HELENA-WEST HELENA, Ark. 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. Helena offers a multitude of festivals, and music events every year in addition ot the Delta Blues Museum. It is free to the public.[13]. There were 2,710 housing units at an average density of 304.6/sq mi (117.6/km2). Neither man ever truly worked in the funeral business for their love was farming. The community, originally settled in 1797 and first called Monticello and then St. Francis, grew around a warehouse built for barge shipping. Helena is located at 34°31′34″N 90°36′5″W / 34.52611°N 90.60139°W / 34.52611; -90.60139 (34.526223, −90.601377).[5]. From 1906 to 1946, Helena was a terminal point on the former Missouri and North Arkansas Railroad, which provided passenger and freight service to Joplin, Missouri. 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. 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. [12] Helena, Arkansas built a reproduction of Fort Curtis in 2012. (I have… Read More HELENA ARKANSAS….TOWN OF HISTORY 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. Helena was incorporated in 1833 and prospered as a river port, while West Helena began as a railroad town, incorporated in 1917. Trains Arkansas Usa Open Trailer Light Rail Train Tracks Montana Photo Galleries Waterfall History. Out of the Ashes The first recorded lending library was in the game room … Holmes planned and executed three different failed attacks on the town. The per capita income for Helena is $13,028. 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. https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Phillips_County,_Arkansas Helena-West Helena is located on the Mississippi River about seven and a half miles below the mouth of the St. Francis River. Helena is located on the Mississippi River and began its emergence as a major port shortly after steamboats began traveling the river in 1811. One hundred years ago this week, one of the worst episodes of racial violence in American history unfolded in Elaine, Ark., a small town on the Mississippi. Contact Us The main attack did break through Battery C; however, Union troops were able to fend off the attackers and seal the breach. This photograph was taken in Helena, Arkansas while the Sixth Minnesota Volunteers were camped there. History As the ninth state to join the Confederate States of America, Arkansas men enlisted in the Confederate and Union army in 1861 (Civil War Helena: A brief history of Helena). 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. Meanings and history of the name Helena. There were 2,312 households, out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.8% were married couples living together, 28.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 1863-01-11 Union forces capture Arkansas Post, or Ft Hindman, Arkansas; 1863-07-04 Failed Confederate assault on Helena Arkansas (640 casualties); 1863-08-01 Battle of Little Rock, Arkansas; start of Chattanooga campaign; 1863-09-01 Federal troops reconquer Fort Smith Arkansas; 1863-09-27 Jo Shelby's cavalry in action at Moffat's Station, Arkansas; 1864-03-23 Encounter at Camden, Arkansas After a glitch in 2005 with licensing issues, the committee was forced to abandon the King Biscuit name and switched to the Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival. 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… 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. When I found out I was getting to go on a trip to Helena Arkansas, I thought what is there to see there? 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. Arkansas Newspaper Index, 1819-1845 : Index To Obituaries, Biographical Notes and Probate and Chancery Notices from Arkansas Newspapers, 1819-1845 (includes Helena Spy ) Family History Library Arkansas State Democrat, and Helena Commercial Advertiser 06/26/1840 to 02/12/1841 Genealogy Bank In December 1887, Union veteran W. A. Jenkins delivered a speech to a gathering in Illinois. Over the course of six days, four people were shot in three separate incidents, one of whom didn’t survive. Federal forces under Major General Samuel Ryan Curtis occupied Helena in July 1862. It was founded in 1833 by Nicholas Rightor and is named after the daughter of Sylvanus Phillips, an early settler of Phillips County and the namesake of Phillips County. [11], Fort Curtis was built in August of 1862 by Union soldiers and freed slaves in Helena, Arkansas. The Helena Museum of Phillips County works to preserve the history of the Arkansas Delta. Derived from the Greek ‘Ελενη (Helene), probably from Greek ‘ελενη (helene) "torch" or "corposant", or possibly related to σεληνη (selene) "moon". However, the heavy artillery inside kept the attack from ever reaching the fort. The historic homes and churches in Helena provide wonderful glimpses into the life of the Old South. [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. An informative and historical overview of Phillips County, Arkansas with 75 pages including 103 family biographies plus 48 different Phillips County communities on 4 different maps. Helena's First Mass Transit. But the undisputed blues music capital at the time was Helena, Arkansas, located along the Mississippi River about 80 miles southwest of Memphis. As of the 2000 census, this portion of the city population was 6,323. In 1860, enslaved people made up more than a quarter of Arkansas’ population. There were 1,636 Confederate deaths and 205 Union deaths. The paddle wheels, which are frozen over, of the Pelican steamboat at Helena, Phillips County, Arkansas. 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. 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 Confederates did charge Fort Curtis in their last attack. In June, 1863, Lt. Gen. Theophilus Holmes, Confederate commander in Arkansas, sought to relieve Union pressure on Vicksburg, Mississippi as the army of Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant besieged that strategic city. Helena advertising and promotions commission sponsored this trip. PO Box, 256 Written by Ida B. Wells-Barnett. The Confederates withdrew on July 4th of 1863. After graduating in 1929, She returned to West Helena, Arkansas to operate the business for the two men. 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. 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, 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. