Helena, Montana Area is 205th in size, as defined by Nielsen Media Research, and is the fifth smallest media market in the nation. Helena, Montana Helena is the state capital of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. Helena was founded as a gold camp during the Montana gold rush, and was established in 1864. Over $3.6 billion of gold was extracted in the city limits over a duration of two decades, making it one of the wealthiest cities in the United States by the late nineteenth century. The concentration of wealth contributed to the
Helena–West Helena, Arkansas is one of the poorest in the nation. One potential advance for the combined city, as reported by the "Arkansas Democrat-Gazette" on July 12, 2006, is an ethanol fuel refinery to be built by Las Vegas-based E-Fuels. Whether the consolidation had any bearing on the decision is not certain. If the project is developed, it is expected to bring several new jobs and a significant increase in traffic to the region's port on the Mississippi River. In 2006, the city announced plans to reopen the regional landfill, from which Helena–West Helena could earn fees. Helena–West Helena's chief economic base continues