A Visit to Helena Montana

I set out Friday afternoon to do some research at the Montana Historical Society Research Center. It turned out to be a spectacular weekend. After spending a couple of hours at the research center, I spent the rest of Friday evening exploring Helena. I will have to get a bumper sticker that says: This vehicle stops at all historical markers. I found some interesting homes along Rodney Street that I have overlooked on previous visits. Most of the time I drive to the Museum, maybe hit Last Chance Gulch and Forestvale Cemetery then head home.

Saturday morning before heading back the research center. I grabbed my camera and headed back to Last Chance Gulch to do some more exploring on foot. I took the time to read all of the National Historical Register Plaques and to admire some of the details on the buildings. Downtown Helena is really quite beautiful , the newer buildings designed to fit in with the ones that have been there nearly a century and a half. There are also small parks tucked away in unexpected places and benches everywhere so you can stop and savor the atmosphere.

There are several really exceptional buildings but my three favorites are the Power Block, the Atlas building and the Securities Building.

 

Another of my favorite buildings is the Park Avenue bakery which is located in the historic Eddy’s bakery on Park Avenue. Of course I go there to do more that admire the old building. Saturday morning I enjoyed the best blueberry scone that was ever made, It had the perfect balance of texture and flavor and I am sure that it was enhanced by sitting on the patio out front, looking back toward the gulch. Anyone stopping at the bakery should take a second to look at the ceiling.

On the way back to the car, I stopped in a store called Montana Book and Toy Company. They had an excellent selection of Montana history books, the title noticeably missing from their shelves was my book, MONTANA DISASTERS, but hopefully they will remedy that small problem soon. I would encourage anyone visiting the walking mall on Last Chance Gulch to check it out. Another business shouldn’t be overlooked is the Parrot, which has been in business since 1922. I don’t know how they arrived at that name, but inside there is an old soda fountain and hand-dipped chocolates. It is a good thing that Last Chance Gulch is a walking mall, visitors need to burn off some of the extra calories they get from indulging in the rich treats.

Back at the research center, I spent a few more hours digging up information for my next book as well as some tidbits for this blog. After wrapping up there I stopped in the Museum Gift Store to see what was new in their selection of Montana books. I was pleased to see that they had a few copies of my book on hand. Then it was time to head home. Of course it took me almost five hours to make a normally two hour trip, because my van does stop for all historical spots.