Reeder's Alley, Helena, Montana

 

This contribution was written for the Spring 2008 Introduction to Public History Class at Carroll College, Helena, Montana

 

Contributed by Cody Lamb, May 2008

 

Reeder's Alley, Helena, Montana The Evolution of Reeder's Alley: The Transformation from Low-Income Housing to Montana Art Colony Footnotes

 

The Evolution of Reeder's Alley: The Transformation from Low-Income Housing to Montana Art Colony

 

A party of four men searching to find larger gold claims left the promising placer deposits of Alder Gulch – a mining camp that would emerge into the town of Virginia City – in the summer of 1864 and trekked towards the rumored vast strikes along the Kootenai River northwest of Virginia City.1 Reginald Stanley, John Cowan, D.J. Miller and John Crabb were met by empty handed prospectors who had failed to strike it rich along the Kootenai at Hell Gate near present-day Missoula, Montana.2 Disheartened and low on supplies, the party headed south, where they discovered the Prickly Pear Valley heavily inhabited by antelope.3 With morale low and hope running out, the “Four Georgians,” as the men became known, began panning a small stream. As they began one of the men said, “It is our last chance.”4 Much to their joy and satisfaction on July 14, 1864 they uncovered a significant amount of gold deposits.5 Cowan and Crabb were dispatched to Alder Gulch and return with enough provisions for the group to pan what they began calling, Last Chance Gulch.6 While spending their gold dust, only a few prospectors followed them back to Last Chance Gulch. Only gradually did more and more new arrivals trickle into the Prickly Pear Valley.7 By the end of 1864, the mining camp was home to about 200 individuals with their hearts and dreams set on striking it rich.8 Within the next four years, the Last Chance gold deposits would produce an estimated nineteen million dollars worth of gold and transform the relatively small mining camp in Last Chance Gulch into the town of Helena.9

 

This potential for prosperity in Helena’s promising Last Chance Gulch caused an influx of immigrant settler’s to the area and would include people from all walks of life. One of these groups were the miners who moved in, built cabins along the gulch’s newly created streets of Clore and Main and panned out their front doors.10 One of the first miners to come to Helena that summer of 1864 was Wilson Butts. He was a veteran miner of the California gold rush whose physical appearance showed he was no greenhorn to the mining business.11 He built a small, one room cabin to stake his mining claim in 1864 and mined over that winter.12 The next spring, his brother Jonas, accompanied by his wife Luanna and their three daughters came to Helena.13 The Jonas Butts family built on to Wilson’s already established bachelor cabin. The combined one bedroom cabins became known as “Pioneer Cabin” and are the oldest remaining physical remnant of the mining community of early Helena.

 

Another family to move to Helena during the beginning gold days of Helena was the Butts’s neighbors, the William Davenport family. William arrived in Helena in the spring of 1865 after a winter spent prospecting at Virginia City. He began building his log cabin around the same time that the Jonas Butts family started adding on to Wilson’s cabin in 1865.

 

William’s family underwent adversity and tragedy during their travel to Montana. His six year old son Rice died before William even left for Montana in 1864. In March 1865, his wife Rachel and their two young girls, Sallie and Anna, and two year old boy, Willie, embarked on the journey from their home in Liberty, Missouri to Fort Benton, Montana aboard the steamboat St. John. During the trip measles broke out aboard the vessel and all three children contracted the disease. Willie passed away as the boat docked at Fort Benton and Anna died shortly after arriving in Helena in September, 1865. Despite the heartfelt losses, William, Rachel, and Sallie lived in their cabin, which would become known as the "Caretaker's House" until 1866, when the family moved to Diamond City.14

 

The Pioneer Cabin and the Caretaker’s House were at the base of a housing development project undertaken by a young man from Bucks County, Pennsylvania who arrived in Helena in 1867. As booming Helena continued to grow, so did it’s the large itinerant population.15 Louis Reeder jumped at the opportunity to use his skill in stone and brick to build and develop a series of apartments and bunkhouses. He bought several lots on West Cutler Street with at least some of the funding coming from his wages he earned while helping build the Helena Court House.16 He constructed the small dwellings in the style reminiscent of the urban row houses from back home in Pennsylvania from red brick. He added to his residential complex various western vernacular elements including fancy brickwork and false fronts typical of frontier architecture to form what would become Reeder’s Alley.17 Louis Reeder built his development upon a few already existing small stone buildings and a log cabin, both of which feature characteristics of 1860’s frontier architecture. The single units were gradually built starting in 1872 and more and more spaces were constructed as more funding was made available. Proof of this is evident in a slight separation between buildings and a lack of total uniformity a building would consist of if it was built all at one time.

