July 14, 2010
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ITW = Into The West Journey
June , 2010
Helena, Montana Last Chance Gulch
Helena, Montana is a fantastick town of a rich western history. A couple of days here is not enough. A western mining town... a boom town... and some busts. An earlier road trip through the west , went to Virginia City, Montana... the provisional territory capitol of Montana , until it was wrestled away by Helena.
They called it the "Last Chance" gulch... ...the creek / stream that ran through the main street of what was Helena, Montana. Story was... all the Gold prospectors were ready to give up on a worthless claim. They had prospected and panned for months w/ minimal results on this worthless creek. Ready to throw in the towel,... give up... move on to more promising gold prospecting streams.
And one guy said... well,... Let's give it one Last Chance.... my Last chance. ... and he hit a vain of gold. Found a nugget strike that was like no other. And the gold rush was back on.
The life of the gold miners was a rough tumble life. They'd be up at dawn, working their claim; 10 feet of dirt riverbank that was theirs and anything they could pan out of it. Typical day was to pan gold all day from dusk 'til dark.... or late eve when they'd take their Gold-dust into the saloons and "weigh out"... tally their daily Gold weight for dollars... most of the time on a credit ledger in the saloon. .... then for the rest of the night spend it on whiskey and saloon women... until dawn. ... then get up and do it again the next day. WHAT a life to be a gold prospector in Helena Montana!!!
Wait a minute!!! ... men that would work hard all day and cavort into the night.... I know these guys; I worked with these guys. I knew Marine buddies that did the same thing. ... I worked with shipyard Cajuns that did this.... i worked with stockbrokers that did this... I worked with construction workers that did this. .... Dad ! .... I know these guys; I worked and lived with them... god I love 'em!!! These are the guys that lived life to the fullest and built America!
There are hundreds of tiny shanty / shack homes along Last chance street. Homes now rentovated over the years and still lived in from the original claims on the property by these prospectors.
Claims to the 10feet creek-banks were sold,... claims were traded.... claims were jumped by cutthroat scoundrels, ... men / prospectors were killed / beaten to death for worthless claims ... right here on the "Last Chance " gulch. This is the main street drag of oldtown Helena and it has now transformed through Helenas history to be one of the main attractions.
If you like old town western history... come to Helena!
*** a sidetrack here---
--- Also see virginia City, Montana on the sbtyellowstone blog -- when completed -- another mining boom-town with rich history... notably... the origin of the 3 - 7 - 77 Logo that is still on the present Montana State Troopers cars.
Legend is ... Virginia city, MT an old somewhat ghost town of the old west mining towns where the vigilante law was --3-- , --7--, --77--. If you were a thug, robber, scoundrel.... the -3- -7- -77- was painted on your door.... on your linen tent,... your number was up. It meant... the stage leaves town at 3, the sun sets at 7, & it's 77 miles to Bozeman... the territorial capitol where you might could get a fair trial by official law. Otherwise,... take your chances here w/ the vigilantes western justice of a noose. The vigilantes hung about 24 thugs in a couple of months when they cleaned up the town. god I love Montana people! ---
