East Helena is a city in Lewis and Clark County, Montana, United States, approximately east of downtown Helena. The population was 1,944 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Helena Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Lewis and Clark and Jefferson counties; its population is 83,058 according to the 2020 Census.
History
In 1864 gold was discovered in a gulch off the Prickly Pear Creek. This led to the founding of a mining camp along a small creek in the area which the prospectors called "Last Chance Gulch". In 1876 Drumlummon Mine opened and it produced a rich bounty of gold and silver worth millions of dollars.
In 1888, the Helena & Livingston Smelting & Reduction Company’s smelter was built. Workers and their families moved to the area. The settlement officially became the town of East Helena in 1889.
The smelter plant operated from 1888 to 2001. It processed silver-lead ore. From 1927 to 1972, the Anaconda Company had a zinc recovery plant which supplied their Great Falls zinc refinery.
In 1984 East Helena was declared a Superfund Cleanup Site by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The lead and zinc smelting led to deposits of heavy metals, arsenic, and other hazardous chemicals in both the soil and water.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
East Helena is located in the Helena Valley, an area marked by the Missouri River. The Big Belt Mountains are to the east. The Elkhorn Mountains and Boulder Hills are to the south.
Several wilderness and recreation areas are around East Helena. Canyon Ferry Lake, east, is Montana's third largest body of water. The Gates of the Mountains Wilderness, north, is part of the Helena National Forest. Lake Helena is north and Hauser Lake is north-east. Spring Meadow Lake State Park, east, features a man-made spring-fed lake.
Climate
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, East Helena has a semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 1,984 people, 875 households, and 528 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 916 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.0% White, 0.5% African American, 3.3% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0.4% from other races, and 4.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.6% of the population.
There were 875 households, of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.7% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.7% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.85.
The median age in the city was 36.3 years. 22.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.6% were from 25 to 44; 26% were from 45 to 64; and 13.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.7% male and 51.3% female.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,642 people, 694 households, and 462 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 728 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 94.70% White, 0.18% African American, 3.11% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.55% from other races, and 1.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.83% of the population. 22.3% were of German, 13.8% Irish, 12.8% Norwegian, 8.2% English, 6.1% American and 6.1% French ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 694 households, out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.4% were non-families. 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.4 males.