Welcome to "Helena As She Was" -- your Helena, Montana history wiki!
Share Your Helena-related Images and Other Material Via This Free Online Resource!


July 4 Parade, Sixth and Main, circa 1900
THE DAVID HULL COLLECTION

Since 2006, this site has welcomed over 60 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 40 people per day visit this site, half of those being new visitors! They have come from almost every state in the union (come on North Dakota, we know you can do it) and from 23 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 Contributor's Roster for more information...


07/04/2009 - 1894 Williams Street Bridge UPDATE
THIS LOVELY IRON PONY TRUSS BRIDGE WEST OF HELENA
IS SLATED FOR REMOVAL IN THE SUMMER OF 2009. SCROLL
DOWN THE LINKED PAGE FOR SIX 2004 VIEWS OF THE BRIDGE,
COURTESY OF THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. PLUS, HISTORIAN
JON AXLINE'S EXCELLENT 2005 HISTORIC AMERICAN ENGINEERING
RECORD PAPER ABOUT THE BRIDGE AND ITS ENVIRONS.
07/02/2009 - Tower Motel
WHEN YOU SHOP AT SAFEWAY ON PROSPECT AVENUE, YOU'RE THERE.
07/01/2009 - Edwards Street
COURTESY OF HELENA HISTORIAN VIVIAN HAYES,
WE PRESENT HER EXCELLENT 1999 INDEPENDENT RECORD
ARTICLE ABOUT EDWARDS STREET, A COMMERCIAL THOROUGHFARE
WHICH WAS ELIMINATED BY URBAN RENEWAL IN THE 1970s.
SCROLL DOWN THE LINKED PAGE FOR THE PDF FORMAT DOWNLOAD.
07/01/2009 - Dorothy's Rooms UPDATE
WHAT WERE HELENA PROSTITUTES WEARING TO WORK
IN THE EARLY 1970s? SCROLL DOWN THE LINKED PAGE TO SEE.
COURTESY OF THE MONTANA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
MUSEUM COLLECTION.
06/29/2009 - Civic Center UPDATE
SCROLL DOWN THE LINKED PAGE FOR VIEWS OF EXISTING
ORIGINAL EXTERIOR TERRA COTTA TILES...
Plus - Continue Scrolling for a A Rare Look Inside the Minaret!
06/17/2009 - Deaconess School UPDATE
SEVERAL WONDERFUL 1910s-50s IMAGES OF CHILDREN AT THE
DEACONESS. NOW KNOWN AS INTERMOUNTAIN, CELEBRATING
ITS CENTENNIAL IN 2009. OUR THANKS TO MAGGIE LONG,
INTERMOUNTAIN'S COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER, AND TO THE
DAVID HULL COLLECTION.
05/31/2009 - 1890 Arsenal UPDATE
A DETAILED ca. 1890 VIEW OF HELENA FIRE DEPT. EQUIPMENT ON
DISPLAY OUTSIDE THE MONTANA NATIONAL GUARD ARSENAL
ON WARREN ST.
COURTESY OF CAPT. SEAN LOGAN & THE HELENA FIRE DEPT.
05/25/2009 - Financial Institutions UPDATE
SCROLL DOWN THE LINKED PAGE FOR TWO NEW VIEWS
OF THE 1944 MONTANA NATIONAL BANK FIRE
COURTESY OF CAPT. SEAN LOGAN & THE HELENA FIRE DEPT.

05/24/2009 - Link to Historic Helena Fire Dept. Photos
CAPTAIN SEAN LOGAN OF THE HELENA FIRE DEPARTMENT IS POSTING
TO A "WINDOWS LIVE" 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.

YOU MUST JOIN THE "WINDOWS LIVE" GROUP TO VIEW THE MATERIAL, BUT IT'S EASY AND WELL WORTH IT. SIMPLY FOLLOW THE LINK ABOVE.

MANY THANKS TO CAPT. LOGAN AND THE HFD FOR SHARING THEIR OUTSTANDING ARCHIVE!

