Helena in Phillips County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)

Helena and The Trail of Tears

Photographed by Sandra Hughes, January 17, 2012

1. Helena and The Trail of Tears Marker

Inscription. "The steamer Warren brought news... of the loss of the steamboat Monmouth, and the death of at least one-half of her infamously crowded passengers. This fatal, and most appalling, accident arose from a collision between these two boats; but from the best intelligence we can procure the blame rests upon the Monmouth, ... Six hundred {Creek} were jammed into this boat... and three hundred have perished." - Arkansas Gazette, November 28, 1837.

The Water Route to the Indian Territory
Here, Helena residents of the 1830s watched tens of thousands of Cherokee, Choctaw, Muscogee (Creek), and Chickasaw pass by as they traveled the Mississippi River. Passengers on steamboats, flatboats, and keelboats, they were on their way to the Arkansas River, and ultimately, to Indian Territory- what is now Oklahoma.

Thousands would die, victims of the hardships of the forced relocation from the southeastern United States.

Helena, founded in 1820, was a bustling port by the time the removal detachments passed by while traveling west on the Mississippi River to Indian Territory.

Erected by Arkansas Humanities Council and the Department of Arkansas Heritage.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Indigenous Peoples and Communities

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. In addition, it is included in the Trail of Tears series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1820.

Location. 34° 31.342′ N, 90° 35.123′ W. Marker is in Helena, Arkansas, in Phillips County. It is on Missouri St.. This marker is beside "They passed this way", and near The Battle of Helena markers. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Helena AR 72342, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Arkansas Delta,

in Crowley’s Ridge,

in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain,

and in the Quapaw Homeland.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in the Mississippi Delta,

and in the Great River Road Region.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

the Louisiana Purchase,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: They Passed This Way (here, next to this marker); The Battle of Helena (a few steps from this marker); Phillips County Goes to War (within shouting distance of this marker); A Union Stronghold in Confederate Arkansas (within shouting distance of this marker); A Great Upheaval (within shouting distance of this marker); Hernando De Soto (within shouting distance of this marker); KFFA 1360 Helena (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Blues Trail: Mississippi to Helena (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Helena.

Photographed by Sandra Hughes, January 17, 2012

2. Helena and The Trail of Tears Marker

Photographed by Sandra Hughes, January 17, 2012

3. Helena and The Trail of Tears Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on January 28, 2012, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. This page has been viewed 1,516 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 28, 2012, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.