General History Approved Topics American Indian Historic Helena Pioneer Life Helena Business Famous People Antique Vehicles - 1970 and below 2009 Parade Guidelines

 

General History

 

The first Vigilante Parade, held in 1924, was the brainchild of Principal A. J. Roberts in an attempt to divert students from traditional “subversive” spring traditions.  These included an annual “senior-junior fight,” which often resulted in serious injuries.  With the help of both students and faculty, the historical parade has enjoyed decades of success, creating its own history.  For instance, in 1939, the Parade served as primary entertainment for visiting Prince Olaf and Princess Martha of Norway.  A bibliography for Vigilante Parade history can be found on the Montana History WIKI, under the Lewis and Clark County History Project.  

The parade is a uniquely Helena right of spring, enjoyed by both Helena high school students and the community.  Student entries focus on Historic Helena and Montana themes.  Montana Historical Society Research Center resources are particularly suited to assisting students with their projects.  Of special interest are the thousands of photos maintained and indexed in Photo Archives.  The photos offer exceptional visual aids for researchers. The Vertical File Collection, located in the MHS Library, is also helpful with thousands of folders containing topical and biographical information.   

 

Approved Topics

 Vigilante Parade Topic List

If you want to present another idea, go to helenahistory.org and present idea to Mr. Mihelish, Mr. Carter or Mr. Partridge.

 

American Indian

 

AIM - American Indian Movement (pick an issue)

Boarding Schools

Daily Activity in Tribal Life (winter camp, summer camp, brain tanning)

Dog Days (Resource:  Montana Historical Society)

First Agencies of the Tribes

Fort Shaw All Girls Basketball Team

Indian Health Services (Source:  Nicholas Vrooman-Pocha Clinic)

Metis - The Métis are descendants of marriages of     Cree, Ojibway, Saulteaux, and Menominee.

Native Biographies

Native Botany

Reservation Flags of the Tribes

Story Telling

Traditional games

Treaty Signings

Old Medicine Singers and Dancers

Resource for ideas:  Joe Anderson

 

Historic Helena

 

1872 Helena Fire

1874 Fire Tower Built

Archie Bray Foundation (1952)

Building of St. Helena Cathedral

Canyon Ferry Dam (1898)

Carroll College Boxing Smoker (1959)

Centennial Ball (1964)

Civic Center (1920)

Collapse of Hauser Dam

Construction of the State Capitol 1898-1902

Crabtown (Helena's first name after John Crab)

First Vigilante Parade (1923)

Flower Parade (1908)

Flying through the Cathedral

Fourth of July Parade (1904)

Governor's Cup (1973)

Green Meadow Country Club (1925)

Groundbreaking at Mount St. Charles:  Carroll College (1917)

Hanging Tree (chopped down in 1875, located near Highland and Blake streets)

Helena Earthquake (1935)

Helena High Football Team (1910)

Helena Horse Racing

Helena Tennis Club (1890)

Helena Tour Train (1950's)

Helena's Chinatown (South Main/Reeder's Alley)

Helena's First Fire Dept.

Helena's First Speed Cop

Helena's Montana Club (1885)

Helena's State Fair (1909-1915)

High School on Wheels After Earthquake (1935-1938)

Last Chance Gulch Discoverers (4 Georgians)

Last Chance Stampede (Began 1960)

Mann Gulch Fire (1949)

Meagher Statue Dedication:  1905

Montana Deaconess School

Mt. St. Charles (CC) Championship Football Team (1931)

Original Governor's Mansion (1913-1959)

Smokejumpers St. Charles Aero Club

The 1928 Great Helena Fire

The Great 1918 Car Race (Helena)

Vigilantes of Helena

 

Pioneer Life

 

1886-1887 Horrible Winter (CM Russell's famous painting, Last of the 5000)

Belmont Ski Club

Cabins in Reeder's Alley

Camp Rimini (only US Army Dog Training Center in WWII)

Cemetery Island“

City of Elkhorn

First Special Services Force Training in Helena (1942)

First Telephone Exchange in Helena (1882)

Fort Harrison

Fur Trapping/Fur Trade

Henry Sieben's Cattle Ranch

Hilger's Sheep Ranch

Little Red Brick School House (Silver Creek School)

