HELENA

city, seat (1830) of Phillips county, eastern Arkansas, U.S., port of the Mississippi River, about 50 miles (80 km) southwest of Memphis, Tennessee, and adjacent to the city of West Helena. The community, originally settled in 1797 and first called Monticello and then St. Francis, grew around a warehouse built for barge shipping. In 1811 the steamboat "New Orleans" called there, opening a prosperous era of river traffic. The county was named for Sylvanus Phillips, and the settlement was renamed (1821) for his daughter. The city was a Union supply depot during the American Civil War, and the Battle of Helena (July 4, 1863) was a futile attempt by the Confederates to capture it. The economy, traditionally based on cotton and lumber, became increasingly industrialized after World War II, especially at West Helena (founded 1909, incorporated 1917). One of the largest harbors on an inland waterway was completed in the 1990s, making Helena a hub of industrial development. Helena is the seat of Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas (1965). St. Francis National Forest is immediately to the north. Helena has been called the "cradle of the Delta Blues," and each October the city's King Biscuit Blues Festival draws fans from around the world. Inc. town, 1833; city, 1856. Pop. (1990) 7,491; (1998 est.) 6,970. city and capital of Montana, U.S., seat (1867) of Lewis and Clark county, near the Missouri River, at the eastern foot of the Continental Divide (elevation 3,955 ft ), in Prickly Pear Valley, a fertile region surrounded by rolling hills and lofty mountains. Mounts Helena (5,462 ft) and Ascension (5,360 ft) form scenic backdrops. The area was first visited by the expedition of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark in 1805. Gold was discovered (July 1864) in Last Chance Gulch, now occupied by the city's main street. The town (named for Helena, Minn.) was founded on Oct. 30, 1864. It became capital of the territory in 1875 and of the state in 1889. By 1893 the mining boom (based on gold, silver, and lead) passed, and future prosperity came in cycles-with the building of the Canyon Ferry, Hauser, and Holter dams on the Missouri River (1900-10); with the renewal of mining activities following the demand for metals in World War I; and with the piping of natural gas from surrounding fields. Damage caused by earthquakes in 1935, 1936, and 1937 was rapidly repaired. In addition to state government activities, Helena is an agricultural and livestock trade centre and has light manufactures. It is the headquarters of Helena National Forest, and tourism is an added source of income. Adjacent East Helena has smelting and refining works. Helena is the seat of the Roman Catholic Carroll College (1909) and of the Montana Historical Society (with a museum and art gallery). The capitol building has a copper-covered dome surmounted by a reproduction of the Statue of Liberty. Nearby are several state recreation areas. Inc. 1881. Pop. (1990) 24,569. orphaned daughter of the Countess of Rossillion's physician, a member of the Countess' household in Shakespeare's dark comedy All's Well That Ends Well. Helena, who is not of Bertram's class, aggressively pursues him, devising a plan that traps him into marrying her. love of Demetrius and Lysander in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Helena is grounded, passionate, and witty despite her unrequited love. Though she finds herself in several awkward positions throughout the play, she always carries herself with a certain grace and maturity that contrasts with Hermia's more petulant behaviour.