Helena, Idaho, Lemhi County is an enthralling ghost town that once buzzed with the hopes and dreams of gold miners.
Nestled in the rugged mountains of Idaho, this small mining town now serves as a haunting reminder of the past, with its abandoned buildings and remnants of a bygone era. Below is detailed information about the town.
County: Lemhi County
Zip Code: Not available
Latitude / Longitude: 44.65° N, 113.62° W
Elevation: Approximately 6,400 feet
Time Zone: Mountain Time Zone (MT)
Established: Around the late 1800s
Disestablished: Early 1900s
Comments: Helena was primarily a mining town that sprang up during the gold rush era. It flourished briefly as prospectors flocked to the area in search of fortune. The town was named after the capital of Montana, reflecting the aspirations of its founders.
However, like many mining towns of its time, Helena’s prosperity was short-lived, and it quickly declined as the gold resources were depleted.
Helena is a ghost town in Texas, approximately 70 mi (110 km) southeast of San Antonio in Karnes County. The seat of Karnes County from 1854 to 1894, Helena was once known as the self-proclaimed “toughest town on earth” in the mid-19th century. It was named for the second wife of Lewis Owings, Helen Marr Swisher (1831–1910).
Remains: Today, Helena is characterized by its decaying structures, including the remnants of cabins, a saloon, and mining equipment scattered throughout the area. These remains offer a glimpse into the harsh and adventurous life of its former inhabitants.
The town was the birthplace of the so-called “Helena Duel”, in which the left hands of two opponents are tied together with buckskin and each fighter is given a knife with a three-inch blade—too short to reach a vital organ or cause a single fatal stab.
After the combatants are whirled around a few times, they slash away at each other until one bleeds to death from the accumulation of cuts and stabs. Crowds of spectators would view this gory, gruesome spectacle and even bet on the outcome.
Current Status: Helena is now an uninhabited ghost town. It is a point of interest for historians, ghost town enthusiasts, and adventurers seeking to explore Idaho’s past.
Helena is a ghost town allegedly because of the vendetta that Colonel William G. Butler (1831–1912) had against the town he blamed for the death of his son, Emmett Butler, who had been killed by a stray bullet from a saloon brawl on December 26, 1884.
A few days later, Colonel Butler went to Helena with a group of cowhands and demanded to know who had shot his son and found that none of the townspeople was willing. Enraged, Colonel Butler reportedly shouted: “All right! For that, I’ll kill the town that killed my son!”
Following his threat, Butler, a veteran of the American Civil War and a wealthy rancher, arranged for the tracks of the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway to be built 7 mi (11 km) away from Helena.
Then, in a bitterly contested election in 1894, the county seat was moved from Helena to Karnes City. Helena quickly died.
Remarks: Helena’s remote location and natural beauty make it an enthralling destination for those interested in history and adventure. Its ghostly silence poignantly reminds visitors of the transient nature of boomtowns and the enduring allure of the American West.
Visitors are encouraged to respect the fragile ruins and the natural environment while exploring this intriguing piece of history.
