Helena, city at the eastern foot of the Continental Divide, capital of Montana and seat of Lewis and Clark County, in the western part of the state. Located in the Prickly Pear Valley in a fertile region surrounded by hills and mountains, Helena is a commercial, financial, and transportation center for an agricultural and mining district. Government, the insurance industry, and tourism are important to the city's economy. Manufactures of the area include refined lead, processed food, paint, building materials, and metal products.
Carroll College (1909), site of a vocational education center, is in Helena. Among the city's points of interest are the Helena Historic District around Last Chance Gulch; the State Capitol (completed 1902), with a copper-clad dome surmounted by a copy of the Statue of Liberty; the former governor's mansion (1885), designed by Cass Gilbert; the Montana Historical Society Museum, with exhibits on the history of the region and a collection of 200 works by Western artist Charles Russell; and the Gothic-style Saint Helena Cathedral (dedicated 1914). Other cultural institutions include the Holter Museum of Art and the Helena Symphony and Chorale. A dogsled race is held in the city annually. Nearby are Frontier Town, a reproduction of a pioneer settlement; the headquarters of Helena National Forest; and Canyon Ferry Dam and Recreation Area.
Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Helena Information info
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