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Helena's Old Main Street: A Walking Tour

Photo: Main Street, looking north from Bridge Street, Helena, Montana

View of a commercial section of Main Street, looking north from Bridge Street, Helena, Montana, with businesses lining both sides of the dirt street with horse or mule teams hitched to covered wagons. Telegraph line poles are visible on the right or east side of the road. Clearly visible signs read, 'Union Brewery' and 'Auerback, Wells & Co.'; on the left, 'Belmont Saloon' on the right. W. H. Taylor reported that this photo 'was taken in 1874 by Mr. [Oliver C.] Bundy's assistant and Mr. Bundy is in the right of the picture. Bill Moran is the driver of the teams and 'Bloody Dick' is standing near the corner of Wood and Main.'

Downtown Helena is a captivating blend of Wild‑West grit and Victorian elegance, where the legacy of the gold rush is etched into every brick and cornice. Laid out along “Last Chance Gulch,” the narrow channel where prospectors known as the Four Georgians struck it rich in July 1864, the area quickly attracted not only miners but also architects, merchants, and eventual millionaires. By 1888, Helena was home to around 50 millionaires, several lavish structures, and served as the territorial capital. These many grand moments earned the city the nickname “Queen City of the Rockies”.

The area known as the "walking mall" stands along where the town's original Main Street ran from the late 1800s through the 1970s. A controversial project known as "urban renewal" led to the demolition and reconfiguring of downtown, leaving much of the original area looking entirely different.

Along your journey today, you will see holdovers from urban renewal along with spaces that transformed entirely as this rowdy mining camp became the capital city of Montana over the course of 160+ years.

This exhibit is intended as a companion piece to the Montana History Portal walking tour of Helena, through our partnership with Adventure Lab. If you walk the tour, you will be able to compare the historic photos below with the views you see today in the 21st century. For those who don't have the chance to visit these places in person, we have embedded Google Street Views with each photo, which will allow you to compare Helena today to the Helena of history. In this exhibit, you will not only see evidence of the historic architecture still in place, but also the changes wrought by fires and later urban renewal in downtown Helena. The images below are organized geographically moving along Last Chance Gulch and 6th Avenue.

You can take this walking tour for free with the Adventure Lab app using this link: https://labs.geocaching.com/goto/dab76782-6b10-4bc9-9827-7ed4c0a03729

The Goodkind Block

Erected in 1884 as the Broadwater Block for Charles A. Broadwater, this is the oldest surviving commercial building north of Broadway. Designed by St. Louis architect Francis Dickson Lee, its pressed-metal cornice and decorative windows reflect early Western Commercial architecture. The building later housed Wise & Goodkind’s wholesale wine, liquor, and cigar business until 1918.

Many historic buildings on Last Chance Gulch see the word "block" accompany their name. Rather than taking up a whole city block, lower-level store fronts and living spaces above simultaneously occupied many of Helena's original buildings. Terms like the Bailey Block, Gold Block, and Boston Block (among several others) then became standard names as they city grew in stature during the 1880s and 1890s.

Photo: Corner of Jackson St. and 6th Ave., looking southwest, Helena, Montana

View of several businesses and advertisements in downtown Helena, Montana, mountains visible in background and utility poles in foreground. Advertisements include the J.B. Lockwood Pharmacy, J. Rummel Tinsmith, Frank Gibson Piano and Furniture Mover, R. Barz Tailoring, J. E. O'Connors Drug Store, and Goodkind Brothers.

The Power Block

You stand here on the edge of Helena’s Walking Mall looking south along Last Chance Gulch. This pedestrian zone was once the bustling heart of the city. In this 1902, photo you can see well-dressed people and horse-drawn carriages on what was originally known as Main Street. Looming above you now, and little changed from this 1902 view, is the Power Block.

Built in 1889 by mining magnate Thomas C. Power, the Power Block is a Romanesque Revival commercial building designed by Willetts & Ashley of Chicago. It originally housed Power’s American National Bank (1892–1920s) and survived Helena’s 1928 fire thanks to its thick granite walls and massive arched entry. Note the windows on the curved corner of the building – the number of windows matches the floor of the building.

