On August 23, 1872, a major fire swept downtown Helena destroying twenty-three residences, the old post office, the Masonic Hall, the U.S. Assessor's Office, and the Federal Marshal's office. This fire, and a history of costly fires dating back to 1869, prompted the residents of Helena to subscribe $3157.50 for a fire department and fire fighting equipment.
Fire Department treasurer TH Kleinschmidt purchased the needed equipment and hired professional fire fighters. This force was augmented by a volunteer crew including many of the most prominent citizens of Helena. By 1879, the fire house, located on Clore Street, contained a rotary engine, a hand engine, two hose reels, and a hook and ladder wagon.
In 1874 a permanent watch tower was built on Tower Hill. The tower had a three hundred and sixty degree view of town, and was equipped with a bell, which could be rung in such a manner as to indicate which of the six wards the fire was in. The bell was also used to announce the 8:30 curfew for children. The original bell was replaced in 1886 by one which remained until 1935. The "Guardian of the Gulch" remains as a reminder of the early history of fires in Helena.
This collection consists of a small quantity of correspondence, plus financial records, legal documents, articles of incorporation, and minute books. In addition, fire record books provide documentation of the date, location, cause, and severity of Helena fires from 1884-1945.
This colllection is arranged by series.
Collection is open for research.
The Montana Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library before any reproduction use. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.
item description and date. Collection Title. Collection Number. Box and Folder numbers. Montana Historical Society Research Center, Archives, Helena, Montana.
Acquisition information available upon request
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the Montana Historical Society Archives catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search under these terms.