Founded in 1820, Helena has an impressive number of Civil War sites and historic homes that have been preserved over the years that provide a wonderful glimpse into the life of the Old South. The 1860 U.S. Census Slave Schedules for Arkansas County, Arkansas (NARA microfilm series M653, Roll 53) reportedly includes a total of 4,921 slaves. [3] After, a loss of rail service in early 2015, a successful effort was launched by the Helena-West Helena/Phillips County Port Authority to have freight service restored. Trains Arkansas Usa Open Trailer Light Rail Train Tracks Montana Photo Galleries Waterfall History. PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS OF SERVICE. Robert Palmer noted that in the mid-1930s Helena was "the blues capital of the Delta". The main attack did break through Battery C; however, Union troops were able to fend off the attackers and seal the breach. The Helena Museum of Phillips County works to preserve the history of the Arkansas Delta. While this photo is not of high quality and rather grainy, it is none the less, an important photo of a largely unknown and tragic event in American history. For every 100 females, there were 83.3 males. Out of the Ashes The first recorded lending library was in the game room … Helena’s downtown streets — Elm, Phillips, Walnut and part of Cherry — were filled with juke joints and cafes where bluesmen played all night long to packed houses. Taken from Goodspeed History, 1890 (thank you Tom for providing me this): "Directly west of Helena is the old graveyard on one of the hills partially surrounding the city. In 1860, enslaved people made up more than a quarter of Arkansas’ population. Helena is home to the longest running daily radio program in the U.S., King Biscuit Time. Helena advertising and promotions commission sponsored this trip. PO Box, 256 Dubbed “hell in Arkansas” by a wag in the garrison, Helena became a major Union logistical base on the Mississippi River, strategically located not far above Vicksburg. [10], In June of 1863, Confederate commander Theophilus Holmes sought to take pressure off of Vicksburg, Mississippi by attacking the Union-held town of Helena, Arkansas. The agricultural wealth of Arkansas's eastern Delta region flowed through Helena, AR and it was there that the culture of the Deep South made its most thorough and enduring penetration into Arkansas. Pinned between the river on the east and Crowley's Ridge immediately to the west, Helena was unable to accommodate the industrialization that began reaching t… The first shooting happened Saturday night near North 7th and Baldwin. Helena is the eastern portion of Helena–West Helena, Arkansas, a city in Phillips County, Arkansas. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. the elaine massacre and arkansas: a century of atrocity and resistance, 1819-1919. [12] Helena, Arkansas built a reproduction of Fort Curtis in 2012. In Helena, the age distribution included 32.5% of the population under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 22.1% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. According to the United States Census Bureau, Helena had a total area of 8.9 square miles (23 km2), all land. 12. In addition, Helena has played a rich role in blues and music heritage over the years. (I have… Read More HELENA ARKANSAS….TOWN OF HISTORY The population density was 710.7 people per square mile (274.3/km2). Neither man ever truly worked in the funeral business for their love was farming. (Students Tapping Academic Resources for Success) Academy (alternative school), This page was last edited on 11 February 2021, at 21:03. [4] The service was restored on October 1, 2015 and two new freight customers were quickly gained. But in Phillips County, where this photograph was taken, enslaved people made up 60 percent of the total population.The inscription "slave quarters" is a bit deceving. The Confederates did charge Fort Curtis in their last attack. Phillips County is a county located in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Arkansas, in what is known as the Arkansas Delta along the Mississippi River.As of the 2010 census, the population was 21,757. The two cities united their school systems in 1946 and merged into one city (preserving both names) on January 1, 2006. Holmes won approval for a plan to assault the Union-held river town of Helena, Arkansas, 170 miles north of Vicksburg. Among the musicians who regularly visited and performed in the area at that time were Robert Johnson, Johnny Shines, Sonny Boy Williamson II, Robert Nighthawk, Howlin' Wolf, Elmore James, David "Honeyboy" Edwards, Memphis Slim and Roosevelt Sykes. The racial makeup of Helena is 67.93% Black or African American, 30.59% White, 0.13% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.17% from other races, and 0.59% from two or more races. Helena was the county seat of Phillips County[2] until January 1, 2006, when it merged its government and city limits with neighboring West Helena. Helena, AR 72342, Copyright © 2019 Helena Advertising & Promotions Commission • 870.714.2844 • Questions / Comments? The Helena Museum’s history begins with the Women’s Library Association’s efforts to start a proper library in Helena, Arkansas. Crowleys Ridge provided elevation and some protection against flooding, a rare feature along the right/west bank of the lower Mississippi River. By the time Helena was incorporated in 1833, it was the second oldest city in the state and flourished as a river port. As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 6,323 people, 2,312 households, and 1,542 families residing in Helena. Helena, city, seat (1830) of Phillips county, eastern Arkansas, U.S., port of the Mississippi River, about 50 miles (80 km) southwest of Memphis, Tennessee, and adjacent to the city of West Helena. Helena is the birthplace of Arkansas' former Senior United States Senator Blanche Lincoln. Blacks formed a majority in two towns, Helena and Pine Bluff, where they developed a “small but successful” middle class, Gordon writes. However, the heavy artillery inside kept the attack from ever reaching the fort. The Confederates withdrew on July 4th of 1863. Helena's First Mass Transit. One of a group of negatives taken for March 2, 1958, Arkansas Gazette article Helena: It Provides the Visitor Many Links With the Past, 5F:1. Maybe I could see the Mississippi River and some cotton in fields for the first time in my life. The Helena Museum Mission Statement The Helena Museum of Phillips County seeks to deepen the understanding of the people, society, and culture of Phillips County, and share its historic collection with the public for the betterment of the county. Holmes planned and executed three different failed attacks on the town. A Mob Intent on Death: The NAACP and The Arkansas Riot Cases. All opinions are my own. There were 2,710 housing units at an average density of 304.6/sq mi (117.6/km2). [19], "H. Glenn Mosenthin, "Missouri and North Arkansas Railroad, "Helena Harbor celebrates return of rail service to Phillips County - Talk Business & Politics", "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990", "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014", https://www.edwardianinn.com/williamshorthouse, "CENSUS 2000 Block Map: WEST HELENA city", "State's last black Catholic school to close", "Saxophonist Red Holloway Dead at 84 Chicago tenor was prolific leader and sideman for six decades", "Helena, a city and the county-seat of Phillips county, Arkansas, U.S.A.", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Helena,_Arkansas&oldid=1006245618, Arkansas populated places on the Mississippi River, Populated places in Phillips County, Arkansas, 1833 establishments in Arkansas Territory, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox settlement with unknown parameters, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, S.T.A.R.S.