The majority of downtown buildings like the Power Block were heated through a steam system that led to the construction of tunnels underneath the original Main Street. Rumors persist about the actual use of these tunnels (which still exist but are inaccessible today). Claims of speakeasies, brothels, and Chinese markets hang over the legacy of the tunnels, but little to no evidence exists for any major underground operations.

Photo: Main Street, looking south from 6th Avenue, Helena, Montana

View of Main Street, Helena, Montana, looking south from 6th Avenue, with people walking on sidewalks and in the dirt road near horse-drawn carriages. Business signs visible include Babcock & Co. and J. E. O'Connor Drug Store. Business blocks visible on right (west) side of Main St. are, from right-to-left, the Power Block, Gold Block, New York Store, Bailey Block, and Granite Block. Most of these business blocks were destroyed in the 1928 fire at this site.

Photo: Independence Now and Forever.

View of Main Street at 6th Avenue, looking south, in Helena, Montana, with decorations for July 4th Independence Day festivities circa 1889. Wide archways have been placed across Main Street in several places, the closest reads, 'Independence Now and Forever.' The Gold Block is on the right decorated for the 4th of July as well, and many small American flags are visible, especially on the left side of the street. Many men and boys stand in the dirt street and several carriages or wagons pulled by horses are visible in the distance. An early streetlamp hangs in the center foreground.

View of Main Street at 6th Avenue, looking south, in Helena, Montana, with decorations for July 4th Independence Day festivities in 1889 (before the Power Block was built).

Montana Club

Founded in 1885 by Helena’s early power players, the Montana Club quickly became the social heart of the city’s booming elite. Its first grand clubhouse, an architectural landmark on this triangular downtown lot, burned in 1903 at the hands of an employee.

Julian Anderson, the club's African American bartender, pulled strings to have his son Harry hired on as an elevator operator. Unfortunately, the boy had a habit of setting fires around town to see the horses scramble. In 1903, Harry started a fire in the Montana Club that would claim the original building.

Undeterred, members rebuilt even bigger, hiring famed architect Cass Gilbert (famous for designing the US Supreme Court building) to design the stately six‑story structure that stands before you today on the corner of 6th Avenue and Fuller Street.

For decades, the Club hosted guests like Teddy Roosevelt, Mark Twain, the King of Belgium, and the who’s‑who of the Montana elite, making it one of the longest‑running private clubs in the Northwest.

Photo: First Montana Club at northwest corner of Sixth Avenue and Fuller Street, Helena, Montana

View of the first Montana Club (built in 1893), a meeting hall in Helena, Montana, that was destroyed by fire in 1903. The building was located at the northwest corner of Sixth Avenue and Fuller Street. Sign to the west of the Montana Club reads 'W. G. Bennett House and Sign Painter,' with man driving a horse-drawn wagon in street.

Photo: Tearing down old Sanden and Ferguson building, 6th and North Main Steet, Helena, Montana

View of crane completing the demolition of old Sanden and Ferguson department store at 302 North Main; men watch from North Main, Montana Club building visible in background circa 1930.

View of crane completing the demolition of old Sanden and Ferguson department store in 1930. Looking west from Main Street.

Montana Business College/Gold Block

The Gold Block (named for its gilded inscription) is built on the site of the former Montana Business College. Destroyed by fire in July 1928, it was rebuilt in 1928–29 by Charles B. Power, son of T. C. Power of Power Block notoriety.

Designed by George Carsley with “spiral mushroom” structural supports, its style mixes Mission and Gothic Revival and was Helena’s last major commercial building to reflect a family fortune.

Gold's legacy will forever hold a place in the story of Helena. The Four Georgians discovered the area in the pursuit of wealth. After their initial strike, thousands poured into the gulch to make their own fortunes. From 1864-1868, nearly $18 million worth of gold was extracted from the stream that ran roughly parallel to the town's main street and later walking mall today.

