State Capital

I am currently on a work trip to Helena, capital of the great state of Montana. I have been here a couple of times before, and every time I visit I get a sense of historic nostalgia. There is just something about being in the capital city that makes me feel patriotic, prideful, and I get the sudden urge to become a history buff. This is where our state was created. This is where laws are created. And this is the place where all those dirty hippies from Missoula come to lobby for things like marijuana and environmental crap.

Aaaannnnyyyywaaaaayyyssss....I found some beautiful pictures of Helena (pronounced Hell-en-uh, NOT Hell-ee-na) that I thought I would share:


This is our capital building. It was built in 1901, with East and West Wings being added on between 1909 and 1912. The most notable feature is the dome on top, which is made completely of copper on the outside. Here is the inside picture of the dome:

Each of the four circles in the corners represent the people in Montana at the time the capital was built: the Indian, the gold miner, the explorer, and the COWBOY!

Here is the next piece of beautiful architecture Helena offers: Cathedral of Saint Helena

Construction began in 1908, and it was not completed until 1914. There are 59 stained glass windows, which were made in Bavaria. Since then, it has undergone numerous renovations and repairs.

Lastly, another historic place in Helena is Last Chance Gulch. It was basically the main street of Helena back in the day. Here's a picture I found from the later 1800's:


Today it is the pedestrian mall at the center of Helena's downtown district, hosting farmer's markets, street festivals, shopping, dining and everything fun!


I just find it absolutely intriguing that a town has lived on long enough, that it's legacy is still continuing today.

And that's all for today's history lesson kids!