 

The red brick in which Louis Reeder built his alley has been cause of historical debate. It was speculated that he transported the distinct red brick from the Parker-Russell Mining and Manufacturing Company based in St. Louis, which at the time was one of the nation’s leading manufacturers of fire brick. The company was family-owned by the ancestors of famous Montana cowboy artist Charlie Russell. However, Reeder’s Alley contains no actual fire brick. While Reeder was constructing his alley, brick was easily accessible in the Helena area through businesses like Nicholas Kessler’s brick manufacturing plant.18

 

Construction of Reeder’s Alley was finished in 1884. Once complete it featured thirty-two single units occupied by tenants who were mainly single, working-class men. These men were mostly miners. However, teamsters, hotel porters, cooks, sheepherders, and various other laborers also lived in Reeder’s Alley. The alley’s dwellings were humbly built considering the large mansions majestically elevated on their own city block a fewmiles away by Helena tycoons like Conrad Kohrs, T.C. Power, Samuel T. Hauser, Cornelius Hedges, Colonel Charles Broadwater, and Anton M. Holter. Yet these buildings still provided better amenities than a log cabin. Relatively early in Reeder’s Alley existence it became known as a “slum” section of Helena and a “less-than-desirable section of town characterized by transient, low-income residents…”19

 

Louis Reeder tragically passed away soon after the alley’s completion on August 26, 1884 after breaking his back in a fall from a scaffold. His obituary in the Helena Daily Herald estimated his age at 48 at his time of death. He left his accumulated property in Helena – worth approximately $25,000 to $30,000 – to his brother in Philadelphia.20 His family, however, continued to quarrel over the estate even through the beginning of the twentieth century.21

 

Reeder’s Alley, curving along the hillside of Mount Helena, was completed in 1893 when the City of Helena provided money to build a bridge over what became known as "Reeder's Gulch." It was given the nickname of the Morelli Bridge because it was named for the crafty stonemason who lived by the bridge at 127 Jefferson Street, Carlo Morelli. The Morelli Bridge is the oldest remaining bridge still used today in Lewis and Clark County.22

 

With the structures of Reeder's Alley, including the Pioneer Cabin, the Caretaker's House, and the Morelli Bridge, intact the atmosphere and lifestyle surrounding the alley was one of various events similar to those characterized by the stereotypical "Wild West." Violence, theft, and murder were not uncommon in the first few decades of Helena’s existence. Hangings for such criminals were utilized on what would famously become Hanging Tree in Dry Gulch. The most famous occurred on April 30, 1870, when JosephWilson and Arthur L. Compton were tried in Vigilante court and hung for alleged murder.23

 

Even once "law and order" ruled over Helena, a well developed red light district began to arise. Females came to Helena to mine the miners and take advantage of the booming town. Many women made their way to Helena to make their fortune as they set roots in the heart of Helena. These "hurdy gurdy" houses were responsible for the Butts family flight from Helena as the devote Baptist family worried the music and atmosphere would negatively impact their young daughters.24

 

A model for the women who came to Helena and establish their affluence was a business woman from Chicago named Josephine Hensley. By the mid 1880’s she had proven herself and became "Queen of the Red Light District." She rapidly grew to be the largest landowner in Helena and created a place for "bawdy vaudeville entertainment" in her $30,000 investment of the Coliseum. Located on Bridge Street, the Coliseum was a premier building with elaborate bars and dance hall girls to entertain the local and visiting men.25 These dance hall girls of the red light district were known to have reputation for drinking and using drugs in addition to the sexual repute. For example, Martha Hughes, or as she was known by her clients “Dutch Leina,” died from a morphine overdose while employed by Chicago Joe.26

 

An 1885 city ordinance prohibited soliciting prostitution along Main Street forced changes to the occupation. Since the ladies were unable to solicit in the streets, prostitution took to houses and buildings. These properties were labeled as "Female Boarding." Prostitution was plentiful in downtown Helena and even occupied the Caretaker’s Cabin. This is evident by the small window in the cabin that could easily be opened and closed where the women could solicit themselves to potential customers. However, prostitution never took place in any other buildings in Reeder’s Alley.27

 

