Helena First, Inc. records,

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1 Overview of the Collection Creator Helena First, Inc. Title Helena First, Inc. records Dates (inclusive) Quantity 4.5 linear feet of shelf space Collection Number MC 250 Summary Helena First, Inc. was incorporated in 1967 with the goal of promoting and participating in the economic development of Helena. The records ( ) consist of correspondence, minutes, project and subject files, and organizational materials. The major project of the organization was the building of the TraveLodge Motel (later Park Plaza Hotel). Repository Montana Historical Society, Research Center Archives Montana Historical Society Research Center Archives 225 North Roberts PO Box Helena MT Telephone: Fax: Access Restrictions Collection open for research. Languages Sponsor English Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Historical Note Helena First, Inc. was incorporated on September 21, 1967, with the goal of promoting and participating in the economic development of Helena. Its membership consisted of owners of Helena businesses. The organization hired Alex Cunningham, a local insurance and property management consultant, as manager. Ward Shanahan served as legal counsel. Helena First, Inc. cooperated with the Helena Urban Renewal office in planning for the economic revitalization of downtown Helena. The major project of the organization was the building of a motel and convention center in the downtown area. This eventually led to the construction of the TraveLodge on Last Chance Gulch (currently the Park Plaza). The motel was leased to Pearson Enterprises, Inc. of Salt Lake City, Utah, with an option to buy. When the lease expired the Pearsons declined to exercise the option and the hotel was sold to Eric Myhre in June Myhre's purchase contract was cancelled in October 1982 and a new contract made with Don West. West, however, was unable to complete the purchase and the property was sold to DeTienne Associates. In 1983 the name was changed to the Park Plaza. The negative side of Helena's Urban Renewal was the razing of many historic buildings on the Gulch in downtown Helena. These included the Wheat Building (formerly the Union Bank Building), the Wallace grocery building, the Holter hardware building, and several small rooming houses in the first block north of Broadway, as 1

2 well as many other buildings throughout the downtown area. Helena First, Inc. officially dissolved itself in the fall of Content Description Records linear feet. Records of Helena First, Inc. include general correspondence ( ), consisting primarily of interoffice correspondence between Alex Cunningham and board members Ward Shanahan and John Schroeder, and photocopies of Cunningham's outgoing correspondence sent to Shanahan and Schroeder for reference purposes. Later correspondence ( ) is among the various board members and between them and other parties. Also included are legal case files ( ) kept by Ward Shanahan as attorney for Helena First, Inc.; financial records ( ) including annual financial audits, tax records, and invoices; legal documents ( ); maps of downtown Helena; minutes ( ); organizational records ( ), including articles of incorporation, by-laws, and stockholder lists; and reports ( ) consisting primarily of feasibility studies for the planned hotel. Subject files ( ) concern the Helena Urban Renewal program, acquisition of the needed properties, and the building and operation of the hotel, including Jacobson & Shope's architectural plans for the hotel. In addition there are miscellaneous items, including a sketch of the Securities Building, and minutes ( ) of several other organizations concerning property transfers. Use of the Collection Restrictions on Use Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana Historical Society. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collection. In some cases permission for use may require additional authorization from the copyright owners. For more information contact an archivist. Preferred Citation Item description and date. Collection Title. Collection Number. Box and Folder numbers. Montana Historical Society Research Center, Archives, Helena, Montana. Administrative Information Arrangement Arranged by series. Some material housed in Archives Map Case. See inventory below for more information. Location of Collection 13:1-7 Acquisition Information Acquisition information available upon request. 2

