Helena Sites

The W.P.A. worked to develop what is now known as Helena Regional Airport, in Helena, Montana. W.P.A. project info: "Improve municipal airport" Official Project Number: 165‐1‐91‐168 Total project cost: $201,345.00 Sponsor: City of Helena "Improve municipal airport" Official Project Number: 165‐1‐91‐71 Total project cost: $169,951.00 Sponsor: City of Helena

The Big Timber Pioneer newspaper reported in 1938: "Without warning, the old abandoned Elk's Temple at Helena recently sagged and partially collapsed into one of the city's principal streets. ... WPA crews under an emergency project ... from behind the damaged building..." The structure was located on Broadway Street near Last Chance Gulch in the southwest corner of the city.

The PWA allotted funds toward the construction of the $510,000 Helena high school, which was built between 1934 and 1935. A 1939 survey of PWA works described the school's construction: "The high school was rehabilitated and designed to resist earthquakes. The brick walls were removed, and reinforced concrete substituted with special column and beam reinforcing. The building was divided into individual units separated by 4-inch spaces. The projects were completed in January 1938 at an estimated construction cost of $146,476 and a project cost of $157,504."   (Short and Brown) The building didn't last long in its original form... Helenahistory.org reports that: "Dedicated on...

In 1885, the Montana Territorial Legislature authorized the organization of a National Guard. Within three years its nine companies were headquartered in the territorial capital at Helena. Since that time Montana Guard personnel have been called up for State Active Duty to assist with riots, strikes, natural disasters, law enforcement, search and rescue, and other emergencies. Montana citizen soldiers mustered into federal service for military actions including the Spanish American War in 1898, the Philippine Insurrection in 1899, World War I France, throughout World War II's Pacific Theatre, the Korean and Vietnam conflicts, the Persian Gulf War, Bosnia and Kuwait,...

Big Timber Pioneer reported in late 1935 that the WPA had allocated $55,927 "for the purpose of rehabilitating the front steps by placing a new foundation of granite in place of the current pillars and plank bridge work ..."