDUAL PAGES,
WHICH WILL MAKE BROWSING (AND UPDATING) EASIER. NEW MATERIAL
HAS
BEEN ADDED TO NEARLY EVERY 'WEST OF HELENA' FEATURE, AND
MANY
IMAGES HAVE BEEN ENLARGED. |
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08/04/2009
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Views of Broadway UPDATE
SCROLL DOWN THE LINKED PAGE FOR AN INTRIGUING 1925 PHOTO
OF LOST BUILDINGS ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF BROADWAY, JUST
EAST OF JACKSON. EMPHASIS ON THE FLAHERTY & KOHLER
COMBINATION UNDERTAKING PARLOR AND ART SUPPLY STORE.
COURTESY OF HELENA HISTORIAN SEAN LOGAN. |
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07/30/2009
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Helena Gun Club • Helena
Trap Club
OPERATING
IN THE HELENA VALLEY SINCE 1946, AND IN KENWOOD
DECADES BEFORE THAT. PHOTO COURTESY OF G. B. CARSON. |
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07/28/2009
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Montana Children's Home
& Hospital and Shodair Hospital for Crippled Children
INCLUDES
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE HOSPITALS, REMARKABLE 1937 CONSTRUCTION
PHOTOS OF SHODAIR, AND THE STORY OF THE INSTITUTION'S
CONNECTION TO THE STATE SONG "MONTANA". |
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07/28/2009
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Cathedral of St.
Helena UPDATE
A FASCINATING 1936 PHOTO SHOWING EARTHQUAKE REPAIRS
IN PROGRESS, COURTESY OF KATHRYN FEHLIG. PLUS, LINKS TO
TWO INDEPENDENT RECORD VIDEOS ABOUT THE CATHEDRAL:
REPAIRING
THE PIPE ORGAN, AND A MYSTERIOUS TUNNEL UNDER NINTH AVENUE. |
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07/26/2009
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St. Peter's Hospital
UPDATE
TWO NEW 1920s PHOTOS COURTESY OF SEAN LOGAN: A VIEW OF
THE BUILDING FROM ELEVENTH AVENUE, AND WHAT IS LIKELY
THE PHARMACY. |
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The
Fire Tower - "Guardian of the Gulch"
HELENA'S
SYMBOL HAS A COLORFUL HISTORY. |
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"Dear
Old Montana" - Play it in mp3!
WRITTEN
IN 1931 BY HELENA SISTERS GENEE AND MIMI MILLIGAN,
"DEAR OLD MONTANA" WAS DEDICATED TO THE
22nd LEGISLATIVE
ASSEMBLY. THE SHEET MUSIC PICTURED WAS INSCRIBED BY THE
SISTERS TO "DADDY" REEVES, AN EARLY HELENA MUSIC
EDUCATOR
AND IMPRESARIO. SCROLL DOWN THE LINKED PAGE TO READ ABOUT
MR. REEVES, THE MILLIGAN SISTERS, AND TO PLAY THE SONG. |
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1894
Williams Street Bridge
THIS
LOVELY IRON PONY-TRUSS BRIDGE WEST OF HELENA
WAS REMOVED IN THE SUMMER OF 2009. SCROLL
DOWN THE LINKED PAGE FOR SIX 2004 VIEWS OF THE BRIDGE,
COURTESY OF THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. ALSO, HISTORIAN
JON AXLINE'S EXCELLENT 2005 HISTORIC AMERICAN ENGINEERING
RECORD PAPER ABOUT THE BRIDGE AND ITS ENVIRONS.
PLUS:
THE WILLIAMS STREET BRIDGE IN ART -- A STRIKING
PASTEL PAINTING OF THE ROMANTIC BRIDGE BY NOTED HELENA
ARTIST
KATHRYN FEHLIG.
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Dorothy's
Rooms ~ Helena's Last Bordello
RARE
PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE INTERIOR, PLUS CLOTHES THE GIRLS WORE. |
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Link
to Historic Helena Fire Dept. Photos
CAPTAIN
SEAN LOGAN OF THE HELENA FIRE DEPARTMENT IS POSTING
TO A FACEBOOK GROUP A BEAUTIFUL SELECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS,
INTERVIEWS AND OTHER MATERIAL FROM THE HFD ARCHIVES.
IT'S A
MUST-SEE FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN HELENA'S HISTORY.
MANY THANKS TO CAPT. LOGAN AND THE HFD FOR SHARING THEIR
OUTSTANDING ARCHIVE!
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"Helena
- City of Gold" VIDEO
DOWNLOAD - 27:24
A
promotional film produced in 1973 by the Helena Chamber
of Commerce.