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.5 males. Robert Palmer noted that in the mid-1930s Helena was "the blues capital of the Delta". According to the United States Census Bureau, Helena had a total area of 8.9 square miles (23 km2), all land. For every 100 females, there were 83.3 males. Helena is the eastern portion of Helena–West Helena, Arkansas, a city in Phillips County, Arkansas. PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS OF SERVICE. [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. In addition, Helena has played a rich role in blues and music heritage over the years. By the time Helena was incorporated in 1833, it was the second oldest city in the state and flourished as a river port. 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 is the birthplace of Arkansas' former Senior United States Senator Blanche Lincoln. – The past week has been a violent one for the town of Helena-West Helena. There were 1,636 Confederate deaths and 205 Union deaths. For the next year, it would serve as a command post for the Union, being centrally located on the Mississippi River. Helena's First Mass Transit. 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. Established on the banks of the Mississippi River in 1820, Phillips County is the second oldest county in Arkansas. Edited by Guy Lancaster the elaine massacre and arkansas: a century of atrocity and resistance, 1819-1919. [4] The service was restored on October 1, 2015 and two new freight customers were quickly gained. the arkansas race riot. A Mob Intent on Death: The NAACP and The Arkansas Riot Cases. The land was owned by individuals, but by consent the people buried their dead there from the settlement of Helena … The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.28. Holmes planned and executed three different failed attacks on the town. Even though the land around Helena used to have periodic flooding due to poor drainage, the land was well suited for cotton production even more so as farmers learned to build small levees that helped drain the land. The first shooting happened Saturday night near North 7th and Baldwin. 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. 12. 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. However, their library was not the first in the city of Helena. The Helena monument sits … [9], Helena, Arkansas is home to a number of historic buildings such as the Sidney H. Horner House and the Centennial Baptist Church. Helena-West Helena School District operates schools in what was Helena. Crowleys Ridge provided elevation and some protection against flooding, a rare feature along the right/west bank of the lower Mississippi River. Helena’s musical heritage was largely unknown even to blues fans, and the festival was an effort to establish Helena’s rightful place in the Delta’s musical history. 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. The city of Helena was founded by European Americans in 1833, as a port along the Mississippi River. A Confederate city, a Union stronghold, a battleground, an island of freedom—this is Civil War Helena. Fort Curtis was not directly attacked in the Battle of Helena due to the Confederacy focusing their attacks on the outlying batteries. Includes history and genealogy for the cities of Helena, Poplar Grove, Marvell, Trenton, Barton, AR history preserved in wood, stone and sound. Helena Advertising &Promotion Commission Males had a median income of $27,203 versus $17,250 for females. About 38.4% of families and 41.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 54.9% of those under age 18 and 24.1% of those age 65 or over. Helena on the Big River The stretch of the Mississippi River between Helena and Arkansas City is considered one of the best sections of the river for paddling and boating due to it’s undeveloped beauty. Details remain difficult to verify. In this June 2019 photo, men work near the monument in Helena, Arkansas, which will honor the victims of the Elaine Massacre. The Edwardian Inn is located on land occupied by Union forces during the Siege of Vicksburg in 1863, and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. 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. 0.73% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Latinate form of HELEN. The county seat is Helena-West Helena. The main attack did break through Battery C; however, Union troops were able to fend off the attackers and seal the breach. Action at Wallace's Ferry 1864 (Source: The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture) Battle of Helena 1863 (Source: The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture) Southern Claims Commission Phillips County - Approved Claims, 1871-1880 (Source: fold3 - 7 day free trial) [17][18], Helena previously had a Catholic grade school for black children, St. Cyprian School; it closed in 1963. A year later in 1862 the Union Army General entered Arkansas territory taking over homes, crops, land, and goods in order to make a place for their soldiers to stay. Helena is home to the longest running daily radio program in the U.S., King Biscuit Time. The Confederates withdrew on July 4th of 1863. The two cities united their school systems in 1946 and merged into one city (preserving both names) on January 1, 2006. Maybe I could see the Mississippi River and some cotton in fields for the first time in my life. (Students Tapping Academic Resources for Success) Academy (alternative school), This page was last edited on 11 February 2021, at 21:03. The median income for a household in Helena is $18,662, and the median income for a family was $21,534. Written by Robert C. Cortner. The population density was 710.7 people per square mile (274.3/km2). As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 6,323 people, 2,312 households, and 1,542 families residing in Helena. Blacks formed a majority in two towns, Helena and Pine Bluff, where they developed a “small but successful” middle class, Gordon writes. [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. In Greek mythology Helen was the daughter of Zeus and Leda, whose kidnapping by Paris was the cause of the Trojan War. Jenkins’s topic was the battle of Helena, a July 1863 engagement in which more than 7,000 Confederates attacked and were repulsed by 4,100 Federals entrenched at Helena, Arkansas, on the Mississippi River. The median age was 32 years. This transcription includes 25 slaveholders who held 50 or more slaves in Arkansas County, accounting for 2,542 slaves, or 51% of the County total. Saved by Lee Young. All opinions are my own. 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. Holmes won approval for a plan to assault the Union-held river town of Helena, Arkansas, 170 miles north of Vicksburg. Helena, Arkansas, The Sultana Steamboat, Explosion and Disaster, historic photo. Eliza Miller Junior High School and Central High School, the designated secondary schools, were in West Helena.
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