Helena-Small Town Research Project

Palo Alto College
San Antonio, Texas

SMALL TOWN HISTORY: Helena, Texas

Valorie Miller	Fall 2001
History 1302	Hines

Helena, Texas

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Helena, Texas is located about 70 miles southeast of San Antonio, near the intersection on State Highway 80 and Farm Road 81. The San Antonio River runs along the side of the town. The ghost town is seven miles from Karnes City.

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Helena was founded in 1852 by Thomas Ruckman and Lewis S. Owings. Ruckman was born in Pennsylvania on November 8, 1826. He graduated from Princeton in 1848. He married Jeanne M. Ruckman, born 1830. Ruckman purchased land in Helena, Texas for $1 per acre. Ruckman’s brother, John, eventually moved to Helena. It was the first Anglo-American settlement in the county. Helena was previously a Mexican trading post called Alamita. The founders renamed the town Helena in honor of Lewis S. Owings' wife, Helen Swisher Owings.

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In 1853 a Post Office was opened and Thomas Ruckman served as the first postman.

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John Ruckman built a large home in Helena. He became a farmer, rancher, Postmaster, merchant, pioneer banker, and leader in the Presbyterian Church. In 1854, Ruckman and Owings promoted the founding of Karnes County. The first county election of county officials was held on the gallery of Ruckman-Owing’s Store. The county was named after Henry Wax Karnes, a Texas Revolutionary leader. Owings eventually left Helena to become the first Governor of the Arizona Territory.

In 1857, The Cart Wars ensued in and around Helena. These wars had both national and international repercussions. The underlying causes were believed to have been ethnic and racial prejudices of Texans against Mexican-Americans. The Mexican’s sympathy for the black slaves along with the Mexican’s prosperous business of hauling food and merchandise from the port of Indianola to San Antonio accelerated the Texan’s envy and harsh treatment toward the Mexicans. The Mexicans hauled their freight cheaper and quicker than the Texans. The Texans destroyed the Mexican's carts, stole their freight, and wounded and killed a number of Mexicans. Law enforcement did nothing to stop or punish the criminals and a war ensued. The dramatic increase in violence caused many to fear that a “campaign of death” against the Mexicans was under way. Some viewed the Mexicans as “intolerable nuisances” while others worried the war would increase prices. One prevalent fear was that the war was against a “weak race”. If allowed then it was feared that the German-Texans would be next and finally “ a war between the poor and the rich”. The Texas Governor, Elisha M. Pease, was pressured from other politicians to end the violence. On orders from the Governor, the Texas Rangers ended The Cart Wars in December 1857.

Helena was very much involved with the Civil War as well. During the Civil War, Helena had a Confederate Post Office with it’s own stamp. In 1861, The Helena Guards were formed to go and fight in the Civil War. Not only Helena, but all of Karnes County became victim to bandits and deserters due to so many of the townsmen gone to fight the Civil War. Protection for Karnes County came in 1863 when Union Forces established a post in Helena.

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At Helena’s prime, the city had a courthouse, a jail, a church that housed three different religions (The Helena Union Church), a Masonic Lodge, a drugstore, a blacksmith shop, two hotels, a general store, up to 13 saloons, a school (Helena Academy), and a coeducational college. The denominations sharing the single church were Methodist, Baptist, and Presbyterian. Two newspapers were published in Helena, The Helena Record and Karnes County News. Key agriculture crops included cotton, corn, grain, and garden vegetables. Livestock and ranching was of great importance also.

Some have claimed that Helena was “hell on earth”. Helena gained the reputation for being a lawless place, with outlaws from other states taking refuge in Helena. It was a hideout for rustlers and outlaws. Local legend states that Helena was “the toughest town on earth.” "The Helena Duel" originated in Helena during the Cart Wars. The “Helena Duel” is a fight when the left hands of two opponents are tied together and each opponent is given a knife with a three-inch blade. The blades were too short to kill the opponents. The result was a bloodbath that continued until one man collapsed.