Another important contributor to the society in the beginning years of Helena was the Chinese community. The 1880 census showed a Chinese population in Montana around 1,765, 359 of which living in the Helena area.28 The vast majority of this population was concentrated in what would become Helena's "Chinatown" and was directly located adjacent to Reeder’s Alley. The Chinatown in Helena was one of the largest throughout the entire state by the end of the nineteenth century. These Chinese were often very hard laborers and would often perform tasks others would not do. For example, they were vital to the construction of the Northern Pacific Railroad – which made its entrance into Helena in 1882 – and the building of the Mullan Tunnel in 1883.29 Racially motivated laws singled out the population and were not only restricted to their own space within frontier towns but also subject to violence and scapegoats for societies problems.30 Their community featured doctors, pharmacists, restaurants, mercantile stores, gambling houses, vegetable gardens, and laundries.31 Twenty-six Chinese laundries operated in 1890.32 The Chinese, regardless of their own well-working community within in Helena, were often highly discriminated against and victimized. A town meeting in April 1892 urged businesses to fire all Chinese employees, many owners willingly complied.33 Despite their precious contributions to Helena, were unfairly segregated and disliked by many.

 

The prostitutes and the Chinese of Helena, as in many frontier towns, united together as social outcasts. As such, it was not uncommon for the two social groups to be located adjacent to one another. In Helena, the Chinese community lay directly bordering the female boarding houses that lined the red light district along Clore Street.34 In a broader historical context, the city of Butte and the “Richest Hill on Earth” also included the same arrangement. Chinatown, including the Mai Mah building, was located on West Mercury Street while their neighbors along East Mercury Street contained the Dumas Brothel and Butte’s female boarding houses.35 This phenomenon found in Montana's greatest mining towns continued in Virginia City. The Green Front Boarding House was used as a brothel but once prostitution became unprofitable, the neighboring Chinatown took over the building.

 

The two outsider societies also benefited from each other's unique businesses. Due to the opium trade during the nineteenth century, some Chinese had developed a habit for opium use.36 Prostitutes used the Chinese doctors and pharmacists who specialized in the use of opium. When used properly, the use of opium could kill Venereal Diseases and cause abortions, which were incredibly resourceful for their work as condoms and other forms of birth control and STD prevention were not accessible.37

 

Amidst the red light district, Chinatown, and frontier crime of the late nineteenth century and into the turn of the century, a man named George Mitchell sold wood, coal, and chickens from his home in Pioneer Cabin.38 He owned the property from circa 1903 until his death in 1938. After he passed away, hundreds of dollars in cash and coin were found stowed throughout the cabin because of his distrust in banking. With no heirs, the cabin and nine adjacent lots went up for public auction. A group of intuitive citizens realized the historical significance of the cabin for Helena and raised enough money through public contributions to buy the property. With the purchase of Pioneer Cabin, the Last Chance Gulch Restoration Association came into being and became the first preservation effort not only in Helena and Montana, but throughout the West. In 1939, the association – after refurbishing and furnishing the cabin with objects from the period including items actually used in the cabin such as a "hat tub" – opened the Pioneer Cabin up to the public in the summer of 1939 and still to this day maintains the cabin.39 This idea of preserving Montana's historic frontier and mining past was replicated by Charles Bovey and his efforts to preserve the historic Virginia City and Nevada City in the mid-1940's. Bovey and his wife Sue became renowned preservationists throughout Montana for their work in preserving the historic landmarks of Alder Gulch and Virginia City.40

 

The property included in Reeder's Alley saw little change from the beginning of the twentieth century until 1935 when devastating earthquakes shook Helena, its buildings, and its people. The quakes caused numerous deaths and overwhelmed several structures. The Bluestone House overlooking Last Chance Gulch lay in "attractive ruins."41 The Algeria Shrine Temple, which is now the Civic Center, suffered $20,000 worth of damage.42 One of Helena’s "brightest jewels and symbol of Helena’s magnificence," the Broadwater Natatorium, suffered severe structural damage and the rejuvenating water and the elegant architecture of the plunge would never reopen and was raised in 1946.43 This was the situation for numerous Helena structures. However, Reeder’s Alley survived with only a few gaping holes in the walls and no severe structural damage.44

 

In the years following the earthquakes of 1935, Reeder's Alley continued to be used as a residence for over twenty, unmarried males through the 1950’s when it also became the home to numerous elderly male pensioners. The alley, owned by Reed Mathews and George Sullivan, provided a low rent residence for senior citizens who were on a small fixed income.45 The pensioners shared the many outhouses as well as a bath house because the alley was without indoor plumbing. The alley attracted interest by city planners and those who supported the removal of what many considered a "disreputable and blight part of Helena." The depreciation and decline in the alley’s appeal also increased as the alley aged and little effort was made to maintain or improve Reeder's Alley. 46 As the sun was about to set on the historic remains of Helena’s earliest days, three housewives took the initiative to do their part and save the alley.

