Early settlers The area was long the territory of the historic
Muscogee people, known by English colonists as the
Creek Indians. While Scots-Irish and English traders had interaction with them, and there was some armed conflict in the early 19th century, most European-American settlers did not come to this area until 1849. This was after the United States had conducted
Indian Removal of the Creek and other Southeastern tribes in the 1830s, to lands west of the
Mississippi River. The first European-American settlers to Helena, which they initially named Cove, were veterans of the final campaigns of the
War of 1812. Members of
Andrew Jackson's army were attracted to the quiet, peaceful valleys and streams after the
Battle of Horseshoe Bend. By 1856, the Cove post office opened. Shortly thereafter, the settlers changed the name of the town to Hillsboro.
Civil War The onset of the
American Civil War brought the need for the South to increase its manufacturing production and develop new industries, in service of the
Confederate States of America. Coal and iron ore mines were dug throughout this area and the construction of the
Louisville & Nashville Railroad provided new transportation connections. Helena became an important industrial center for the wartime efforts. Around 1864 a
rolling mill was built on Buck Creek, near the rail lines to process the iron from Selma. Peter Boyle, an engineer for the railroad working on a new line, met and courted Helen Lee. He would name the rail station that supported the rolling mill after her. Eventually the town was named Helena after the train station.
Wilson's Raid As the final battles of the Civil War were being fought, Union forces amassed a force for a cavalry raid to attack the South's war fighting capability, as
Sherman's march had done the previous year. Led by
James Harrison Wilson, this force passed through the town of Helena on March 30, 1865, where they destroyed much of the newly developed industry and residential buildings.
Reconstruction Within a few years of the end of the Civil War and the beginning of the
reconstruction era, industrialists were again developing the area coal and iron ore resources. The railroads were rebuilt and coke ovens were established by the Eureka Company in 1870. The rolling mill was rebuilt in 1873, with support spurred by
Rufus Cobb, later elected as a two-term governor. Much of what was Hillsboro had been absorbed by the expanding Helena area. The town was surveyed by
Joseph Squire in 1873 and incorporated in 1877. By 1880, Helena contained six mercantile stores, one drugstore, two hotels, and several boarding houses… The rolling mill had been expanded and modernized and the number of merchants had increased.A rail yard was added by the
Louisville & Nashville Railroad Company.
Depression era Helena was first incorporated in 1877 but had to reincorporated in 1917 after the initial incorporation paperwork was found to contain errors. Charles Hind was elected mayor the same year. Much of the industry began to decline as the economy contracted in the years after World War I. The rolling mill was closed in 1923 and many mine closures followed. As the
Great Depression set in during the 1930s, the town fell on hard times. Many residents left to find work elsewhere.
1933 Tornado Around 3 AM on
May 5, 1933, residents were awoken to a massive tornado that ripped through the heart of Helena. A total of twelve persons were killed; 75 people were reported as injured. Many of the original houses were completely destroyed and railroad cars were overturned. The property damage was estimated to be in the range of $100,000 to $150,000 (not adjusted).
Modern expansion Helena remained a small town in the largely rural county until suburban growth from Birmingham reached the city in the late 20th century. Numerous residential and commercial developments have taken place, spurring improvements to city facilities and services. By the early 21st century, Helena had large population gains, with related growing pains in trying to provide services, as a result of its convenient location and high quality of life.
2021 tornado Another tornado struck the town on
March 25, 2021, causing EF1 damage to several homes and downing trees throughout several neighborhoods. The tornado eventually reached low-end EF3 strength northeast of town. ==Geography==