Montana’s governmental landscape grew from roots laid by local gold discoveries in 1864. Helena became the territorial capital in 1875, and after statehood in 1889 the county courthouse served as Montana’s first capitol. Voters chose Helena as the permanent state capital in 1894, and efforts to build a grand capitol began at once. An original plan placed Capitol Hill on the site of present-day Carroll College, but the owner wanted $10,000 for the land and the new state lacked the money. East side booster Peter Winne then offered to pay the state $4,000 to select the present site, expecting it to encourage expansion, and the state accepted. Fields still surrounded the neighborhood when officials broke ground in 1899. From 1902 to 1920, smaller revival style buildings, including the 1909 Capitol wings, reflected minimal expansion. Larger stripped classical buildings marked growth during the Depression era, and Late Modern buildings to the east showed a new emphasis on campus planning. Today, the 1902 Montana State Capitol stands at the center of the sixty-acre campus, whose grounds and buildings reflect the state’s development. Its monuments include granite tablets, living trees, and metal sculptures honoring groups such as the Montana Veterans and the Montana National Guard, as well as individual tributes including the 1905 equestrian statue of Irish hero Thomas Francis Meagher and a memorial to Governor Donald G. Nutter, who was killed in a plane crash in 1962. The campus remains the heart of state government and a testament to Montana’s history and people.