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.
