 The need for lodging in the new camp of Last Chance Gulch prompted Lewis Reeder to build the winding series of one-room brick shanties for the many bachelors in the camp. The buildings at the far west end of what was known as “Bridge Street” were constructed of native materials and brick brought by steamboat from St. Louis to Fort Benton and hauled overland to the Gulch. For nearly 20 years Reeder continued to expand his hostelry. A devastating series of fires destroyed “Bridge Street,” but each time the Alley was spared.
Along this cobblestone lane of Reeder’s Alley lie some of the few remaining original buildings from the Last Chance Gulch mining era of the 1860s. An important piece of history comes alive through the Pioneer Cabin, the oldest cabin in Helena, that sits at the entrance of the alley. Authentically reconstructed, this small building is a museum of Montana’s pioneering days and a monument to the gold rush era that gave birth to this area.
|
|
