William Henry Grey was a state legislator, storeowner and church leader in Arkansas. He served in various elected and public offices in the state during the Reconstruction era. The Encyclopedia of Arkansas calls Grey "a tireless fighter for the rights of freedmen." In 1868 he was among the first six African Americans who served in the Arkansas House. His gravesite in Magnolia Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2019.
William Henry Grey
Helena is the eastern portion of Helena–West Helena, Arkansas, a city in Phillips County, Arkansas, located on the west bank of the Mississippi River. It was founded in 1833 by Nicholas Rightor and is named after the daughter of Sylvanus Phillips, an early settler of Phillips County and the namesake of Phillips County. As of the 2000 census, this portion of the city population was 6,323. Helena was the county seat of Phillips County until January 1, 2006, when it merged its government and city limits with neighboring West Helena.
Downtown Helena
Downtown Helena, seen from the Porter Bayou
Helena, 1863