HELENA, a city of Arkansas, U.S.A., on the Mississippi river, 55m. (in a bee-line) below Memphis; the county seat of Phillips county. It is served by the Illinois Central, the Missouri and Northern Arkansas, and the Missouri Pacific railways, and is at the head of navigation for ocean-going steamers. The population was 9,112 in 1920; 8,316 in 1930. The city is built partly on a ridge 15of t. above sea-level, and is well protected by levees. It is an important shipping point for cotton, cotton-seed products, lumber and lumber products from its own plants. Helena was founded about 1821. During the Civil War it was of considerable strategic importance. It was occupied and strongly fortified by Union troops in July, 1862, and on July 4, 1863, when attacked by the Confederates, was the scene of hot fighting, resulting in the loss of a fifth of the Confederate force.