Montana Mines Corporation - 1929 dated Helena Montana Mining Stock Certificate

Stock printed by Goes. Dated just 14 days after the "Crash". By fall of 1864, the population had grown to over 200, and some thought the name "Last Chance" too crass. On October 30, 1864, a group of at least seven self-appointed men met to name the town, authorize the layout of the streets, and elect commissioners. The first suggestion was "Tomah", a word the committee thought had connections to the local Indian people. Other nominations included Pumpkinville and Squashtown (as the meeting was held the day before Halloween). Other suggestions were to name the community after various Minnesota towns, such as Winona and Rochester, as a number of settlers had come from Minnesota. Finally, a Scotsman, John Summerville, proposed Helena, in honor of Helena Township, Scott County, Minnesota. Later tales of the naming of Helena claimed the name came from the island of St. Helena, where Napoleon was exiled, or was that of a miner's sweetheart. Read more at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helena,_Montana