Photo: Helena -- The Gold Block -- Montana Business College.

Engraved view of the Gold Block, a four-story commercial business block on North Main Street in Helena, Montana. The scene shows wagons and carriages on the street and pedestrians on the sidewalk in front of the building. Business names and proprietors are written on the building: Hahn & Walters' Montana Business College; J. L. La Driere, Architect; T. H. Clewell, Books & Stationery; Helena Cab Co.; Porter, Muth & Cox Real Estate. This illustration appeared in an article by E. V. Smalley entitled, 'The New State of Montana and Its Capital City,' in the June 1890 issue of the Northwest Magazine, on page 27.

Placer Hotel

Completed in 1913 at Last Chance Gulch & Grand Street, the Placer Hotel was designed by George H. Carsley with consulting input from Cass Gilbert (architect for the current Montana Club). It was the largest hotel between Minneapolis–St. Paul and the West Coast, built with donated funds and named for the placer gold unearthed during its construction.

Known for its elegant lobby, state‑of‑the‑art amenities, and frequent visits by politicians and celebrities—including John F. Kennedy in 1960—the ten-story hotel was nearly lost to fire (as was the fate of many buildings in Helena's history) in the 1960s when a serial arsonist was on the loose downtown. Thankfully, the fire was contained before it claimed the historic hotel.

The building now houses condominiums and is said to be haunted by the ghost of a former employee who fell down an empty elevator shaft on Halloween eve, 1967.

Photo: Placer Hotel construction, Helena, Montana

View of the Placer Hotel, a large, multistory brick building, under construction. Scaffolding visible along the right side and partially completed storefronts on the left. Businesses visible along both sides of the building. A.P. Curtin's furniture store buildings and Grand Street visible in left background.

Photo: Main Street, Helena, Montana, looking north towards Grand Street

View of Helena's Last Chance Gulch, following street railroad tracks north, with Placer Hotel on right and Harvey Hotel on left. Automobiles parked on both sides of street, Livingston Roundup banner hangs across street in distance.

View of Helena's Last Chance Gulch looking north, following street railroad tracks north, with Placer Hotel on right and Harvey Hotel on left circa 1937.

Broadway back in the Day

Originally the southern edge of Helena’s settlement around Last Chance Gulch, Broadway evolved into a key commercial corridor in the 1870s–1880s with businesses and civic buildings. It linked downtown with emerging neighborhoods, street cars, and later anchored the South‑Central Historic District while serving as a development spine during early city growth.

Notable spots around you include the women's mural, the site of the former Washinton Brewery, the pioneer statue, and the Federal Assay Office up the hill.

The women's mural on the north side of Broadway depicts the history of Montana through the eyes of its mothers, sisters, suffragists, painted ladies, Native Americans, and so many more. Painted in 1979 by artist Anne Appleby with the help of six students, the mural was meant to be replaced in 1990, but the town refused to see it go, making it a major landmark to this day.

The Washington Brewery once stood at the end of Broadway approximately 1 block to your west. Breweries were a major part of Helena's early community as 7 of the state's 21 total breweries resided in the Queen City by 1875.

The Pioneer statue on the south side of Broadway represent the sluice box era of Helena from the 1860s-1870s. By 1870, only 15% of the town's total population worked as gold miners. Many found it more profitable to "mine the miners" and ventured out into other business. After the gold rush simmered, Helena was a banking and cultural center in Montana territory, helping ensure its survival.

Up the hill on the North side of Broadway stands a tall brick building with a white roof. This 1875 structure was the U.S. Assay Office and has the distinction as the building that created the heaviest piece of gold ever made in Montana. Weighing an incredible 434 pounds, the family of Charles Broadwater brought his massive fortune to the building in 1898 with the request that his gold be melted down into a single piece simply to set a record that still stands to this day.

