Welcome to the Lewis & Clark County Historical Society
Lewis and Clark County Historical Society History Center is now open Thursdays and Fridays from 10am to 5pm and Saturday from 10am until 3pm, in the historic Steamboat Block, at 618 Helena Ave. in downtown Helena! While you’re there, be sure to stop in the museum store with books, t-shirts, etc. in honor of our generous benefactor Will Greiner.
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Events
More eventsWe host a variety of events throughout the year, including lectures, workshops, tours and more. Check out upcoming gatherings to learn, explore, and connect with others who share a passion for local heritage.
August Monthly LCCHS Meeting
Your Board of Directors meet every second Tuesday of the month at noon in the History Center. Members and guests are most welcome! The annual members’ meeting and the President’s annual report to the community is held on the first Thursday of June. Members are welcome!
Date: August 11, 2026
Time: 6:00 PM
Location: 618 Helena Ave.
Marcus Daley's Montana Empires
With business savvy honed in the West’s rowdy mining camps, Marcus Daly rose from poor Irish immigrant to Gilded Age magnate. From the mines of Butte, Montana, to America’s largest smelter in a town he also named Anaconda, Daly’s Anaconda Copper Company made a fortune. He used it to build his dream—a Bitterroot Valley ranch and a horse racing empire that stretched from California to New York. Meanwhile, his gregarious and generous façade hid a sly manipulator, one locked in a battle for political dominance with rival copper king W.A. Clark. With detailed research and more than one hundred photographs, historian Brenda Wahler peels back the layers of a complex industrialist, revealing his historic influence and legacy.
A fourth-generation Montanan who lives near Helena, Montana, Brenda Wahler is an attorney, author, independent historian, and horsewoman. She previously authored "Montana Horse Racing: A History and Marcus Daly's Road to Montana" for The History Press.
Brenda will offer her new book, Marcus Daley's Montana Empires at the event.
Date: August 12, 2026
Time: 1:00 AM
Location: 618 Helena Ave.
August 2026 Newsletter
We are pleased to announce that your historical society has received a donation of digital photographs of Helena. The HUBER Collection contains some fifty five images including of the construction of Helena’s downtown walking mall.
Download Newsletter
About Lewis and Clark County
The area that became Lewis & Clark County was created within Montana Territory in 1864. Originally titled Edgerton County after Montana’s first territorial governor, the jurisdiction was renamed in 1868 for the Lewis & Clark expedition which traversed it twice, once in 1805 and again in 1806.
In 1872 its boundaries were redefined, taking on, for the most part, its existing appearance. Covering over 3,000 square miles, it occupies sections of such famous land forms & features as the Rocky Mountain Front, the Continental Divide, the Big Belt Mountains, the Over-thrust Region and the Missouri River.
Rich in resources and scenic beauty, the County has attracted the attention of people from the earliest known times of North American human occupation to the present.
Learn moreExhibits
More exhibitsA significant part of our mission is dedicated to illustrating our history through both in-house and traveling exhibits.
Garments of an Era
Garments of an Era is our newest exhibit. Showing vintage clothing from a Helena family that dates back to 1880, these garments are amazing.
Communications Exhibit
Communications Exhibit features a large collection curated by East Helena’s John Barrows.
Transportation
All western Montana trails led to the Helena area, including several Native American trails and three major wagon routes.
Communities
We are a community of historic organizations and invite you to visit other local historical societies and museums located throughout Lewis and Clark County and the surrounding areas.
The Lewis & Clark County Community has a rich and diverse history. A travel stop on the Missouri River for centuries, our diverse community’s economy includes mining, ranching, manufacturing, logging, government (Helena is the state capitol), farming, transportation, military and recreation. While Helena is the largest city in the county, a number of other communities are spread across the county.
Find communities
Research
Our research center and archives features work stations with free computer and printer use and complete internet access for researchers. You can digitally access the historic newspapers that served the communities in Lewis & Clark County during the past 150 years.
Our archives contain a variety of historical documents and records that are invaluable for research and preserving the heritage of Lewis & Clark County.
Stop in the History Center to view our research resources or contact us to learn more about how we can assist with your historical inquiries.
Start your research
Membership
Join the Lewis & Clark County Historical Society to support local history and enjoy year-round benefits at the History Center and beyond.
Become a member
Volunteer
The Lewis & Clark County Historical Society is historically an all-volunteer organization. You can volunteer on your own time and schedule, and contribute in a variety of ways.
Get involved