04/20/2009 - The Hotel Helena
A HANDSOME FIVE-STORY BRICK STRUCTURE
ON GRAND STREET. 1889-1972
03/27/2009 - The Lamb Ranch
THE 1918 RANCH HOUSE STILL STANDS. PHOTOS AND
HISTORY COURTESY OF THE LAMB FAMILY
03/15/2009 - Y.W.C.A. UPDATE
SCROLL DOWN THE LINKED PAGE FOR RECENT INTERIOR VIEWS
OF THIS DISTINCTIVE 1918 BUILDING, COURTESY OF ELLEN BAUMLER
03/02/2009 - KCAP Radio UPDATE
COURTESY OF JACK WOMACK, SEVERAL VIEWS
OF LOCAL RADIO PRODUCTION IN THE 1970s. INCLUDING
A 1977 PHOTO OF LEGENDARY BROADCASTER CATO BUTLER
IN ACTION. PLEASE SCROLL DOWN THE LINKED PAGE
02/16/2009 - Helena Middle School UPDATE
SCROLL DOWN THE LINKED PAGE FOR A NUMBER OF 1997
PHOTOS OF THE HALLWAYS, GYM, & VIGILANTE STADIUM.
PHOTOS BY MARC SWANSON, COURTESY OF JACK WOMACK

02/03/2009 - St. Helena School UPDATE
A TIME-LAPSE VIDEO OF THE 2008 DEMOLITON OF THE BUILDING,
WHICH INCLUDES RARE INTERIOR VIEWS. ALSO, A RECENT PHOTO
OF THE CURRENT RESTING PLACE OF THE SALVAGED STONEWORK.
VIDEO FROM SCOTT NELSON, PHOTO FROM TOM KILMER - BOTH
LONGTIME CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS SITE AND CERTIFIED
HELENA HISTORY BUFFS. SCROLL DOWN TO NEAR THE BOTTOM
OF THE LINKED PAGE

