1899 Map of Helena

About this map

The Continental Divide dictates the flow of commerce and water across this Montana landscape, surveyed in the final years of the nineteenth century by Henry Gannett and his team. The capital of Helena sits as a regional hub beneath Mt. Helena, with the Scratchgravel Hills to its north and the sprawling Helena National Forest defining the central mountain ranges. The map reveals an intensive mining and transportation network, with the Northern Pacific R.R. and Great Northern R.R. threading through high passes like Mullen Pass and Priests Pass to connect emerging industrial centers.