April 29, 2012 - Helena

Spring comes late to Montana. Today It was in the 30s when we started and in the 50s when we finished. And did I mention that it was windy?

Last Chance Gulch is the name of the street where gold was discovered in 1864. It is now a cute area with lots of shops, coffee shops, and interesting historic buildings. Helena has done a good job of historic preservation and many buildings have informative plaques explaining their history.

The Women's Commemorative Mural depicts the role of women in Montana history

Closeup of a portion of the Women's Commemorative Mural

A mural in Last Chance Gulch

At the end of Last Chance Gulch we entered Reeder's Alley, a restored miner's village. Nothing was open here, so there wasn't too much to see in Reeder's Alley.








 

That "deer in the headlights" look

The next part of our walk meandered through one of the many charming residential neighborhoods near the Capitol.

Eventually we arrived at a building we had thought to be mosque when we had seen it from a distance. Although we didn't expect to find a large mosque in smallish Helena, it had a very prominent minaret and Arabesque domes.  As we walked past the building, we learned that it was the Helena Civic Center (originally built by the Shriners).

 

The Capitol

Finally we reached the highlight of this walk - the State Capitol building. Completed in 1902, this stately neoclassical structure is topped with a copper dome and the figure of "Lady Liberty." The most notable feature inside is the massive rotunda, with four circular paintings surrounding it. These paintings depict four important (male) archetypes of people of Montana's early history: a native American, an explorer and fur trapper, a gold miner and a cowboy.

 

The Rotunda

Jeanette Rankin, the first woman in the US Congress, 1917-19

Walk Route: B+

Walk Documentation:  B+