How did Helena become Montana’s State Capital?

Helena, Montana’s Capitol is ornate and worth taking time to walkthrough.

If you have a chance to visit Helena, Montana, be sure to visit the capitol.  It’s a beautiful building.  As a fan of architecture I studied art history in college, have traveled through Europe several times, and grew up frequenting historic theaters.  I am not an expert, but I love architecture.  After I moved to Montana, about a decade ago, I became homesick for such things.  Montana’s capitol building is a great place to feast on decorative mouldings.

Truthfully, there are plenty of places in Montana to quench architectural yearnings.  Even in the smallest of towns.  The “Treasure State” is dotted with hidden gems.  You just have to step through a front door.

Many county seats, in particular, have gorgeous, ornate structures housing their local government offices.  From what I have been told, though I have not been able to verify this story, county courthouses were a factor in determining who received the honor of becoming Montana’s state capital.  According to the story that I was told by a woman who was born and raised in Montana, there was a competition among the counties.  Whoever built the most stunning courthouse would be granted worthy of becoming the state capital.  Apparently, Helena won.

Montana’s capitol is like walking throuh an art museum.

It’s a story that is easy to believe, when you travel across Montana and duck your head into the various county courthouses.  Remember, Montana is sparsely populated.  And was a sparsely populated frontier in its early statehood as well. For members of communities to put so much stock into their courthouses makes sense with this story.  I just don’t know if it’s true.

At any rate, wherever you are traveling through Montana, take a moment to take a gander of the detailed historic buildings, even in the still quiet corners of Montana.