Photo: Broadway St., looking east from Main St., Helena, Montana

View of Broadway St., looking east up the hill from Main St., Helena, Montana. Street railway trolley in the middle of the street with a man driving a horse-drawn carriage next to it, and a dog in the street nearby. A few pedestrians walk on the sidewalk on either side of the street. A streetlight is hanging in the upper foreground while telegraph or telephone poles line the street.

Photo: Main Street, Helena, Montana, looking north, from Broadway

View of a commercial section of Main Street, looking north from Broadway, Helena, Montana, with a street railroad or trolley car on tracks in the street. Pedestrians walk along the sidewalks and numerous horse-drawn carriages are parked or move along the street in the distance. The Atlas Block is one of the buildings on the right. Some of the visible signs read: 'Babcock Furnishings; A. P. Curtin's Music House; Phoenix Clothing Company; Gans & Klein.' A small dog sits in the sun on the sidewalk on the left.

View of Main Street from Broadway Street facing north circa 1891.

Cosmopolitan Hotel

Opened in 1880 at 37–39 South Main, the Cosmopolitan was Helena’s premier hotel during the gold boom, operated by Sam Schwab and Ed Zimmerman. It sat in an ideal location on south Main Street, an area known for saloons, gambling halls, and the famous red-light districts which surrounded the area.

Every two years, the hotel hosted legislators that would surely value the location and the company of women on Helena's notorious south Main Street.

A four-story brick building with eighty rooms, it was later home to C.J. Bausch & Sons (circa 1920). Its top two floors were removed after the 1935 earthquake to repair damage exacerbated by a heavy rooftop sign.

Eventually falling into disrepair like several buildings downtown, the Cosmopolitan would be demolished and eventually replaced by the nearby contemporary brick building on the east side of the modern walking mall.

This was the fate of many historic buildings on the gulch. Downtown was too far away from draws like the capitol on Helena's east end, leading to its decline. As buildings became more expensive to maintain and traffic dwindled into the 1960s, an urban renewal initiative led to the walking mall you stand on today. Popular concepts during the Nixon administration, walking malls largely failed around the country, but Helena's thrived as a replacement for the town's original Main Street.

Photo: Old Cosmopolitan Hotel, Helena, Montana

'Old Cosmopolitan Hotel. Finest Hostelry West of the Mississippi in the Early Days.' View of old hotel building, used by C. J. Bausch and Sons Stove shop, White Eagle Café in background at 37 South Main Street in Helena, Montana. Cars and a truck with ladders parked on Main Street.

Bridge Street

Originally named after the bridge built to cross Last Chance Creek, Bridge Street was the center of Helena’s early red-light district in the 1860s–1870s. Renamed State Street in 1889 to rebrand the area's rowdy reputation, it became a civic artery.

Its original path reveals the city’s chaotic early layout, molded over time by fires (notably in 1871–72) and reconstruction that shaped the distinctive pivot of the Gulch corridor.

Among the famous sites surrounding you, the hill to the east behind the anchor holds two of the town's infamous landmarks: The Fire Tower and the Bluestone house.

The Fire Tower or "Guardian of the Gulch" has been a mainstay in the area since it was erected in 1874. It is likely the second Fire Tower to stand guard on this spot, as the first one ironically burnt down. The operation was simple but vital; two workers stood at the top of the tower. If either spotted smoke or flames below, they would quickly ring the bell to alert the fire officials of danger in the area. The bell, still present in the tower today, also rang out every day at 10:00pm to alert children that it was time to head for home, so the adults could enjoy the offerings available on south Main Street.

The Bluestone House lower on the hill is made of blue, Pilgram dolostone found at the top of Mount Helena to your west. Built for Madam Lily McGraw, the home was meant to be just that for the industrious lady, never a brothel like many have speculated. Sadly, Lily would pass in 1898, and the Bluestone House remained unfinished clear until the 1970s where it later served as a restaurant, an office, and today the home of nonprofit. Ironically, it has never served as anyone's official residence which was the original intent.

