Depiction of the new Fort Curtis destination sign.

The May 11^th dedication of Fort Curtis, the replica Union fort located in downtown Helena, will mark the first in a series of events launching the Civil War Helena tourism initiative and commemorating the Battle of Helena. In 2013, Helena will be the focus of Arkansas’ Civil War Sesquicentennial Commemoration, positioning Helena to draw both regional and national attention to its unique and multi-faceted story.

The block-long reproduction of Fort Curtis completed at the corner of York and Columbia streets is the largest of its kind in the region. The structure and the accompanying interpretive signage recall the human stories of those affected by the city’s occupation by Federal troops from July 1862 through the Civil War’s end in 1865 and the Confederacy’s failed attempt on July 4, 1863 to return the city to Southern control. Members of the Helena community have worked to develop the fort and more than 27 other Civil War sites, with the hope that this initiative will act as a catalyst for economic growth through increased tourism.

The May 11 event will include local and state officials, historians, re-enactors, and numerous civic leaders and community residents focused on building the area’s future by promoting its heritage. Other Civil War Helena events slated for 2012 include the opening of Freedom Park, the first official “Network to Freedom” Underground Railroad site in Arkansas.  Both Fort Curtis and Freedom Park will be managed by the Delta Cultural Center upon completion.

Last year's market at Court Square Park.

Saturday, June 9, marks the opening day of the 2012 Helena Farmers Market. This year the market will be launching several exciting updates and additions. Last year, Main Street Helena received two grants on behalf of the market: a $39,215 USDA Farmers Market Promotion Grant and a $6,000 Arkansas Community Foundation Grant. With this support Main Street Helena has hired a part-time market manager who will provide more robust program support and leadership. Additionally, the market has worked with Thrive through their Design Measures program to develop new signage and marketing materials to expand the market’s reach.

Potentially the most impactful improvement to the market will be the addition of equipment necessary to accept EBT and SNAP benefits. Market leadership is developing a token system that will allow residents receiving benefits to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables from market vendors. This development will significantly expand healthy eating options for downtown residents, with the closest grocery store located almost two miles from downtown.  

Some of the adult volunteers stand by the trash collected

The Phillips County 4-H Program hosted a Downtown Helena Community Clean-Up event on March 31, in partnership with the University Of Arkansas Division Of Agriculture-Phillips County, Main Street Helena, the Delta Bridge Project, and the statewide Great American Cleanup and Keep Arkansas Beautiful programs. Eighty volunteer participants from throughout the community joined together to beautify the downtown area.  Volunteers picked up trash, cleaned windows, cleared out several storefronts, and planted flowers.

The Isle of Capri Casino received an award for contributing the most volunteer hours to the event, with strong participation also seen by the PCCUA Student Success Club, the Boys and Girls Club, and Cub Scout Pack 113. The coordinators and sponsors of the cleanup were pleased to see such a strong showing of community support.

The clean-up was coordinated in anticipation of the upcoming season of downtown festivals and events, starting with the April 14^th Live on the Levee concert. Another cleanup event is planned for early fall, in preparation for the King Biscuit Blues Festival.

Fort Curtis - Phase 1 Construction

The Civil War Helena tourism initiative made significant progress in 2011. In addition to completing the Phase One construction of Fort Curtis, local partners solidified plans for Freedom Park, began work on the Civil War Helena website, and created more than a dozen additional interpretive panels.

Fort Curtis will be one of the key destination attractions for Civil War Helena, serving as the only replica fort of its kind in the region.  Phase One development included construction of the fort’s earthen walls, gun platforms, and sodding of the site. Phase Two development is slated for completion by this summer and will include an imitation well, flagpole, tents, replica guns, parking, and exterior lighting and landscaping.  

Freedom Park will serve as another destination attraction for Civil War Helena.  Plans were finalized for this self-guided interpretive park, which has already been designated as the first official Underground Railroad Network to Freedom site in Arkansas.   Both Freedom Park and Fort Curtis will be operated by the Delta Cultural Center.

The Helena Museum of Phillips County and Phillips County Library saw the installation of several Civil War interpretive panels. Additional signs, statues, and exhibits will be fabricated and installed throughout 2012.

Local tourism leaders are working to bring the key Civil War Helena attractions online by 2013, the year in which the State Sesquicentennial Commission will focus on the Battle of Helena.  The initiative is projected to attract 61,000 visitors by 2019, leading to the creation of at least 44 tourism-supported jobs.  Keep an eye out for new developments in and around the downtown in the coming months.

Date & Time: Tuesday, March 20th, 2012; 2:00 pm

Location: Delta Cultural Center, Visitor Center building, upstairs conference room

Description: The quarterly meeting of the Tourism, Recreation and Quality of Life Goal Team led by Chair Paula Oliver

Date & Time: Wednesday, January 4th, 2011; 4:00 pm

Location: Delta Cultural Center, Visitor Center building, upstairs conference room

Description: The quarterly meeting of the Tourism, Recreation and Quality of Life Goal Team led by Chair Paula Oliver

Date & Time: Monday, July 25th, 2011; 3:30 pm

Location: Southern Bancorp (Cherry St. branch) – upstairs conference room

Description: The quarterly meeting of the Tourism, Recreation and Quality of Life Goal Team led by Chair Paula Oliver (Main Street Helena)

TRQ Goal Team Meeting Minutes for 7.25.2011 (.pdf)

This summer Civil War Helena (Tourism Goal 4), the 29-site tourism initiative focused on telling Helena’s unique Civil War story, will be ramping up with work on several key sites.

FORT CURTIS: Work began last week on Fort Curtis, the earthen-walled Union fort once located in the downtown. The fort will feature several cannons, one of which will be operational, and will allow visitors to walk through and explore its interior.  Located on Columbia Street at the former site of Jefferson Elementary School, this three-fourths replica of the original fort will occupy the entire block and will be the only reconstructed fort of its kind in the region. 

FREEDOM PARK:  Engineering and survey work is underway for Freedom Park, a four-acre site located on South Biscoe across from Estevan Hall. Freedom Park has been designated as the first Network to Freedom site in Arkansas, a National Park Service designation for key Underground Railroad sites across the nation.  The park will feature five major outdoor exhibits and is expected to be one of the major draws for the Civil War Helena initiative.  The exhibits will explore the African-American experience in Civil War Helena, following the journey from fugitive slave to Contraband to freedom and, for some, enlistment in the Union Army and participation in the Battle of Helena on July 4, 1863.

The Arkansas Department of Transportation and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism released plans last month for a new multi-million dollar Arkansas Welcome Center in Helena (Tourism Goal 1, Action Step D).  The Welcome Center will be located at the current Super 7 Motel site at the foot of the Highway 49 Bridge.

The design for the center features a hilltop mansion in the “informal Italianate style,” and was inspired by architectural elements seen in many of Helena’s historic buildings. Inside, a series of display cases will highlight area attractions and a computer station will enable travelers to look up destination phone numbers and book last minute hotel rooms.  The plans for the center will go out for bid in December, with estimated completion in 2013.