February 12, 1931

Entertainer Will Rogers included Helena (Phillips County) in his tour of Arkansas, visiting the city and raising $1,500 from his appearance, money that was divided among various unemployment committees. Major floods in 1927 and 1937 devastated the farms and the cities of Phillips County. Levees that had been rebuilt and improved after earlier floods were unable to handle the water those years. During the Flood of 1927, the Laconia Circle levee at Snow Lake broke in six places, leaving the unprotected farms under sixteen feet of water. The flood was also a setback to the lumber industry from which it did not recover.