 

In 1960 at the Montana Club, an establishment originally founded in 1885 – with their distinctive building constructed in 1893 – as a place for gentlemen to meet and engage in conversation, Eileen Harper, Jane Tobin, and Pat Boedecker met to discuss a project that was revolutionary for the time. The three wanted a place where women could meet, exchange ideas and enjoy art. They chose Reeder’s Alley as the location they would use to pursue their dream project. In addition to providing a place for women and the arts, they would also be preserving Helena history.

 

The three women brought different strengths to the project. Jane Tobin was the granddaughter of one of the most powerful men in Helena’s history, T.C. Power. She had been brought up differently than Eileen and Pat because of her background. Tobin wanted to save the alley because of its significance as a historical site. Eileen Harper was "the only women in Helena who could be called a feminist."47 She was from a large Irish family and was very classic in her dress and was normally beautifully groomed. Tobin was interested in turning the alley into a commercial district for people, especially women, to work and gather. Pat had become cultivated through her travels and the time she spent living in the East with her family. She had seen what other parts of the country had done with art and antiques as a way to create more tourism and attract visitors with exquisite galleries. Boedecker’s plan for Reeder's Alley was for it to become a place for artists to work and create art while also displaying their work.48

 

Initially the women met secretly from 10:00 to 3:00 while their children were at school and their husbands were at work. They ladies had to be careful. The 1960's were a time when women had no money other than the salaries of their husbands and even then, they didn't have a lot of control regarding the money. Women knew their role was to take care of the house and children while the men worked, which was the social norm of the day.49

 

They chose to proceed and go against the grains of society. After numerous meetings, the three decided to take the first step towards reconditioning the alley by buying the house owned by Reed Mathews, a stone building that had been converted into three separate dwellings with no central heating, one bathroom and an outhouse. After each contributed $750, the ladies purchased the "Matthews House." Renovation began in February 1961 when the three women knocked out the walls to create a single dwelling which would be later converted in a restaurant. There was an extensive amount of work to be done to the Matthews House in order to get it ready to serve as The Stonehouse – as it would later be named – and the ladies spent countless hours working on the restoration. A new floor was laid, sheet rock was installed, debris and dirt needed removed and cleaned, walls needed to be reinforced and painted, and antique furniture donated to the ladies needed to be refinished. A cherry wood bar was given to the ladies that had previously being used in Big Dorthy’s Brothel in what is now the Windbag Restaurant in Last Chance Gulch Walking Mall.50

 

Further help for the alley's clean up was supplied by the three women's children. Will Harper, Eileen's son, who is currently is a board certified surgeon still practicing in Helena, and Blair Boedecker, Pat’s son, both worked to help their mothers but they also were the causes of two small fires to a nearby field during their helpful contributions to the alley. No significant damage was done and the boys were taught a lesson in “fire mischief.”51

 

To help facilitate the alley’s improvements and the construction work, Jane, Eileen, and Pat received help from local utility and contractors like Ed Loranz. Ed, who like many workers who helped revive the alley’s functional features, received stock as payment for his work, because there was not enough money to pay them. However, he believed in the women, felt their passion for the alley and had faith the plan would work. Ed was the plumber who installed new copper piping and updated the plumbing system for The Stonehouse in order to make the building not only up to par with building codes but to also make it more comfortable and pleasant for customers. While the plumbing was being installed, the husbands found out how involved their wives had gotten with their project. Initially they, like many others in the community, thought it was just a small undertaking for the women to do with their spare time. But when the husbands saw the improvements and the progress they had made, they were all on board for what the future had in store for Reeder’s Alley and encouraged and supported the private renewal project. This was a crucial moment in the restoration in the alley because there was no longer the need to worry about what their husbands thought about their project. The strength of the development was maintained by the support of their families and with that, there was no stopping them.52

 

Yet the women needed more space in order to accomplish their personal ambitions for the alley. George Sullivan, a man who owned most the units below the Matthews House, approached Eileen about the possibility of the ladies buying the properties from him. In April 1961, the two parties reached an agreement that the ladies would buy Sullivan’s properties for $9,000 as long as he was able to find adequate housing for the remaining tenants. With limited funding, the women incorporated into Reeder’s Alley Incorporation to raise money to buy the rest of the buildings in the alley. In order to come up with the extra funding, the ladies incorporated on May 1, 1961, initially selling stock for $1 a share.53