Photo: Bridge Street, Helena, Montana

Bridge Street, Helena, Montana. Numerous wagons in and alongside the unpaved street. Signs on storefronts include Groceries, Dry Goods, and Drug Store. Photograph looks uphill. A train of covered wagons snakes up the hill.

Cutler Street

Looking west, you can see a shot of two women in dresses standing on Cutler Street, circa 1885. The view is looking up Cutler Street toward the intersection with South Main Street with the edge of Helena's Chinatown showing to the left.

In 1870, 1 in 5 people living in the Queen City were Chinese. They brought vital services to the early town even though laws at the time prevented Chinese individuals from making original gold mining claims. Undeterred, where you stand became a thriving Chinese community that included shops, gardens, restaurants, laundries, and much more clear into the 1880s. Once the gold played out, many Chinese residents moved on to opportunities in Butte to the south. Today, only one building of Chinese origin remains in Helena, the small wooden cabin at the base of Reeder's Alley to the west (cabin on the left when entering).

Reeder's Alley stands in the background where it currently exists today as one of the oldest, well-preserved historic districts in the state of Montana. Take a walk through if you have some time to read the signage and learn more about Louis Reeder's enduring legacy in the capital city.

Photo: Two women talking on Cutler St., Helena, Montana

View of two women in dresses standing in a dirt street, Cutler Street, Helena, Montana. View is looking west on Cutler St. toward the intersection with South Main Street (center left) and the China Town area of Helena. Mrs. O. C. Bundy, wife of the photographer, is woman on right. The intersection of Cutler and Water St. is just behind the women. Reeder's Alley at west end of Cutler; sizable brick building center right is recently built official city building with fire and police departments and fronts on West Main Street.

Photo: Chinese Public Affairs Building in Helena, Montana

View of two men standing in front of a wooden building. The man on the right is identified as Alexander Wardlaw and the building was possibly a public affairs or public administration building for Chinese immigrants living in Helena, Montana. Note: The sign on the building was translated in 1982, from right to left it reads: to administer or discharge; public or public affairs; and hall or bureau.

Public affairs or public administration building for Chinese immigrants living in Helena, Montana on South Main Street approx. 1910. Building would be where current Park Avenue building stands on south end of Last Chance Gulch.

Bibliography

10 Interesting Facts about Montana, 10 Interesting Facts About Helena, Montana

Helena History Facts that Might Surprise You, Helena History Facts That Might Surprise You!

Power Block and Power Block West, Power Block and Power Block West Historical Marker

Goodkind Building, Goodkind Building Historical Marker

Gold Block, Helena Historic District, Gold Block: Helena Historic District - Helena Historic District

Placer Hotel, Placer Hotel: Helena Historic District - Helena Historic District

Helena's South-Central Historic District, Helena South-Central Historic District

About the Montana Club, About The Montana Club Article

Helena as She Was -- Cosmopolitan Hotel, Cosmopolitan_Hotel

Helena As She Was -- Early City Views, Early City Views

Cutler Street, [Two women talking on Cutler St., Helena, Montana]. | Montana History Portal

Photo Credit

Montana Historical Society Library and Archives

University of Montana Mansfield Library

MONTANA HISTORY PORTAL

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Helena's Old Main Street: A Walking Tour

View of crane completing the demolition of old Sanden and Ferguson department store at 302 North Main; men watch from North Main, Montana Club building visible in background circa 1930.

View of Helena's Last Chance Gulch, following street railroad tracks north, with Placer Hotel on right and Harvey Hotel on left. Automobiles parked on both sides of street, Livingston Roundup banner hangs across street in distance.

'Old Cosmopolitan Hotel. Finest Hostelry West of the Mississippi in the Early Days.' View of old hotel building, used by C. J. Bausch and Sons Stove shop, White Eagle Café in background at 37 South Main Street in Helena, Montana. Cars and a truck with ladders parked on Main Street.

Bridge Street, Helena, Montana. Numerous wagons in and alongside the unpaved street. Signs on storefronts include Groceries, Dry Goods, and Drug Store. Photograph looks uphill. A train of covered wagons snakes up the hill.

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