| Helena,
located where Crowley's Ridge meets the Mississippi
River, was an important early river port through
which the agricultural wealth of Arkansas's eastern
Delta region flowed. It was here that the culture of
the Deep South made its most thorough and enduring
penetration into Arkansas. The mythic power of the
Mississippi can be seen in the Helena River Reach
Park. The Delta Cultural Center, a state museum, has
exhibits detailing the history of the natural and
human history of the Delta region, including the
1863 Battle of Helena, and Helena's role in the
development of blues music. Helena contributed seven
generals to the Confederacy, three of whom are
buried in the town's Confederate Cemetery. Civil War
artifacts and period paintings of the generals can
be viewed at the Phillips County Museum. |
