March 11, 2009

The sesquicentennial observance of the American Civil War will begin in 2011 with activities across the nation, including many in Arkansas. The centennial observance, beginning in 1961, saw many of the same types of planned activities, such as reenactments, history seminars, and publications. Helena-West Helena (Phillips County), the site of a bloody battle in the summer of 1863, was marked with several commemorative tablets placed by the Arkansas Civil War Centennial Commission, including the one shown here.