 

The newly created Reeder’s Alley, Inc. developed a business plan and prospectus to potential stock buyers. In their declaration, the purpose is stated as; “To eliminate blight area of city and preserve oldest section of Helena. To foster Montana arts and crafts-to maintain shopping area that will be inducement for tourists to purchase Montana products. To enable artists to maintain studios and exhibits with little overhead-create dining and luncheon areas that will become a gourmet center of the city-establish outlets for antiques and all data of historical significance through efforts and cooperation with historical museum and private citizens…”54

 

After incorporating, the group needed publicity for their project. There were numerous articles throughout the state promoting Reeder’s Alley and their restoration efforts. News of the restoration spread rapidly and public awareness increased noticeably. The pensioners living in the single unit dwellings of the other buildings in Reeder’s Alley grew weary and felt threatened by the project. They felt that the ladies were going to buy the rest of the buildings in the alley and leave them without a place to live. In addition to the possibility of being homeless, the residents felt there were too many disturbances and strangers working on The Stonehouse and using the alley, upsetting their once peaceful, quiet life they had enjoyed in previous years.55

 

The solution came in Stark Evans. Evans was a Native American man in his 60’s who was a Reeder’s Alley resident and a self proclaimed spokesman for the alley. The ladies gave him a small amount of money to keep an eye on the other residents and act as a watchman. One of the residents, a one-legged sheep herder named Kuchan, actually threatened the women with a knife because he didn’t like the idea of moving.56 George Sullivan had soon found adequate places for every resident living in the alley. The women had obtained the money to finance the take-over of Reeder’s Alley and the deal to sell the rest of the alley was complete on July 24, 1961.57

 

The Stonehouse restaurant opened for customers in December 1961. Patrons wore their winter coats due to a fireplace that looked a lot better than it put out heat.58 The meal, however, was sure to keep customers warm and happy. Initially made at the homes of the three women and transported to The Stonehouse, the menu featured gourmet hot soups, fresh salads, flavorsome and succulent meat, enticing desserts, and refreshing drinks. Pat Boedecker believed that if a restaurant offered decent sized portions and delicious, unique food made with passion and pleasure, the restaurant would be successful.59 They followed her advice and The Stonehouse proved successful.

 

With the alley fully owned by Reeder’s Alley, Inc. and The Stonehouse serving up gourmet luncheons, it was time for the alley to be put to use as a haven for Montana artists and craftsmen. Rumor and speculation about the potential of the improved alley as an “art colony” attracted two well-respected artists. LaDonna McDermid and Ruth Beam, both devoted members of the Montana Institute of the Arts (M.I.A.), established The Artist’s Lane Picture Rental and Sales Gallery in 1962. The gallery was Helena’s first rental gallery and work from the alley’s artists appeared in the offices of doctors, dentists, businesses homes, and other establishments in Helena, Missoula, Billings, Kalispell, and Great Falls. For $5 to $7.50 and a $1 transaction fee, the renter could have the artwork for up to three months at a time. In 1967, Ruth and LaDonna’s gallery rented 78 paintings and sold another 104. In addition to the gallery, the two had their own studios in the alley. LaDonna painted water color works while Ruth opened a pottery studio and store. LaDonna left the alley in 1963 and Ruth continued to voluntarily manage the gallery for a number of years.60

 

With LaDonna and Ruth’s success, more and more artists moved into Reeder’s Alley to create their masterpieces. By 1963, the units were full of artists and small shops featuring pottery, books, antiques, rocks, lamps, candles, works of glass fusion, and even musicians. Artists who worked in the Reeder’s Alley were given the studios free of rent for one year and were able to decorate and design it however they wanted to, provided they cleaned out the unit themselves. As the alley continued to gain notoriety throughout the state and country, a number of other artists and craftspeople flooded into what had become Artist’s Lane.61 An article in the Montana Standard-Post said Reeder’s Alley was, “A treasureland for anyone who loves history, art, antiques, or just plain life.”62 The Independent Record ran an article titled, "Reeder’s Alley Rapidly Becoming Montana Art Center." The layout featured oil paintings of Glacier Park and "The Big Sky" by artists like Mabel Bjork from Helena. Also featured in the article is LaDonna McDermid assisting a customer with the rental of a piece of art.63 Reeder’s Alley provided its artists inspiration to individuals talents in a vast variety of artistic areas. Reeder’s Alley became an “important art center for Montana.”64

 