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Helena was on the way to becoming a major metropolis until 1886. Facts prove that the death of this growing city is due to the railroad. Helena was by-passed by the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway. Karnes City, seven miles away was the route the railroad chose. This started the eventual death of Helena. The reason why Karnes City was chosen over Helena is debatable.

While researching Helena four different documented theories or stories were found. One of the stories is of a murder. It is noted that in 1884, the son of William G. Butler, a wealthy rancher, was murdered in Helena. Mr. Butler rode the streets of Helena demanding the killer be produced. When nobody came forth he vowed to “kill the town that killed my son.” Mr. Butler contacted Benjamin F. Yoakim and gave right-of-way to the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway.

The second story is that on December 26, 1884, William Butler’s son, Emmett, was in a saloon drinking. Emmett and his brother were suspects in the murder of a local resident. They started bragging that they had never been arrested and an argument ensued. When the sheriff, Edgar Leary, came to break up the argument, Emmett Butler shot and killed the sheriff. Emmett was killed by a townsman while trying to leave.

Another version is there was bad blood between the Butler’s and Sheriff Leary due to the proposed townsite of Kennedy Junction. Some say two pistolero cowboys rode into Helena and carried their rifles in their hands along the streets of Helena. This action of “pulling their rifles” was illegal. A shoot-out occurred and both Emmett Butler and the Sheriff were killed. Some believe Emmett purposely tried to kill the Sheriff while others say Emmett was innocent. Emmett was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Finally, the last theory is the railroad company’s requirements were that Helena raise between $30,000 and $60,000 and donate right-of-way to the railroad company to ensure the railroad would come through Helena. The town was willing to donate the right-of-way but not the money. Many citizens of Helena were confident the railroad would come through the town because Helena was too important not to be included in the railroad’s path. No other town anywhere close had as much commerce or success as Helena. Since the money was not raised by Helena, the railroad passed them up. A movie documenting the Wild West theories and a fictional version of the town’s death has been aired on television’s Death Valley Days.

After the railroad, the Ox-Cart Trail was abandoned. In 1894 the county seat was moved from Helena to Karnes City and the courthouse became a school. Most businesses moved to Karnes City and Runge. On May 5, 1894, the jail cages and prisioners are moved from Helena to Karnes City. In 1945 the Helena school closed down. In 1956, the Helena Post Office was discontinued. The Helena Union Church was blown down in a hurricane in 1971. The materials were salvaged and have been stored pending future restoration. In 1880 the population in Helena was between 250 and 300 people. In 1904 the population was 181. A continual decrease in population occurred throughout the next 90 years. In 1933 the population was 100; falling between one-third to half of what it had been 53 years earlier. Today the approximate population is 30. Germans, Polish, and Mexican immigrants lived in Helena. Panna Maria, five miles away, is the largest Polish settlement in Texas.

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Helena was at one time a very segregated town. The number of slaves in Karnes County was small, accounting for 15 percent of the total population. However, a 153 for to one against vote for secession resulted from what most believe was the influence of The Knights of the Golden Circle. This was a secret organization whose goal was to establish a slave empire stretching from the Southern United States, the West Indies, Mexico and part of Central America. Their desire was to control commerce of the areas and hold a monopoly on the world’s supply of tobacco, sugar, rice and coffee. They attempted to invade countries and make them slaveholders. The Knights of The Golden Circle had “castles” throughout the country. One of their “castles” was in Helena, Texas. The influence of the “castle” in Helena is believed to be responsible for the overwhelming vote against secession. The first item of interest when reaching Helena on Farm Road 81 is the Mexican Cemetary.

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The Mexican Cemetary came into existence due to the tragic death of Cristobal Guerra, Jr. Documentations state that the tradition was for someone to take water to drink to the father working the fields. Three-year-old Cristobal Guerra, Jr. went to take his father water. He walked up to his father’s mules and spoke to them. The mules became spooked and trampled young Cristobal to death. The owner of the land felt sad due to the death of a small child. To help the family, he donated one acre of the land to bury him. This story is still told today to the young generations of Mexican- American’s still alive today that grew up in Helena tell of the the “Mexican School”, although no documentation can be found supporting this. Local residents and the museum curator both note that their were two different schools. The Mexican School and the White School.

