Again, I don't plan a lot of commentary, just photos. Our plans today were to travel to Helena, Arkansas to spend the night. We really didn't know anything about Helena or the area, but it proved to have some interesting history. About 30 miles above Helena we encountered The Mississippi River State Park located in St. Francis National Forrest. It is one of the smallest National Forrest but was really nice.
They had a great visitor-information center. There was a short hiking trail (.5 miles) near the visitor center and we spent a few minutes relaxing on the trail and met an older gentleman fishing.
With the information we gained at the Visitor Center, we sought out Bear Creek Loop trail. This loop was one mile and made for a nice hike through the Arkansas forest.
By the time we reached Helena, we were ready for lunch. Downtown (which was practically deserted) we found The Helena Tavern. It was 1:30 and it closed at 2:00. Fortunately we were able to get in. There was only one other party inside and the (apparent) manager took care of us. Kay and I both had fried catfish and fries, hushpuppies and slaw. It was fantastic. Carl and Janet shared a pizza which was also good.
I don't know, but I bet this place rocks on the weekend! One of Helena's claims to fame is hosting the King Biscuit Blues Festival each year.
Helena is rich is Civil War History. I'll let Wikipedia tell you about it:
The municipality traces its historical roots to the founding of the port town of Helena on the Mississippi River by European Americans in 1833. As the county seat, Helena was the center of a prosperous cotton plantation region in the antebellum years. Helena was occupied by the Union Army early in the American Civil War. The city was the site of the Battle of Helena fought in 1863. Confederate forces unsuccessfully tried to expel Union forces from Helena in order to help relieve pressure on the strategic river town of Vicksburg, Mississippi. Later in the year, Helena served as the launching point for the Union Army in the capture of Little Rock, the state capital.
We visited the Confederate Cemetery, which was not easy to find. There are seven Confederate Army Generals buried here.
Our last stop was at the small roadside Freedom Park. It tell the story of how many escaped and freed slaves made their way to Helena . The slaves as they were being freed by the Union army during the Civil War were called Contraband by the Union officers and soldiers. The freed slaves in Helena, Arkansas in 1863 were settled in tents and rough hewn log cabins and were built on the site of the newly finished Freedom Park of Helena. Many of the slaves joined the Union Army. Helena was never captured by the Confederate Army.
We are looking forward to spending time in Vicksburg tomorrow and continue our study of the Civil war in this important area.
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