The newly created and thriving art colony had a profound impression on artists like M.J. Williams. Although still in high school, the jazz musician along with another enthused artist, Nan Parsons, rented out a studio in Reeder’s Alley. The impact of working in an artists’ community, surrounded by a vast variety of talent combined with the vision of the three women who founded the art haven inspired Williams to do a similar project in Basin, Montana. He moved to Basin, restored a group of old buildings, and co-founded the Montana Artist Refuge.65 The Montana Artist Refuge is still flourishing as “a unique place for arts” and “organized to further the creative work of artists, to create residencies for artists, and to provide arts programs and arts education for both artists and community members.”66

 

The gossip that these bored, old, rich housewives had nothing else to do with their lives but to kick out the poor pensioners and try to do something with their lives just to be different ended when the preservation and restoration project of Reeder’s Alley was complete. The original purposes for the rejuvenation of Reeder’s Alley by Pat Boedecker, Eileen Harper, and Jane Tobin were successfully and fully completed. Reeder’s Alley was transformed from a disreputable, downtrodden, and slum section of Helena into a serene, tranquil art colony that produced outstanding works from some of the most renown Montana artists. Tourists also flocked to Reeder’s Alley as a Mecca for Montana art. In 1967, visitors from forty-four states and nine countries had made the visit to the same alley that housed gold miners, sheep herders, bullwhackers and was located next to the most outcast part of Helena. Through the inspiration of three ladies and their diligence and hard work during the 1960’s, Reeder’s Alley not only survived but thrived. Their innovative ideas and plan for restoring Reeder’s Alley through private funding were a unique twist on historical preservation.

 

After becoming pregnant with her second child, Pat Boedecker resigned as an active partner in the alley and in 1964 ceded her place in management to Grayce Loble, ending her active career in Reeder’s Alley. Eileen followed her husband out of state leaving Jane and Grayce to keep the alley running.67 The three women sold their dream turned reality in 1973 to Reeder’s Alley & Co. led by Ray Dominick and his wife Christine for $45,000.68 He would later go on to use about $145,000 of Urban Renewal funding to add to the alley including laying brick similar to the ones supporting the buildings on the pathway of the alley in June of 1975.69

 

Since then the alley has seen its fair share of changes and occupants. Initially still used for artist studios, the artists gradually began to leave the alley one by one and the rental units became quiet, small businesses and office spaces. Costs to heat the hundred year old buildings and seasonal usage proved to be an economical challenge to the alley and changes needed to be made in order to keep Reeder’s Alley functioning. Then began the push for "commercially viable" tenants to occupy the alley spaces and thus a shift towards retail businesses and restaurants began to take place. 70

 

In December 2000, Reeder’s Alley was donated to the Montana Heritage Preservation and Development Commission by owners Darrell and Kathy Gustin. The heritage commission was created in 1997 to acquire and manage historic properties throughout Montana.71 Its mission was to preserve and promote the historical significance of the properties it owns, while encouraging businesses to stay on. The heritage commission owns most of the historic buildings in Virginia City and Nevada City as well. 72 The Montana Heritage Preservation and Development Commission still own Reeder’s Alley today.73 When the Heritage Commission took over the alley in 2000, there was almost a 100 percent turn over from the previous usage in 2004. Stores such Emi-Li’s Vintage Boutique and Pat’s Toy Chest moved in and foot traffic picked up and tourist attraction increased.74

 

Today Reeder's Alley is home to the restaurants Karmadillo's Southwestern Café, Caretaker's Cabin Restaurant, while The Stonehouse no longer is open for business. The alley also caters to small shops like Dundee’s Barber Shop and Little Things, a dollhouse and miniatures store. In addition to the shops a relationship therapy, a land conservation consulting office, and a freelance writer all call Reeder’s Alley their home. Also included are the offices of the Business Degree Program of Montana Tech, Indian Child and Family Services, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for Kids and CASA of Montana, and the Montana Heritage Commission.75

 

The alley’s unit spaces have seen changes themselves. Beds, furniture, and household appliances are no longer found inside the buildings. Now they are filled with components of modern technology like computers and telephones. However, the historical character of the buildings remain intact through original brick and logs, the same floors, and cracks in the doorway that still allow snow and wind to agitate the current tenants.

