Early History of Phillips County

The Land, the Legends and the Lore

by Patty Smith

Published 2020

Sylvanus Phillips

If you were asked to rate Helena-West Helena, Arkansas on a scale of 1 – 10, what would be your response? If you have lived here any length of time, and plan on remaining, your rating would most likely be much higher than average. Perhaps it is employment that keeps you here, or the fact that the area is, and has been, home to your family for generations. Or, perhaps you are drawn to the outdoor activities associated with the Mighty Mississippi, such as hunting and fishing. Whatever the reason, something within has created a fondness for this small river town that Mark Twain once called ‘the prettiest situation on the Mississippi’ The same could be said of Sylvanus Phillips.

Whether you think of Sylvanus Phillips as our founding father, or a shrewd land speculator who was involved in multiple schemes during his lifetime, the fact remains that the county was named for him and the city for his deceased daughter, Helena Phillips. He grew to love Helena, and ruled in the area for over thirty years before his death. And while his is a success story, one can imagine his thoughts as he navigated his flatboat down the Mississippi, heading to the land he obtained with a Spanish Land Grant.

In 1797, he landed at the mouth of the St. Francis River, located on what we know as the Low Road. He cleared the land, built his cabin close by, and began to explore the territory. He found no others within the vicinity. Over the next year, he was joined by Daniel Mooney, William Patterson and Moses Burnett, all living in fairly close proximity for the time period.

In 1798, the Spanish Commandant, fearing an Indian uprising, ordered Phillips, Mooney and Patterson (all later related by marriage) to the Arkansas Post. It was during this time at the Post that Sylvanus married a daughter of William Patterson. No one is certain of her name, but it is known that by 1808 she was deceased. In late 1799 or early 1800, Sylvanus was back on his home site and joined by several other families, nearby, over the next few years.

During the time Sylvanus was at the post, there was much speculation on the boundaries of the Spanish Land Grants. While we know that Sylvanus lived originally at the mouth of the St. Francis and owned a grist mill at Phillips Bayou, at some point between 1799 and 1808, he moved about a mile south of his original home as shown by early plat maps. It is speculated that this move may have been due to the boundary disputes since none of the 640 acre land grants were surveyed until 1816. Whatever the reason, Phillips lived in his new location until his move to ‘Old Helena’ in 1815.

While living just south of the mouth of the St. Francis in his second home, Sylvanus was visited by a traveling Fortesque Cuming in 1808. In his book, “Sketches Of A Tour To The Western Country”, Mr. Cuming states that “he landed at a fine, well opened farm, a mile below the mouth of the St. Francis, with a nice, comfortable looking two story log cabin with a piazza. Mr. Cuming, hoping for refreshments, could find none, especially milk as the family had just made cheese that morning.” Mr. Cuming stated to the Phillips family that he had been swarmed by mosquitoes and had seen swans on the river. Traveling southward three and one-half miles, Mr. Cuming comes to William Bassett’s pretty, cattle-stocked place on Big Prairie, but still no milk. He continued for more than four miles to Anthony’s place where he was able find refreshments of eggs, salad and milk, and spent the night in Anthony’s harbor which was relatively free of mosquitoes. (A later edition of Mr. Cumin’s book states that the town of Helena was ten miles below the mouth of the St. Francis.)

As he describes Big Prairie, Mr. Cuming calls it “a natural savanna of about sixty acres’ opening on the Mississippi River on the right bank, with good herbage for sheep.” Behind Big Prairie was a lake eight or nine miles in circumference, which was formed in warm weather by the river, and which flowed up a small bayou spreading water over the low prairie.

In early 1808, William Patterson died, and Sylvanus Phillips, in September, 1808, married his wife, Phoebe Dunn Patterson. To this union were born two daughters, Harriet (born 1810 and married Eli Lewis), and Helena (born 1813 and died 1831). As most know, the town of Helena was named for this daughter. In 1818, Phillips then married Rebecca Kendrick and had a daughter named Caroline, (born 1820 and married Thomas B. Hanley).

In 1815, Sylvanus, who by this time owned most of the area we know as Helena, moved to Helena and built a large log cabin and small church on the hill located on Franklin Street, between Perry Street and Porter Street at the present day site of First Baptist Church. This hill was also the site of Fort Curtis during the Civil War. Legend has it that during the time of Desoto’s visit in 1541, the Pacaha Indians considered this hill sacred ground and led Desoto to the hill to raise his large silver cross. Others say the location is correct, but the cross was wooden rather than silver.

Phillips, along with William Russell, created the present town site of Helena. He played the major role in the establishment of the town, and on May 1, 1820, the territorial legislature carved out part of Arkansas County and created a new county named in honor of Phillips. This legislature also granted permission to create a town, and the site donated by Phillips, was platted in December of 1820. In 1833, the town of Helena was incorporated and was named after Helena Phillips. Phillips died in 1830 and did not live to see the town incorporated.

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Primary sources for these articles include the Phillips County Historical Quarterlies, Shinn's Pioneers and Makers of Arkansas; Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Eastern Arkansas; Down the Great River by Glazier; Arkansas Historical Documents and Land Grants; The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture; Courts and Lawyers on the Arkansas Frontier; Mark Twain's Life on the Mississippi; USGenWeb; Ancestry.com; FamilySearch.org; Phillips DNA Project.