Distinctly Montana Magazine

d i s t i n c t ly m o n ta n a • s U m m E R 2 0 1 4 96 The views don't end there. To the east, the copper dome of the capi- tol glints in the morning sun, and, nearer, the two spires of the Cathedral of St. Helena stand above the rooftops and leafless trees. I've always been in awe of the cathedral's spectacular Gothic archi- tecture, and on a quiet day you can sometimes hear the bells from up here. But it's the way sunlight passes through the 59 stained glass win- dows that really inspires. "The inside is the hidden gem," says Louis Glouge, of the Helena Diocese. "It overtakes you." From the Cathedral, I trace the wind- ing route of Last Chance Gulch, one of the city's most famous reminders of its placer mining days. The stream that ran through what is now down- town Helena—and fed so many miners' dreams—was diverted underground in the mid-1800s to serve the city's water supply. Today, the underground river remains. Historians call it the "hidden river of gold." Author and interpretive historian Ellen Baumler frequently writes about downtown Helena and its rather colorful history. Her three favorite spots remain Reeder's Alley, the St. Louis Block, and the Atlas Building. Reeder's Alley is the oldest intact Territorial period neigh- borhood in Helena. Named for brick mason Louis Reeder, the boarding houses were filled with miners who traveled from afar seeking their fortune. On the site is the Pioneer Cabin, the oldest documented dwelling Helena (completed in two separate pieces in 1864 and 1865). From the 1920s until 1972, the St. Louis Block (near where a restored Helena trolley sits on the Walking Mall) was the site of Dorothy's Rooms, one of the most famous brothels in the state. According to Baumler, 19 1/2 Last Chance Gulch "probably had the most famous back door in Montana." About a hundred yards north sits the Atlas Building. Built in 1889 by the Atlas Company, which sold fire insurance, the structure is topped with stylized flames reaching skyward, two winged salamanders (once used as a symbol for something fire proof). One could easily spend a day explor- ing the Gulch, and the same is true about Mount Helena. Seeing so much in one sweeping panorama stirs up memories: there's my old house, my school, the church where my sister got married. Up here the crisp air has a way of clear- ing your head. But Bailey's had her fill of the hill, and she's got me in tow, headed back to town. As we reach the bottom, I see a family sitting at the picnic table, heavy coats shed, basking in the sun. I wave. The father shouts, "We're ringing in spring!" arCHIE bray fouNDatIoN for CEraMIC artS Listed on the National Register of historic Places, thE bray is located three miles from downtown helena, on the site of the former Western Clay Manufacturing Company at 2915 Country Club Drive. Open for self-guided walking tours 7 days a week during daylight hours. (406) 443-3503. www.archiebray.org www.60tharchiebray.org Get a helena walking tour app for your phone www.distinctlymontana.com/helena143 DISTINCTLY MONTANA | DIGITAL

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