Some thoughts of Helena Arkansas
Helena Arkansas
Pinned between the river on the east and Crowley’s Ridge immediately to the west, Helena, Arkansas was unable to accommodate the industrialization that began reaching the area in the early 20th century. Thus, West Helena, AR was founded in 1909 to the west of Crowley’s Ridge around the factories and mills for which Helena had lacked the space. 3
The municipality traces its historical roots back to the founding of the port town of Helena in 1833 on the Mississippi River. Helena was occupied by the Union Army early in the American Civil War. The city of Helena was the site of the Battle of Helena fought in 1863. The battle was started by Confederate forces in an unsuccessful attempt to oust the Union Army from Helena. The Confederate goal was to use win victory in Helena in order to assist the important port city of Vicksburg, Mississippi from having to surrender to Union forces there. Helena later served as the launching point for the Union Army in the capture of Little Rock, the state capital, later in the year. 2
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Jews have long played important civic roles in Helena. Aaron Meyers was elected tax collector, treasurer, and served as mayor from 1878 to 1880. He also served on the local school board. Jacob Fink, Henry’s son, was a local lawyer who served as mayor, judge, and school board member. David Solomon also spent time on the local school board. During the heyday of the Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s, he was challenged by a Klan-backed candidate, who was unable to defeat the popular Helena Jew. This tradition of Jewish officeholding in Helena continued well into the 20th century. Eli Newman served on the city council. Sam Ciener spent twelve years on the local school board; David Solomon Jr. was also on the school board. Leo Mundt and Ed Graumann, Jr. served as local judges. 6
Helena-West Helena is the county seat of and the largest city within Phillips County, Arkansas. The current city represents a consolidation, effective on January 1, 2006, of the two Arkansas cities of Helena and West Helena. West Helena is located on the western side of Crowley’s Ridge, a geographic anomaly of the typically flat Arkansas Delta. Helena is nestled between the Mississippi River and the eastern side of Crowley’s Ridge. 1
Helena, Arkansas: Main Street of the Blues features a wide variety of artifacts, many of which have never been displayed for public view. Photographs, clothing, musical instruments, magazines, posters and recordings are all a part of this three-year exhibit. 5
The most significant of these Jewish officeholders was Jacob Trieber, who was the first Jew ever appointed as a federal judge in the United States. Born in Polish Prussia, Trieber first settled in Helena in 1868, and become a well-respected lawyer and civic leader. He served as a city councilman, county treasurer, and a U.S. district attorney, before he was appointed a federal court judge by President William McKinley in 1900. Although he was from the South, Trieber was very sympathetic to blacks, ruling in one famous opinion that racial discrimination in hiring was unconstitutional. This forward thinking opinion in United States vs. Hodges was soon overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1906. Trieber’s ideas would not become accepted by the federal judiciary for several more decades. 7
Although most of the saloons and juke joints are closed and many of the players are long gone, Helena still echoes the blues. Contemporary artists with ties to Helena - including Robert Lockwood, Willie Smith, Lonnie Shields, James Morgan, CeDell Davis and Sam Carr - still record and perform great new music, and many have performed at the annual Helena, Arkansas Blues Festival. 4
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