Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1876-05-11
Brief Sketch Of the Metro
polls in Her Early Days.
The First Murder in Helena
Organization Of the Vigi-
lance Committee---The
First Church Erected
----And the First
N ewspaper
Published.

AT the request of many Of the HERALD
readers, we give brief local history of the
metropolis and capital of Montana. Owing
to the insufficient data at hand, being obliged
to have recourse to our memory, and the brief
time we allowed ourselves in the preparation
of this article, will account for its not being
so complete as we would desire. 1t is much
to be regretted that the precise date of the
commencement of the town of Helena is not
known. In the Centennial year, especially,
what a jollification we could have if the natal
day of our town was known. In fact, as
every year rolled around, that day would be
to US what the fourth day of July is to the
nation. But, although the exact date of
Helena's birth is in doubt, we know that it
took place sometime during the month of
September, 1864.
In the month of July, of the same year,
party of Georgians left Virginia City for the
purpose of prospecting in this section Of the
country, and stopped for short time in Last
Chance gulch. They found gold here, but
like a large number of miners, we're not sat-
isfied, and hoping for richer ground, went
still further on, until they came to the head
of Sun River. This place, which proved so
tors, turned out bad for them, and they re-
turned to Last Chance in the latter part of
August. Realizing that they must soon es-
tablish themselves somewhere, as the season
was drawing to a close, they determined to
commence active mining operations here,
remarking that it was their ''last chance
and thus giving to the gulch the name of
s'Last Chance"
Mining was first commenced on the west
side of the gulch, nearly opposite Halls Grub
Store. 1t may be OF interest to here state
that this bar gave to the five men who work
ed upon it fortune of fifty thousand dollars
each in the course of two years. The pros
poets improving, building commenced, and
the first cabin was erected about the middle
of September, 1864, in the rear of the old
st. Louis Drug Store, formerly on Main,
just above where Wall street now ISL by
John S. Cowan, commonly called ''Uncle
Johnny" and the first discoyerer of gold in
the gulch. On the 21st day of July, 1864,
John Cowan discovered gold in Last Chance.
His cabin was torn down in October, 1867.
The second cabin was built above it, by Bob
Stanley, and the third by Capt. G. J. Wood,
near the site where Auerbach's building now
stands. On the first of October there were
five cabins in the town.
In this month the Minnesota train, under
the command of Capt. Jas. L. Fisk, which
accompanied General Sully's expedition as
far as the Yellowstone, arrived in the Prickly
Pear Valley. One third of them were in
duced to remain here by Capt. Wood, and
one-half went on to the town of Prickly Pear,
but eventually returned.
In October the first election was held, the |
balloting being for members of the Legisla-
ture Nearly two hundred votes were cast,
the Republicans having large majority.
The first store was opened by Constans &
Jurgens, during the month of November, |
1864, although it has been claimed that they
did not open out until the 10th of December.
Previous to that time, E. s. Peckhard had in
good running order, the first ''whisky mill in
the gulch The first stock of goods exposed
for sale, in a tent, was brought from Virginia
City by T. J. Bagg.
About the middle of December the miners
Of Last Chance met and adopted the name of
Helena for the city that was to be- A
committee of three were appointed tc lay out
he town and fix laws governing the pre-emp-
ION of lots Of that number but one alone
actively discharged the duties of this position.
This voluntary, gratuitous discharge of a pub
ic trust, and in many cases thankless task,
was carried out to success, despite the many
he was laboring under and the
obstacles he overcame. Scarcely had the
own been laid out, when furious rush was
made for the more eligible sites. Hard words