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.

Members of Andrew Jackson's army were attracted to the quiet, peaceful valleys and streams after the Battle of Horseshoe Bend.

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.

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.

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.

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.

[6] Helena remained a small town in the largely rural county until suburban growth from Birmingham reached the city in the late 20th century.

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.

Buck Creek is dammed upstream of Alabama State Route 261 in the Old Town area to form Lake Davidson.

Helena sits at the foothills of the very southern extent of the Appalachian Mountains as they descend into the Gulf of Mexico coastal plain.

The climate of Helena is typical of the Deep South, with long, hot, humid summers and short, relatively mild winters.

[11] Hurricanes coming ashore on the northern Gulf coast occasionally reach Helena with tropical storm-force winds.

No employer is dominant in the city, and recent economic growth has mainly come in the service industries to support the increased population.

Well-known local industries include the Vulcan Materials Company construction aggregate quarry and the Plantation Pipeline depot and tank farm.

During 2005, Helena gained nationwide notice as the hometown of singer Bo Bice, who was a finalist on the popular Fox program American Idol.

Magnolia Springs Manor was the host of Sacha Baron Cohen’s character Borat in his famous 2006 hit film.

They include an Easter Egg Hunt,[16] Buck Creek Festival,[17] 4th of July picnic, concert and fireworks; Fall Carnival, Spring Fling, and Christmas Parade.

Football attracts the most participants and spectators at all levels; golf, basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer are also popular among residents.

College sports fans in Helena most commonly support the Alabama Crimson Tide, Auburn Tigers, UAB Blazers, and Samford Bulldogs, and many are alumni of those schools.

These parks feature open green spaces, playground equipment, a fishing pond, and a baseball field complex often used for tournaments and recreational leagues.

The Helena Sports Complex opened in 2003 and features a community center and spaces for baseball, softball, cheerleading, basketball, and soccer.

Its major local television stations are WBRC Fox 6, WBIQ APT (PBS) 10, WVTM (NBC) 13, WTTO CW 21, ABC 33/40, WIAT CBS 42, WPXH ION 44, and WABM MyNetworkTV 68.

The Helena - The Magazine is a news and culture magazine-style publication, that runs 52 pages, and includes reporting on past and future community events, profiles on local businesses and residents, and monthly columns by area physicians and elected government officials.

AL-261 runs through the heart of Helena and connects the city to neighboring Pelham, where it intersects US-31, located 2 miles east of Old Town.