Helena (Montana)
| Helena | |
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| Nickname : Queen City | |
 Helena with the mountains behind (2006) |
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| Location in Montana | |
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| Basic data | |
| Foundation : | October 30, 1864 |
| State : | United States |
| State : | Montana |
| County : | Lewis and Clark County |
| Coordinates : | 46 ° 36 ′ N , 112 ° 1 ′ W |
| Time zone : | Mountain ( UTC − 7 / −6 ) |
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Inhabitants : - Metropolitan Area : |
28,190 (as of 2010) 67,636 |
| Population density : | 776.6 inhabitants per km 2 |
| Area : | 36.3 km 2 (approx. 14 mi 2 ) of which 36.3 km 2 (approx. 14 mi 2 ) is land |
| Height : | 1237 m |
| Postcodes : | 59601-59626 |
| Area code : | +1 406 |
| FIPS : | 30-35600 |
| GNIS ID : | 0802116 |
| Website : | www.ci.helena.mt.us |
| Mayor : | Wilmot Collins |
 Aerial views of Helena |
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Helena is the capital of the US state Montana . Mining and agriculture are of great importance in the region, and the city is now the most important commercial and administrative center of Montana. Helena is the county seat of Lewis and Clark County . The Capitol with a replica of the Statue of Liberty, the community center and the Cathedral of Saint Helena are particularly worth seeing .
history
The city was founded on October 30, 1864, after the discovery of gold deposits, by the so-called "Four Georgians". The "Four Georgians" were a group of four gold prospectors from the US state of Georgia . The findings sparked a twenty year gold rush. During this time, gold was mined for the equivalent of $ 3.6 billion today. More than 3000 people settled there within a few years. At first the city was called "Crabtown" after the name of one of its founders, John Crab. However, after more and more gold miners settled and the city continued to expand, it was decided to change the name of the city. The new name Helena was chosen based on the city of Saint Helena in Minnesota .
Montana became a US territory in 1864 and Virginia City became its capital. In 1875, however, it was decided to change the seat and make the flourishing Helena the new capital. This was a fateful decision for Helena, because while Virginia City could not cope with the abandonment of the mines and is now a city with only 130 inhabitants, Helena was able to assert itself thanks to its position as the capital.
The connection to the railway line of the Northern Pacific Railway in the year 1883 accelerated the growth of the city again. In the following years, Helena's position was only questioned once. In 1894 a battle broke out between the cities of Anaconda and Helena for the seat of the capital of Montana. But the voters decided in the scheduled vote in favor of the proven Helena, although the area around Anaconda was economically very successful at the time. Helena experienced several major fires between 1935 and 1937. This led to the construction of a fire tower that still watches over the city today. The central location, the position as the capital, the transport connections and the agriculture in the Prickley Pear Valley meant that Helena was able to develop into one of the most important cities of Montana.
- 1805 exploration of the region by the Lewis and Clark expedition
- 1889 Helena becomes the capital of what is now the state of Montana
- 1902 Completion of the Montana State Capitol , the side wings were added 1909–1912
56 buildings and sites in the city are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) (as of November 8, 2018).
On November 7, 2017, Wilmot Collins , a former refugee from Liberia , was elected mayor. Helena is the first city in Montana to have a black mayor.
Population development
The figures from 1900 to 1990 are rounded.
| year | Population numbers |
|---|---|
| 1900 | 10,800 |
| 1906 / 07 | 16,800 |
| 1910 | 12,500 |
| 1916 | 13,600 |
| 1920 | 12,000 |
| 1930 | 11,800 |
| 1940 | 15,100 |
| 1950 | 17,600 |
| 1960 | 20,200 |
| 1970 | 22,700 |
| 1980 | 23,900 |
| 1990 | 24,600 |
| 2000 | 25,780 |
| 2010 | 28,190 |
Mount Helena City Park
The Mount Helena City Park was founded in 1902 and covers an area of 2,500 square meters. It surrounds the 1667 m high Mount Helena , to which several hiking trails and a mountain bike trail lead.
climate
Because of its location, Helena has a typical continental mountain climate. The weather ranges from freezing cold (down to below −30 ° C) in winter to summer heat with maximum values above 30 degrees. Precipitation (~ 300 mm per year) falls all year round, with winter snowstorms, the so-called blizzards , bringing enormous amounts of snow to the city. Large temperature fluctuations between day and night are also common. The sun shines in Helena for around 2600 hours per year, the temperature extremes fluctuate between −41 and +39 ° C and the annual average temperature is 6 ° C.
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Monthly average temperatures and rainfall for Helena, Montana
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Picture gallery
Montana State Capitol (2013)
Former Governor's Villa (2008)
St. Helena Cathedral (2009)
St. John's Lutheran Church (2013)
Temple Emanu-El (2012)
Old Cooney Hospital (2012)
Ming Opera House (2012)
Hiking trail in Mount Helena City Park (2018)
"Devil's Kitchen" in Mount Helena City Park (2003)
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sons and daughters of the town
- Gary Cooper (1901–1961), actor
- Margaret Craven (1901–1980), writer
- Forrest H. Anderson (1913–1989), politician and judge
- Norman J. Holter (1914-1983), biophysicist
- Thomas Lee Judge (1934-2006), politician; Governor of Montana
- Patricia Nell Warren (1936–2019), writer
- John Patrick Williams (* 1937), politician, member of the US House of Representatives (1979-97)
- Max Baucus (* 1941), US Senator
- Dirk Benedict (* 1945), actor
- Patricia Belcher (born 1954), actress
- Maile Meloy (* 1972), writer (sister of Colin Meloy)
- Colin Meloy (* 1974), singer with The Decemberists
- TJ Lanning (* 1984), ski racer
See also
- Algeria Shrine Temple , civic center
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Search mask database in the National Register Information System. National Park Service , accessed November 8, 2018.
- ↑ Montana's first black mayor, once a refugee, says US offered 'second chance' theguardian.com , November 9, 2017, accessed on August 2, 2020 (English)
- ^ Montana. Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks: Montana State Trails Plan , Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, 2001, p. 66
- ↑ Mount Helena City Park visitmt.com , accessed August 5, 2020