 

Reeder's Alley exists today evidence of the history that the community of Helena has undergone. It served as home to many single, unmarried men who shared their parallels of life in the early mining and frontier days of Helena. The alley became known as a dirty, deprived, insignificant, and destitute part of town located next to the promiscuous and rowdy red light district and racially detested "Chinatown." The quaintly built alley nestled in its own niche beneath the steep slopes at the base of Mount Helena remained living quarters for the socially unfortunate. But when faced with erasing from the Helena landscape because of it's unattractiveness and decades of careless neglect, three women stepped up and defied the social norms of the 1960's to undertake one of the most important and innovative historic preservation projects in all of Helena. Through meticulous hard work, passion for the alley, love for each other, trusting in themselves, they turned the unpleasantness of Reeder’s Alley into an attractively appealing art colony that became a sanctuary for Montana craftsmen. Some of the most astonishing and artistically creative individuals in Montana came to Helena to create pieces of art they could be proud of. It is by no mistake that Reeder’s Alley is accountable for Helena becoming the Best Small Art Town in America.

 

The simple units made by the master brick and stone mason, Louis Reeder to suit the housing needs of individuals with low income in an era of Helena history remembered for its prosperous elite and morphed into an artist’s lane where people could meet and share their common passion for art and history. Since its days in grandeur as an art colony, Reeder’s Alley has become a charming, old-fashioned village for small businesses and professional offices. It is a hot spot for local tourism with the magnetism of historical architecture and ambience combined with the characteristics of modern retail business structure and the smell of Southwestern spices and cuisine.

 

The downtown atmosphere has changed from the 1864 mining camps of Last Chance Gulch, the “hurdy gurdy” houses, and Chinatown of the late nineteenth century. No longer are there miners panning for gold out the front doors of their log cabins. There are no more prostitutes. The once lively Chinatown was lost to Urban Renewalwith the exception being the Yee Wau home, which is the only surviving structure of the community and is maintained by private residents who understand its historical importance. Low-income tenants no longer call Reeder’s Alley home. The scene today is much different. Children are found playing in a playground where the miners once prospected for a living. Businessmen and government officials walk to work on the same streets prostitutes once solicited themselves to men for sexual escapades. A government building sits where Chinatown used to be. An exclusive subdivision with large homes is perched overlooking Reeder’s Alley. However, in addition to the Morelli Bridge still functioning in the distance, one key feature remains intact. The alley and the red brick buildings tucked charmingly in the curving hillside still remains. Nearly 140 years have passed and society and lifestyle has considerably changed yet despite all the changes Reeder’s Alley remains.

---

 

Footnotes

1 William C. Campbell, From the Quarries of Last Chance Gulch (privately published by William C. Campbell, 1951), 3.

2 Jean Baucus, Gold in the Gulch (Helena: Bar Wineglass, 1981), 10.

3 Ibid.

4 Ibid.

5 Michael P. Malone, Richard B. Roeder and William L. Lang, Montana'': A History of Two Centuries, 2nd ed. (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1976),67.

6 Campbell, From the Quarries of Last Chance Gulch, 6. & Malone, Montana'': A History of Two Centuries, 67.

7 Vivian Paladin and Jean Baucus, Helena'': An Illustrated History (Helena: Montana Historical Society Press, 1996), 10.

8 Campbell, From the Quarries of Last Chance Gulch, 19.

9 Malone, Montana'': A History of Two Centuries, 67.

10 Ellen Baumler, “Reeder’s Alley: More from the Quarries of Last Chance Gulch,” Independent Record, June 17, 1999, 4A.

11 Ellen Baumler, Pioneers to Pensioners: The Evolution and Preservation of a Territorial Period Neighborhood (unpublished, attained from Ellen April 18, 2008), 2.

12 Ibid., 2-3.

13 Baumler, “More from the Quarries,” Independent Record, June 17, 1999, 4A.

14 Baumler, Pioneers to Pensioners, 5-6.

15 Chere Jiusto, “Louis Reeder,” in Pat Boedecker, Reeder’s Alley: History, Housewives, & Art (Helena: P.B. Appraisal Associates, 2005), 9-10.

16 “Death of Louis Reeder,” Helena Daily Herald, August 27, 1884.

17 Baumler, Pioneers to Pensioners, 9-10.

18 Ellen Baumler, “The Mysterious Parker-Russel Bricks: To set the Record Straight,” (unpublished, attained March 11, 2008). The article is located in the Reeder’s Alley vertical file at the Montana Historical Society.

19 Jiusto, “Louis Reeder,” in Boedecker, Reeder’s Alley, 9-10.

20 “Death of Louis Reeder,” Helena Daily Herald, August 27, 1884.

21 “An Heir Wants His Share,” Anaconda Standard, November 25, 1903.

