Swedish miner Benjamin Benson and his German wife Anna lived in this gable-front-and-wing cottage for more than fifty years. The home—built in stages beginning circa 1875—was constructed of log and stone and likely clad with stucco after Helena’s 1935 earthquakes. In 1866, Benjamin (age twenty-one) moved to Helena in search of gold. He settled along the south end of Last Chance Gulch and claimed government mineral lodes in partnership with his West Main Street neighbors. After several years spent developing placer mines, Benson and his partners had built an extensive water system for processing the ore, which they repurposed and expanded into the New Water Company in 1872. The company provided fresh water to the south and west sides of Helena and helped extinguish fires of the sort that had already destroyed large swaths of Helena in its formative years. Ben and Anna raised three children in the home, and Ben was active in local Republican politics. He and Anna died five months apart in 1931, and neighbor Thomas Nagle purchased the home.
Images
Documents
| Name | Info | Actions |
|---|---|---|
| Helena West Main Street Historic District | pdf / 501.80 kB | Download |