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Old Money

By: Steven Rinella

One of the most noteworthy things about old blues musicians is that they consider a loss of wealth to be a source of pride rather than embarrassment. Sure, on the surface level they’ll sound like they’re upset about blown fortunes, but you can tell that deep down they are really happy because blown money is evidence of a past life that was lived to the fullest. While there is very little resemblance between the personae of a blues man and that of Helena, Montana, they both share this peculiar attitude towards vanished fortunes. At the turn of the century, Helena was the richest city in America, boasting more millionaires per capita than any other city in the nation. That’s obviously no longer the case, but cruising around in Helena reveals a content nostalgia for the bygone era of opulence rather than any resentment over the finality of those days.
Not that the community of Helena is hard pressed; As the capital of Montana it has one of the state’s most thriving economies. But in no way does it match the days back in 1888 when there were about 50 millionaires knocking around a town that was just a fraction of the size it is today. In those days Helena was a mining boom town, home to some of Montana’s most profitable gold and silver pits.
The most famous of these is the mine at what was once Last Chance Gulch. Back in the day the gulch was a deep gash in the earth literally lined with pick-axe wielding miners, but now the gulch doesn’t exist at all except in vivid memories. Last Chance Mine was filled in; That part of Helena is now occupied by beautiful parks, artist studios, trendy shops, restaurants, and fancy buildings.
The actual mine may be gone but the evidence of all that gold is readily available in the many forms of showy 19th Century architecture. A cruise around Helena will reveal Baroque, Romanesque, gothic, Neoclassic and Italianate styles of buildings. Many of these old trophy homes have been impeccably restored and can be viewed along the street in the old section of town lying to the west of the capitol building.
Several industries kept Helena healthy and on the map after the mining era and its lavish spending ended, the most notable of these being the governing of Montana. For much of the time things are pretty mellow around the capital of the state, but when “the session” is on it can get awfully hairy. A lawmaking session is a four month ordeal, and it brings to town 150 legislators along with thousands of family and staff members, plus a giant load of lobbyists. The public can view much of the legal doings, and Helena at that time can offer the visitor some insights about how a sparsely populated, very large state conducts itself.
And the architecture surrounding the capital is as interesting as the architecture of the Gold Era. The Montana State Capitol itself follows the neo-classical trend of 19th Century government buildings, but inside it’s a total Wild West show, with depictions of Indians, cowboys, miners, and a huge Charles Russell mural with the revealing title of “Lewis and Clark Meeting the Flathead Indians at Ross’ Hole.”
Peculiarly out-of-place with the wealth of classic architectural styles is Montana’s New Governor’s Mansion. This home is literally and quite intentionally shaped like a ship. This is a must see if only to appreciate just how corny it is. The Original Governor’s Mansion, built in 1888, reflects Victorian opulence instead of out-of-place maritime nostalgia, and it is also a must see. The Montana Historical Society manages the building, along with a museum exhibiting artwork by Charles Russell and photography by Evelyn Cameron.
A good dinner in Helena is not at all hard to find, and on most nights the diligent bar hopper can also find a good place to cut a rug to some live tunes. And, if sessions in, you might be lucky enough to see some politicians blowing off a little steam out on the dance floor.
The aesthetic qualities of Helena are matched nicely by the natural world around it. Approaching from the north on I-15 the city looks like some idyllic mountain village with the mountains to the back and the sun coming in over the western hills. Across the valley from Helena is the city’s own enormous pet rock, a mountain known as the Sleeping Giant. Unlike most mountains that are supposed to look like something, from the right angle this one actually does.
Helena sits among some enormous tracts of national forest, and wildlife is abundant in the surrounding hills. Some stretches of the Missouri River in the Helena area offer some excellent flyfishing for trout but one of the primary draws of the region are the four major man-made lakes, Helena, Canyon Ferry, Holter, and Hauser. These all have great year round fishing for a variety of species, and ice fishing in the winter is a good way to get out and have some fun during the cold months.
Summers in Helena are usually quite dry and stable, with warm days and cooler evenings, but an amazing thing about winter days around Helena is the dynamic weather. Systems sometimes sweep across the valley in sudden and powerful bursts, interspersed with startling calm and clear skies. During a day on the ice of Canyon Ferry Reservoir it’s possible to see sun, then snow, then hail, fog, and rain, followed up by more snow. Then maybe a little more sun. It makes a wonderful experience when mixed with some fishing for ling, a native fish known as poor man’s lobster, which, to be honest, appear to be some kind of cross between a bull frog and an eel.
The annual Ling Ding in February on Canyon Ferry Reservoir is the best time to try for ling. Anglers join a betting pool and whoever catches the biggest ling takes the pot. Often, though, the winner blows the whole wad that night at the Ling Ding bash, which is held at a shoreline bar along the reservoir. But, with the spendthrift culture that goes with the bygone era of gold mining in Helena, that sort of behavior seems to fit right in.