Moose Creek Cabin

About forestry service, 59421, Cascade, MT, US, Montana

Helena (; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the seat of Lewis and Clark County. Helena was founded as a gold camp during the Montana gold rush, and established on October 30, 1864. Due to the gold rush, Helena became a wealthy city, with approximately 50 millionaires inhabiting the area by 1888. The concentration of wealth contributed to the city's prominent, elaborate Victorian architecture. At the 2020 census Helena's population was 32,091, making it the 5th least populous state capital in the United States and the 6th most populous city in Montana. It is the principal city of the Helena Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Lewis and Clark, and Jefferson counties; the MSA's population being 83,058 according to the 2020 census. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The city is served by Helena Regional Airport (HLN). == History == The Helena area was long inhabited by various indigenous peoples. Evidence from the McHaffie and Indian Creek sites on opposite sides of the Elkhorn Mountains southeast of the Helena Valley show that people of the Folsom culture lived in the area more than 10,000 years ago.