HELENA'S HISTORY, RECREATONAL ACTIVITIES AND COMMERCE
ARE HIGHLIGHTED THROUGH THE CHARACTER OF BOB STANLEY,
ONE OF THE 'FOUR GEORGIANS' WHO DISCOVERED GOLD IN LAST
CHANCE GULCH IN 1864. STANLEY SUDDENLY FINDS HIMSELF
IN HELENA IN 1973, AND IS BOTH BEDEVILED AND AMUSED
BY MODERN LIFE
VIDEO COURTESY OF KITTY ANN QUIGLEY TAALER.
Open with realPlayer.
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Early
Helena TV RECOMMENDED
LINK
VETERAN
HELENA BROADCASTER WALLY PEEL HAS PUT TOGETHER AN EXCELLENT
HISTORY OF EARLY-DAY HELENA TELEVISION FOR THE KTVH WEBSITE
Click
here to visit!
NOTE:
WALLY SAYS IT'S STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS, SO CHECK BACK
FOR MORE! |
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The
Oct. 10 2006 Helena Independent
Record story about this website. |
IF
YOU ENJOY THIS SITE, THESE ARE THE PEOPLE TO THANK!
Sharing
Your Photos & Recollections
MAIN
ST. LOOKING SOUTH, ABOUT 1913 •
COURTESY OF WES & CAROL SYNNESS
If
You Have Images of Helena to Share,
Simply Contact
Me Via E-mail !
Please try to include the word "HELENA"
in the subject line of your first email, so it won't
be mistaken for spam and accidentally deleted.
Usually,
images are scanned and e-mailed to me by contributors.
Contributors will occasionally mail CDs with photos
on them. When those methods aren't practical, the
actual photos or other materials are sent to me via
U. S. Mail. I scan the material and return it, paying
for insured postage both ways. I can scan photographs,
slides and negatives.
I
will credit your contributions (if you so desire),
and will also add your personal recollections to the
material you send. I can't offer monetary compensation
for images sent in, but website and/or email links
may be added to your contributions and to your name
on the home page Roster.
The emphasis is on old photographs and other images
of businesses, schools, churches, neighborhoods, streets,
events and other subjects of GENERAL INTEREST.
I'm also interested in old Helena advertising and
promotional ephemera.
Be
advised that your images will be in the PUBLIC DOMAIN
when they're published here, which means they'll be
up for grabs by anyone who wants to use them. My outlook
is that it's better for people to see, use and learn
from such pictures than it is to let them languish in
drawers or old albums. In that spirit, I've included
many of my own photographs in the site, along with numerous
postcards, etc., from my collection.
This
website is a ONE-MAN OPERATION, but I endeavor
to add all material sent to me in a timely manner. Occasionally,
I will hold material until I can "flesh out"
the story using online newspaper archives and other
resources. I stay in contact with contributors.
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ABOUT
PHOTOGRAPHS OF PEOPLE
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Your
Great Grandmother Viola was no doubt a beautiful person,
but please limit submissions of photos featuring people
to those which show them in a broader
HELENA-RELATED CONTEXT.
No studio portraits.
Please avoid snapshots of people which show little or
nothing of the city.
"GENERAL INTEREST"
is what to keep in mind when selecting your submissions.
THANKS! |
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Site
Hosted by an Actual Helena Native!
Kennon Baird • Editor
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Kennon
Baird's pioneer Great Grandfather, Wallace Millegan,
began ranching in the Helena Valley in 1865, coming
by way of Bannack and Blackfoot City. The Millegan homestead
was the first in the Helena Valley, and 13th in the
Territory of Montana.
Ken
was born in 1950, at the old St. Peter's Hospital on
Logan St.. He lived in Helena until 1972, attending
Kessler School, C. R. Anderson School, Helena Junior
High, and Helena High School. Ken spent many years working
in Houston, Texas, where he also studied design at the
University of Houston. In 1998, Ken moved to Fremont,
California with wife Kathleen, who is a business analyst
for a biotech company.
Ken
enjoys art, history, writing, music and gardening. He's
a member of the Sons
and Daughters of Montana Pioneers and the Montana
Historical Society. Ken's home website is Lifelike
Charm.
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DID
YOU FIND AN INACCURACY?
If you spot an inaccuracy or wish to add information,
please don't hesitate to contact
me. I want this site to be as accurate as possible.
If you have questions or comments about the structure
of the site in general, please write.
Please
enjoy your visit to Helena, the Queen City of the Rockies...as
she was.
Kennon
Baird -- October 2008
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DISCLAIMER
...This
site is educational and non-commercial in nature. To
the best of my knowledge, the images presented on these
pages are either in the public domain or are used in
accordance with Fair Use practices. If you have concerns
about this, contact
me.
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