Montana Fish and Game

Montana's 163rd Infantry 41st Division

Mystery of Forestvale Cemetery

Sheridan School (Reeder's Alley)

Shooting Craps at the MT Club (before anti-gambling crackdown in the 40's)

The Rose of Helena (tour boat)

We Can Do It!” (Helena during WWII)

 

Helena Business

 

Magnolia Hotel (1865)

Big Dorothy's(Windbag Saloon)

Broadwater Hotel

Capital City Bowling Alley (1958)

Drive-In Theater's - Sunset (1949)  Sky-Hi (1952)

Eddy’s Bakery

Gans & Klein Clothing Store

Gertie's Drive-In

Grand Pacific Bar

Grand Street Theater (1976)

Helena Brewery

Helena Herald

Helena's First Nat'l Bank

Helena's Tenderloin District (Helena's seedy section south of Broadway along State)

Highland City Meat Market

Holter Hardware (1891)

Holter Sawmill

Imperial Lanes Bowling (1957)

International Hotel

Kessler Brewery (1868)

Marlow Theater - Helena's Showplace (1918-1972)

Montana Power (created 1912)

Montana State Fund & Workers Comp. (1915) (Information from Mary Boyle at State Fund)

National Biscuit Company

Overland Freight Company

RB Drive In

St. Peter’s Hospital (est. 1883)

The Weiss Café

The Parrot

 

Famous People

 

Amelia Earhart visits Helena (1923)

Attorney General John Bonner

Charles Lindbergh arrives in Helena (1927)

Cromwell Dixon (first flight over the Continental Divide)

Dwight D. Eisenhower (1951 visit while running for president)

Famous Madams-Josephine "Chicago Jo" Hensley

Fannie Sperry Steele (First World Champion Lady Bucking Horse Riders)

Crazy Belle Crafton

Gary Cooper (Helena Native)

Jack Dempsey in Helena (1942)

James Wesley Crump & Clarissa Jane Crump (Former slaves become miners)

John F. Kennedy (campaign visit 1960)

John Quigley builds Frontier Town (1946-1979)

Leo Seltzer: The Man Behind Roller Derby

Myrna Loy (Helena Native)

Pat Donovan

Teddy Roosevelt (1903 visit to Helena)

Thomas Power, his Missouri steamboat, the "Helena" and the Power Block

Uncle John Thornburn (first entrepreneur)

William Taft (Came through Helena in 1909)

Mining and Transportation

1875 US Assay Office (where gov't purchased gold)

1883 Northern Pacific RR Arrives in Helena

Charcoal Kilns of Wickes

Drum Lummon Mine

Ferry at Canyon Ferry

Helena Stage Service

Helena's Street Railway (Trolley 1882)

Montana Central RR

Mullen Tunnel

Wickes Mine

Wild Bunch’s Last Train Robbery

 

Antique Vehicles - 1970 and below

 

2009 Parade Guidelines

2009

VIGILANTE PARADE ENTRY REGULATIONS

1.          The Vigilante Parade, one of the oldest in the United States, is dedicated to the pioneers who settled Helena.  Your entry should be built around historic Helena themes chosen from the list below, or your own idea approved by the co-chairs (see below).  Entries may be float entries or walking entries (no riding entries).  When you register your entry, you must register in a “division.”  Divisions are:

·            American Indian

·            Historic Helena

·            Pioneer Life

·            Helena Business

·            Famous People

·            Mining and Transportation

·            Antique Vehicles (Pre-1970)

2.          We are planning on large cash prizes for the winners in each division.  Prizes will be awarded to winners in each division and a Sweepstakes froth e best entry in the parade. 

3.          Registration at HHS will be held Tuesday, April 14th through Thursday, April 23rd.  No registration forms will be accepted after the 23rd.  Registration will take place in the Helena High Library.  Be sure not to wait as your float idea may be taken before you register.  ALL FORMS MUST BE TYPED.

4.          The chairman of your float is responsible for submitting all registration forms.  If your float consists of people from both high schools the permission slips for all participants need to be turned in by your chairman at the school where the float is registered.  You will receive an entry number and a map of the staging area for the parade.  Care should be taken in the preparation of the “Vigilante Parade Registration” since the judges often refer to your research when making their selections of prize winning entries.  THIS FORM MUST BE TYPED.