3 Related Materials Additional material on Helena's Urban Renewal program is contained in Holter Family Papers (MC 80, Box 112, Folder 15) Detailed Description of the Collection The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection General Correspondence 1 / 1 TraveLodge Corporation (correspondence of Alex Cunningham, Inc. prior to incorporation of Helena First, Inc.) 1 / 2 Miscellaneous (includes Montana Secretary of State, Union Bank and Trust Company, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission) 1 / 3-4 Miscellaneous (includes interoffice, City of Helena, Richard Shope, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, U.S. Small Business Administration, Wellington Rankin Estate) 1 / 5-9 Miscellaneous (includes interoffice, Capri Motels, Helena Urban Renewal, Lewis and Clark County, Montana Club, Montana Power Company, Morrison-Maierly, Richard Shope, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, U.S. Small Business Administration) 1 / Miscellaneous (includes interoffice, Helena Urban Renewal, Lewis and Clark County, Montana Power Company, Pearson Associates, Richard Shope, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission) 2 / 1-2 Miscellaneous (includes interoffice, Helena Urban Renewal, Montana Power Company, Montana Investment Commissioner, Pearson Associates, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission) 2 / 3-6 Miscellaneous (includes interoffice, Helena Urban Renewal, Montana Power Company, Montana Liquor Control Board, Pearson Associates, Irwin "Shorty" Shope, Richard Shope, U.S January- June 1970 July- September

4 Securities and Exchange Commission, Watters Construction Company) 2 / 7-8 Miscellaneous (includes interoffice, Helena Urban Renewal, Montana Liquor Control Board, Pearson Associates, Richard Shope, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Watters Construction Company) 2 / 9-10 Miscellaneous (includes interoffice, Helena Urban Renewal, Pearson Associates, Richard Shope, TraveLodge, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Watters Construction Company) 2 / 11 Miscellaneous (includes interoffice, City of Helena, Pearson Associates, Richard Shope, TraveLodge) 2 / 12 Miscellaneous (includes interoffice, Helena Urban Renewal, Pearson Associates, Richard Shope, TraveLodge) 3 / 1 Miscellaneous (includes interoffice, City of Helena, Pearson Associates) 3 / 2 Miscellaneous (includes interoffice, Anderson ZurMuehlen & Co., Eric Myhre, Myhre Advertising, Pearson Associates) 3 / 3 Miscellaneous (includes interoffice, Anderson ZurMuehlen & Co., Capri Motels, Eric Myhre, Myhre Advertising, Park Plaza Hotel) 3 / 4 Miscellaneous (includes interoffice, Anderson ZurMuehlen & Co., Park Plaza Hotel, Don West) 3 / 5 Miscellaneous (includes interoffice, Anderson ZurMuehlen & Co., DeTienne & Associates, Patrick Melby, Park Plaza Hotel) 3 / 6 Miscellaneous (includes interoffice, Anderson ZurMuehlen & Co., DeTienne & Associates, Patrick Melby, Western Federal Savings, Bob White) Case Files 4

5 3 / 7 Helena First, Inc. vs. City of Helena (re quieting title on property) 3 / 8 Helena First, Inc. and DeTienne Associates vs. Dept. of Revenue of State of Montana (re tax appeal on Park Plaza Hotel) RESTRICTED 3 / 9 Helena First, Inc. vs Donald J. West d/b/a Park Plaza Hotel (re default on mortgage payments) / 10 Anna Lukanish vs. Helena First, Inc. (re injury claim) Financial Records 3 / 11 Balance sheets / 12 Bank books / 1-2 Bank statements / 3-5 Corporate income tax returns RESTRICTED 4 / 6-8 Financial statements and audits RESTRICTED / 9 Financial statements: JMJ Properties, Inc / 10 Financial status estimates / 11 Insurance materials / 12 Invoices / 1 Invoices / 2-3 Property taxes

6 RESTRICTED 5 / 4 Recapitulation of Alex Cunningham's management costs / 5 Report of gross sales: TraveLodge / 6 Miscellaneous Legal Documents 5 / 7 Agreements: City of Helena / 8 Agreements: liquor licenses / 9 Agreements: Don West (re Park Plaza Hotel) / 10 Deeds: Hartwig property 1937, / 11 Deeds: Harvey Hotel, Inc / 12 Deeds: Holter Building / 13 Mortgages: Home Building and Loan Association Maps 5 / 14 Plats of Last Chance Gulch and surrounding area (show building occupants and uses) undated Minutes 6

