Helena, Arkansas | |
|---|---|
 Downtown Helena | |
 Location of Helena, Arkansas | |
| Coordinates: 34°31′45″N 90°35′10″W / 34.52917°N 90.58611°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Arkansas |
| County | Phillips |
| Incorporated | November 16, 1833[citation needed] |
| Area | |
| • Total | 23.0 km2 (8.9 sq mi) |
| • Land | 23.0 km2 (8.9 sq mi) |
| • Water | 0.0 km2 (0.0 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 60 m (200 ft) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 6,323 |
| • Density | 274.9/km2 (710.4/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 72342 |
| Area code | 870 |
| FIPS code | 05-31180 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0077157[1] |
Helena is the eastern portion of Helena–West Helena, Arkansas, a city in Phillips County, Arkansas, located on the west bank of the Mississippi River. 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. As of the 2000 census, this portion of the city population was 6,323. 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.
During the American Civil War, the Battle of Helena was fought July 4, 1863. Helena is the birthplace of many notable people including prominent African Americans and Arkansas' former senior United States senator, Blanche Lincoln. Helena is home to the longest running daily radio program in the U.S., King Biscuit Time.
Citizens of Helena incorporated the Arkansas Midland Railroad in 1853, intending it to be a fairly straight ”air-line railroad” running west from Helena to Little Rock, Arkansas, about 115 miles.[3][4] However actual trackage was not completed until 1872, and only ran to Clarendon, Arkansas, about 48 miles.[3][4] This line later became part of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway in 1910, but was all abandoned by 1979.[3][4] 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.[5] 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.[6] The service was restored on October 1, 2015, and two new freight customers were quickly gained.
- ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Helena, Arkansas
- ^ "Phillips County, AR." Archived December 22, 2016, at the Wayback Machine National Association of Counties, January 2016. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
- ^ a b c Hilton, George W. (1990). American Narrow Gauge Railroads. Stanford University Press. p. 75-80,313-314. ISBN 0-8047-2369-9.
- ^ a b c "Narrow Gauge Railroads". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
- ^ "H. Glenn Mosenthin, "Missouri and North Arkansas Railroad"". encyclopediaofarkansas.net. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
- ^ "Helena Harbor celebrates return of rail service to Phillips County - Talk Business & Politics". Talk Business & Politics. November 23, 2015. Retrieved February 6, 2016.