5.          A maximum of twelve (12) people may be registered as working on an entry except antique vehicle entries which have a maximum of 4 people.  ONLY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PARADE.  This does not, of course, preclude others assisting, for example the driver of the vehicle for a float.

6.          According to city ordinance, floats must not be wider than fourteen (14) feet and must be less than thirteen (13) feet in height from the street level.  If height is greater than 13 feet, you may get hung up on low hanging wires at intersections.  If the width of 14 feet is exceeded, your entry will not fit through the downtown pedestrian mall.

7.          Your entry (float, riding or walking) must be registered and given a number.  One official number will be supplied and should be displayed on the FRONT OF THE VEHICLE.  Float entries must have an additional large (12” x 12”) number sign placed on the LEFT the DRIVERS SIDE OVER THE TIRE carrying or towing the float.

8.          Your entry must be well identified by a sign.  Paper for the signs will be available from the Art Departments at CHS.  QUALITY signs will enhance the QUALITY of your entry.  Build a light wooden frame around the sign so that it does not blow away.

9.          The parade will be organized on Helena Avenue and the route will be south on Last Chance Gulch, west on Broadway, and north along Park Avenue to Benton Avenue to the Civic Center where it will conclude.

10.       Prizes will be awarded at the Awards Ceremony held in the Helena High Foyer during a lunch assembly on Monday, May 11th.  The number of prizes awarded for each division is based on the judges’ evaluation of the quality of entries.  If, in the judge’s opinion, there is no entry of sufficient quality to warrant a prize, no prize will be awarded for that division. 

11.       Any evidence of the use of alcohol or tobacco will result in disqualification of the entry.  If bottles, etc. are used as stage props, leave them on the counter or table.  DO NOT HOLD OR CONSUME.

12.       Students must not throw candy or other objects from their floats.  This constitutes a safety hazard for small children along the parade route.

13.       Get a truck or trailer lined up as soon as possible.  Only a limited number of trucks and trailers are available in the Helena area.  If you are unable to secure a vehicle for a float entry, you are encouraged to enter in a walking or riding division.

14.       NO GUNS, STARTER PISTOLS, OR BB GUNS WILL BE ALLOWED.  ONLY REPLICA FIREARMS (WOODEN OR PLASTIC ARE ALLOWED). NO EXPLOSIVES WILL BE ALLOWED ON FLOATS. NO HAY RIDE, HOT TUB, MUD FIGHT, BARBQ ENTRIES OR FIRES WILL BE ALLOWED.  Examples of a fire hazard pertaining to combustible parade floats and other parade apparatus include, but are not limited to:

·            Fires

·            Smoking (tow vehicles and floats)

·            Flammable and combustible liquids

·            Explosives and blasting agents

·            Fireworks

·            Pyrotechnic materials

·            Gunpowder

·            Open flame devices

·            Hazardous materials

·            Flammable gasses (propane, etc.)

·            Heat producing equipment and devices

·            Hazardous electrical wiring

15.       Parade officials reserve the right to remove inappropriate entries from the parade.  These include entries which do not meet requirements as outlined in this set of rules as well as commercial advertisements, political campaigning, or other inappropriate entries.  It is not the purpose of the Vigilante Parade to advertise for local businesses, however, we recognize the desire to thank them for their contributions.  Students have the option of displaying one 2’ x 2’ sign on the door panel of their vehicle for this purpose.  Remember, this parade is representative of the high school students of our community.

16.       Antique vehicle entries should complete research on the vehicle, and riders should be in costume of the time.  Only vehicles made before 1970 will be allowed in the parade for this category.

17.      No “Hot Rodding” of vehicles will be allowed.  This includes spinning the tires (burning rubber) or careless/reckless activities.  Citations will be issued as necessary.

18.      All floats depicting minorities such as Native Americans or the Chinese must be well-researched and historically accurate.  Students are asked to respect cultural diversity and heritage while avoiding racial stereotypes.

19.      Vigilante Parade ideas: You may choose from this list of topics or choose one of your own.  If you want to present another idea, go to helenahistory.org and present idea to Co-chairs, Mrs. Anderson or Mr. Hussey.  Since there can only be TWO floats using the same idea from Helena, it will be on a “first come first serve” basis with the sign up sheet in the library.