Anaconda Restoration Association plans to restore the Montana Hotel

When Montana was deciding on its capital in 1894, two names dominated the race: Helena and Anaconda. Helena had the politicians. Anaconda had Marcus Daly, and the copper that built the state’s wealth. It was one of the most hotly contested elections in Montana’s history, fueled by money, influence, and pride. In the end, Helena won by 1,906 votes. But Daly’s vision endured. From the smelter stack to the brick buildings downtown, Anaconda still tells the story of a town that could have been the c