01/29/2009 - St. Vincent's Academy UPDATE
TWO INTERIOR PHOTOS OF THE LONG-GONE 1880's
CATHOLIC GIRLS SCHOOL, PLUS A RECENT VIEW OF THE SITE
01/24/2009 - City Views UPDATE
SCROLL DOWN THE LINKED PAGE FOR A BIG, BEAUTIFUL
1959 VIEW OF THE EAST SIDE OF HELENA, COURTESY OF
SCOTT NELSON.
01/22/2009 - City Views UPDATE
SCROLL DOWN THE LINKED PAGE FOR A HUGE 1950s
PANORAMA OF THE SOUTH MAIN AREA, COURTESY OF
SCOTT NELSON.
01/21/2009 - Federal Building UPDATE
HELENA'S FIRST SEEING-EYE DOG ASSISTS LOBBY VENDOR, 1960
(PLEASE SCOLL DOWN THE LINKED PAGE FOR THE STORY)
01/06/2009 - Capital City Bowl
OPENED IN 1958 - NOW GONE
12/30/2008 - Tracy's Lounge UPDATE
A WONDERFUL 1943 INTERIOR VIEW OF THIS LONG-GONE DOWNTOWN
NIGHTSPOT HAS BEEN SENT IN BY TOM MULVANEY, AUTHOR OF THE
NEW BOOK
"HELENA" A POSTCARD HISTORY. THANKS, TOM!
12/16/2008 - Y.W.C.A. UPDATE
A HISTORY OF THE HELENA YWCA HAS BEEN ADDED, COURTESY OF
ELLEN BAUMLER, ALONG WITH A LINK TO A DEC. 2008 INDEPENDENT
RECORD
STORY ABOUT THE YWCA, WHICH INCLUDES INFO ON HOW
YOU CAN HELP MAINTAIN THIS HISTORIC AND VITAL HELENA RESOURCE
12/10/2008 - Helena High School 1955-Today UPDATE
A SELECTION OF 1997 INTERIOR VIEWS OF THE GYM AND HALLWAYS,
SURE TO BRING BACK SOME BENGAL MEMORIES.
PHOTOS BY MARC SWANSON, COURTESY OF JACK WOMACK
12/09/2008 - Helena High School 1893-1935 UPDATE
A WONDERFUL 1911 IMAGE OF THEODORE ROOSEVELT SPEAKING
FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL STEPS. FROM THE NEW BOOK
"HELENA" A POSTCARD HISTORY, COURTESY OF AUTHOR TOM MULVANEY
12/04/2008 - The 1892 Kleinschmidt Block
LONG KNOWN AS THE HARVARD APARTMENTS
11/20/2008 - Main St. - Sixth to Lawrence UPDATE
SEVERAL NEW 1949-1950 COLOR PHOTOS OF PARADES ON LAST CHANCE GULCH, PLUS THE STORY OF A 1952 LOVE TRIANGLE GONE VERY WRONG. PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE BOB AND SUSIE LINDEBERG COLLECTION.
11/16/2008 - Montana Ave. at Custer Ave. 1962 & 2008
INTERESTING COMPARISON VIEWS OF THIS PROMINENT INTERSECTION SHOW HOW HELENA IS CHANGING. BUT IS IT FOR THE BETTER? SCROLL DOWN THE LINKED PAGE ABOUT HALFWAY, WHERE YOU'LL ALSO FIND A NEW SLIDESHOW BY WALLY PEEL DOCUMENTING RECENT DEVELOPMENT IN THE MONTANA AVE./CUSTER AVE. AREA
11/07/2008 - Sixth and Main UPDATE
A REMARKABLE 1958 VIEW OF SIXTH AVE. LOOKING EAST FROM ATOP THE POWER BUILDING. SCROLL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE LINKED PAGE TO ENJOY THIS INTERACTIVE IMAGE, WHICH IS FOLLOWED BY A 2006 VIEW!
11/06/2008 - Sunset Drive-In Theatre UPDATE
TWO BEAUTIFUL 1962 PHOTOS COURTESY OF DARCY O'DELL
Perennial Favorites
3/18/2008 - "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.
3/07/2008 - 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!
10/10/2006 - The Helena Independent Record story about this website.
There's a blogger.com Helena History Blog to which you may post. Latest entry: Sept. 6 2008 - "Consultant Rejiggers Helena's 'Brand' - Locals Unimpressed"


Tim Kuney Scott Nelson Ray Cumming Laura Blumenthal
Charleen Spalding Vic Reiman Bill Higgins Kitty A. Quigley Taaler
Don Hoffman Kathleen Ely Kirby Lambert Chuck Jezick
Joe Munzenrider Anonymous (3) Janet Stellmon Sidney Armstrong
Gerry Early Wes & Carol Synness Sister Dolores Brinkel Charlie Beaton
Nancy Goodspeed Darcy O'Dell Pamela Attardo Blake Gardiner
Jeff Sherlock Don Cornish David Hull Tom Kilmer
The Bisom Family Chris Warren Patrick Ryan Dennis Dickert
Cathee Crapo Inez Slayman Derek Evers Ralph Beer
Kathryn Fehlig Michael E. Holmes Ellen Baumler Kathleen Daniusis
Linda Beattie Anderson Wally Peel Dan Duke D. R. Stinson
Orchard Lakes School Lisa Kennedy
Carol & Charles Anderson
Jason Francis
Rowena Clarke Fulk Bob & Susie Lindeberg Tim Rusek Frank Cuta
Bob Guffey Roy E. Millegan Virgie M. Baird Dave Thomas
Mike Millegan Judy Bakke Kerry Brown Patty Dean
Steve Andre David Marriot Keith Nay Tom Mulvaney
Jack Womack David Burton Marilyn Lamb Roberts Capt. Sean Logan &
The Helena Fire Dept.
Intermountain
Childrens Home
Vivian Hayes    
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.



ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHS OF PEOPLE

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!


Site Hosted by an Actual Helena Native!


Kennon Baird • Editor

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.


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


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.