Then & Now: Last Chance Gulch and the Walking Mall

Then. Helena’s Main Street, the old Last Chance Gulch, carried cars until urban renewal. Helena As She Was says the walking mall was built in two phases between 1973 and 1977: first from the south end of Main to Broadway, then from Broadway north to Sixth Avenue. The street was closed to motor traffic from about State Street to Sixth, repaved for walking, and fitted with a plumbed-in faux stream, carved stone pieces from demolished Victorian buildings, new sculptures and landscaping. The new lampposts were patterned on ones Helena had in the 1920s.

The site puts the total at $54 million in public and private money. The point was to compete with the new suburban malls. About 200 pedestrian malls went in across the country in those years, and the site notes all but about 30 have since been torn out.

Now. Helena kept its mall, faux stream and all, and Helenans have argued for years about changing it, the site says. The Parrot is still selling chocolates and chili at 42 North Last Chance Gulch, and the Windbag is still on the Gulch too.

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