Area History
Helena, Arkansas is a small town on the mighty Mississippi River, on the eastern border of Arkansas about 65 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee. Including our sister city West Helena we are a community of about 18,000 people. The city is located on the southern tip of Crowley's Ridge, making a beautiful hilly setting surrounded by the flatland of the Delta.
Helena was incorporated in 1833 and is the second oldest city in the state. We have an interesting heritage, with great antique shops, picturesque Bed and Breakfast inns, many beautifully restored Victorian and Edwardian mansions, the oldest continuously operating public library west of the Mississippi and wonderful churches and museums. There are 34 historic homes on the National Register and three historic districts including our downtown area. For fishermen and hunters, this is truly a sportsman's paradise. To anyone looking for a piece of history, "Come on Down," watch the barges go by and enjoy a taste of the past.
Helena is famous for the "King Biscuit Blues Festival" which has received world wide media attention and last year was filmed by a crew from the Smithsonian Institution. Every October, over the weekend before Columbus Day, approximately 100,000 Blues fans come to town for this four day festival which, unbelievable as it sounds, is free.