This visual history traces Helena from its 1864 beginning as a crude Rocky Mountain mining camp to the bustling city that became Montana’s capital three decades later, and on through the changes brought by the 20th century. Black-and-white images from the Montana Historical Society Photo Archives blend with treasured pictures from private collections each selected for its rareness, captioned in detail, and pointed in the highest quality. Here is a cultural history of Helenans at work and at play, in school and at home, suffering disasters and triumphing over them – and, especially, honoring the legacy of their forebears.