22 Baumler, Pioneers to Pensioners, 12-13.

23 Paladin and Baucus, Helena: An Illustrated History, 11, 24-25.

24 Baumler, Pioneers to Pensioners, 6-7.

25 Paladin and Baucus, Helena: An Illustrated History, 90; Sanborn-Perris Fire Insurance Map of Helena, November 1888.

26 “Death by Morphine,” Independent, May 9, 1884.

27 Baumler, Pioneers to Pensioners, 11-12.

28 Robert Swartout, “Kwangtung to the Big Sky: The Chinese Experience in Frontier Montana,” in Montana'' Legacy: An Anthology of Historical Essays. Robert Swartout and Harry Fritz, eds. (Helena: Montana Historical Society Press, 1992) 48-49.

29 Paladin and Baucus, Helena: An Illustrated History, 108.

30 Swartout, “Chinese Experience,” 59.

31 Sanborn Map of Helena, November 1888; Sanborn Map of Helena, June 1890.

32 Swartout, Chinese Experience, 52-53.

33 Paladin and Baucus, Helena: An Illustrated History, 108.

34 Sanborn Map of Helena, November 1888.

35 Sanborn Map of Butte, May 1890.

36 Swartout, “Chinese Experience,” 58.

37 Baumler, Pioneers to Pensioners, 12.

38 Ibid., 13-14.

39 Ellen Baumler and Dave Shors, Lost Places, Hidden Treasures: Rare Photographs of Helena, Montana (Helena: Farcountry Press, 2002)53.

40 Ken and Ellen Sievert, Virginia City'' and Alder Gulch (Helena: American & World Geographic Publishing, 1993), 43-45.

41 Dennis McCahon, Unusual Places in Helena: remarks on some remarkable buildings, 2.

42 C.R. Anderson, Helena'' Earthquakes, 13.

43 Patricia C. Allen, “Broadwater Hotel and Natatorium: One Man’s Unfulfilled Dream,” Carroll College Senior Thesis (Undergraduate Honors Thesis, 1995), 48, 58.

44 “Reeder’s Alley Takes It On Chin Once More,” Independent, November 1, 1935.

45 Baumler, “More from the Quarries,” Independent Record, June17, 1999, 5A.

46 “Reeder’s Alley: Piece of Montana history finds permanent protection with state,” Independent Record, December 23, 2001.

47 Martin J. Kidston, “Queen of the Alley,” Independent Record, February 12, 2006, 1C-2C.

48 Ibid.

49 Pat Boedecker, interview by author, April 13, 2008.

50 Pat Boedecker, Reeder’s Alley: History, Housewives, & Art (Helena: P.B Appraisal Associates, 2005), 23, 25, 31, 33.

51 Pat Boedecker, interview by author, April 13, 2008.

52 Ibid.

53 Boedecker, Reeder’s Alley, 29.

54 Reeder’s Alley Corporation. Plan for Incorporation (Helena, Montana, 1961).

55 Boedecker, Reeder’s Alley, 27-28.

56 “Helena Gallery,” Great Falls Tribune, June 29, 1965; Pat Boedecker, interview by author, April 13, 2008.

57 Boedecker, Reeder’s Alley, 34.

58 Ibid., 35.

59 Pat Boedecker, interview by author, April 13, 2008.

60 Ibid.; Boedecker, Reeder’s Alley, 47-49.

61 Ibid., 50.

62 “It Took a Woman’s Touch…From Slums to a Haven,” Montana Standard-Post, May 2, 1965.

63 “Reeder’s Alley Rapidly Becoming Montana Art Center,” Independent Record, November 25, 1962.

64 “Helena Gallery,” Great Falls'' Tribune, June 29, 1965.

65 Boedecker, Reeder’s Alley, 52.

66 Montana Artists Refuge, http://www.montanaartistsrefuge.org.

67 Boedecker, Reeder’s Alley, 53.

68 This information was collected from brochures promoting Reeder’s Alley by Reeder’s Alley & Co. from October 1974 and September 1975. The brochures along with others are housed in the Reeder’s Alley vertical file at MHS.

69 Independent Record, June 29, 1975.

70 “Reeder’ Alley must change operations,” Independent Record, October 16, 1992.

71 “Reeder’s Alley: Piece of Montana history finds permanent protection with state,” Independent Record, December 23, 2001.

72 Montana Heritage Commission, http://www.reedersalley.com/index.asp.

73 “State to take control of Reeder’s Alley,” Independent Record, November 10, 2001.

74 “Reeder’s Alley Revival,” Independent Record, June 13, 2004.

75 Montana Heritage Commission, http://www.reedersalley.com/RABusinesses.asp.

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