7 5 / 15 Board of Directors and Stockholders meetings 1967 September March 6 / 1 Board of Directors and Stockholders meetings: drafts (includes some material not in official minutes) 6 / 2 Board of Directors and Stockholders meetings: drafts (no official set of minutes exists for this period) 6 / 3 Board of Directors and Stockholders meetings: agendas, notes, meeting notices, etc. [scattered] Organization 6 / 4 Articles of incorporation and amendments / 5 Bylaws 1967, / 6 Corporate directors lists / 7 Corporation annual reports [incomplete set] / 8 Mailing list / 9 Registration with Montana Investment Commissioner / 10 Stock offering / 11 Stock pledges: correspondence / 12 Stock pledges: not paid / 13 Stock pledges: partially paid / 14 Stock register

8 6 / 15 Stockholder and subscription lists / Stockholder card file undated Printed Material 8 / 1 "Reclaimed stakes on Last Chance Gulch" (brochure re Urban Renewal) 1973 Reports 8 / 2 "An appraisal of the Park Plaza Hotel on the Walking Mall, Helena, Montana," by C. Robert White 8 / 3 "Economic feasibility study for a proposed motel and related facilities in Helena, Montana," by Urban Research and Development Company for E.W. Chaffin 8 / 4 "Market, site and economic feasibility study for a proposed motor hotel in downtown Helena, Montana," by Harris, Kerr, Forster and Company for Helena First, Inc circa / 5 Park Plaza Hotel expansion project report / 6 Richard Shope conceptual plan for hotel undated 8 / 7 "Specifications for motor hotel, phase 1, Helena First, Inc., Helena, Montana," by Jacobson and Shope, Architects 1970 Subject Files 8

9 8 / 8 Helena Urban Renewal and City-County Planning Dept.: correspondence 8 / 9 Helena Urban Renewal (includes public information bulletin, redevelopment plan, HUD handbook) 8 / 10 Helena Urban Renewal (re purchase of property from Helena First, Inc.) / 11 Jacobson and Shope, Architects: correspondence / 12 Jacobson and Shope, Architects: contract / 13 Montana Investment Commissioner (registration of stock salesmen) / 1 Montana Power Company garage site acquisition / 2 Park Plaza Hotel: balance sheet and five-year operating performance sheet 9 / 3 Park Plaza Hotel: Victor and Soren DeTienne / DeTienne Associates purchase / 4 Pearson Enterprises: correspondence / 5 Pearson Enterprises: financial statements / 6 Pearson Enterprises: general information circa / 7 Pearson Enterprises: legal documents / 8 Pearson Enterprises: legal documents re sale of hotel to Eric Myhre and Myhre Advertising 9 / 9 Pittsburgh Block: deed and minutes of Pittsburgh Block Company authorizing sale / 10 Rogene's of Helena, Inc.: stock certificate and minutes / 11 Saddleback Inns of the Americas (re proposal for Helena hotel)

10 9 / 12 Irwin "Shorty" Shope (re proposed mural for hotel) / 13 TraveLodge on Last Chance Gulch Oversize Folder 1 TraveLodge on Last Chance Gulch: architect's drawing and plans [Oversize: See Archives Map Case] / 14 TraveLodge on Last Chance Gulch: financial statements / 15 TraveLodge on Last Chance Gulch: inventory / 16 TraveLodge on Last Chance Gulch: repairs / 17 TraveLodge on Last Chance Gulch: swimming pool / United States Securities and Exchange Commission (re listing of stock issue) / 22 United States Small Business Administration / 1 Watters Construction Company: correspondence (re building of TraveLodge motel) / 2 Watters Construction Company: legal documents / 3 Watters Construction Company: payment certificates (includes lists of jobs completed) 10 / 4 Wheat Building (formerly Union Bank Building): correspondence and 1959 brochure offering building for sale 10 / 5 Wheat Building (formerly Union Bank Building): legal documents , Miscellany 10

11 10 / 6 Helena Housing Authority Development Program status report / 7 Minutes of other organizations (includes Harvey Hotel, Inc.; First National Bank and Trust Company; ad hoc group interested in downtown business district) / 8 Sketch of Securities Building undated Clippings 10 / 9 Miscellaneous (re TraveLodge, Urban Renewal, railroads) Names and Subjects Subject Terms : Motels Corporate Names : Helena First, Inc. (creator) Geographical Names : Helena (Mont.) Finding aid prepared by MHS staff 1994 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License: Creative Commons Licenses in Archives West: