Helena, Idaho became a full-fledged town in 1890, the year Idaho became a state. Yes, Helena, Idaho. Once known as Seven Devils (which is a clue as to its location), miners from Montana who were chasing their fortunes decided to call it Helena when they applied for a post office. Well, that’s one story. Another has it that the town was named for the first girl born in the camp.
Gold attracted most miners to the mountains of Idaho, but Helena was all about copper. Levi Allen discovered the mineral in the area in 1862. Three mines were worked there, the Helena, the White Monument, and the Peacock. Copper tends to be greenish in its natural state. The Peacock was so named because the ore there tended more toward blue.
Ore went out by wagon to Weiser until 1900 when the railroad reached Council. Then the wagons had a shorter route. A railroad was once planned to run from Helena to Weiser to pull out that ore. The price of copper killed that dream, and it was never finished. Soon, the town was. The post office closed in 1902. The town itself was abandoned in 1912.
There are reportedly still some remains of the town that may be of interest to ghost town buffs. It’s located about 10 miles north of Cuprum on Copper Creek, near the far end of the Kleinschmidt Grade. Pack a sandwich.
Gold attracted most miners to the mountains of Idaho, but Helena was all about copper. Levi Allen discovered the mineral in the area in 1862. Three mines were worked there, the Helena, the White Monument, and the Peacock. Copper tends to be greenish in its natural state. The Peacock was so named because the ore there tended more toward blue.
Ore went out by wagon to Weiser until 1900 when the railroad reached Council. Then the wagons had a shorter route. A railroad was once planned to run from Helena to Weiser to pull out that ore. The price of copper killed that dream, and it was never finished. Soon, the town was. The post office closed in 1902. The town itself was abandoned in 1912.
There are reportedly still some remains of the town that may be of interest to ghost town buffs. It’s located about 10 miles north of Cuprum on Copper Creek, near the far end of the Kleinschmidt Grade. Pack a sandwich.
RSS Feed