Several well known people were either born or lived in Helena, Texas. One of the founding fathers, Lewis S. Owings moved and became the first governor of the Arizona Territory. Lyman Brightman Russell was born in Goliad, Texas and later moved to Helena. He was postmaster and operated a telegraph office. He moved to Comanche and became mayor of Comanche. The cattleman, rodeo, and stockshow promoter, Rocky Reagan, was born in Helena. Rocky Reagan at one time had 125,000 acres of land with 4,000 cattle, 1,500 goats, and 60 horses. He staged rodeos for many years, was a director of San Antonio and South Texas livestock shows, promoted oil and gas development in South Texas, and was an elder of the First Presbyterian Church of Beeville, and was an author of three books.

Helena is now merely a small farming community. The population is approximately 30 houses. One local said he sees some corn grown in Helena nowadays but mostly livestock. The community consists of a Catholic Church. The courthouse, post office, the Sickenius Farmhouse, the barn annex, and two jail cells, from the Helena Jail, located in Jefferson Square that have been turned into a museum that is open to the public. The museum is free of charge and is open Tuesday-Saturday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. The phone number to the museum is (830) 780-3210. Most of the museum’s upkeep is on a volunteer basis. The Step program donates a groundskeeper that keeps the grass mowed and the grounds tended to. The curator and other historical preservation groups are always pleased to see people come and try to help answer any questions guests may have. The curator gave me over two hours of her time going over different items, stories, documents, and artifacts. There are picnic tables to have a picnic lunch at and more history than one could imagine. The museum has dinosaur teeth and bones that have been found in Helena, books, artifacts, an old dentist/barber shop chair, wedding dresses, baby clothes, tons of old photos and documents from Helena during it’s prime. The museum also has typewriters, kitchen tools and utensils, glasses and all sorts of memorabilia from the 1850’s. The second floor of the museum showcases a classroom from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s along with the courtroom. The judge’s desk, chair and glasses are on display along with a previous judge's photograph. The post office is open for the public to view artifacts and such from the past as well. In the post office, the circus elephant, Black Diamond’s leg with bullet holes is on display along with the documentary about how the elephant escaped from the circus and killed a black man and a white lady. The elephant was hunted down and killed in the Helena area.

The barn annex houses tool used in the late 1800’s that would commonly be found in “the barn out back”. The Sickenius Farmhouse was an actual home that eight members of the Sickenius family lived in. The farmhouse was moved to Jefferson square in 1986 and restored as a means of showing farm life and living at the turn of the century. The jail cells used to be in a two-story rock jailhouse which no longer exists. Not only does the museum have lots of information about Helena, it also houses lots of information about several other towns in Karnes County. Donations are not only greatly appreciated but essential to keep this treasure alive. The museum and surrounding buildings receive no county or state funding. They have had a few grants which have helped but much more is needed. The curator told me she sees deteriation of the buildings occurring on a daily basis. Many fear that the museum will not survive without the state’s help.

The restoration is credited first to Shirley Ruckman (wife of Tom Ruckman, Thomas Ruckman’s great-newphew). The restoration project was then turned over to The Karnes County Historical Society. This organization has attempted to revive and keep the past alive in Helena. A Ruckman decendant holds tours of the large John Ruckman house. One side of the two-story home has recently been repainted to the original color. Tours in the Ruckman mansion are held throughout the year or by appointment.

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Donations are greatly appreciated to continue with the preservation of the history of the once infamous, rapidly growing Helena, Texas. Souvenirs can be purchased at the museum which brags about Helena being “The Toughest Town On Earth”. One neat and ironic souvenir that guests can have with a donation is railroad spikes from Karnes City railroad that was torn apart a few years ago (this is the very railroad that caused the death of Helena). Several different festivals or celebrations occur in Helena throughout the year. In October or November the Indian Summer Festival is held in Helena. Local artists showcase their works, barbecued chicken is favored and arts and crafts are present along with open house at The Ruckman Estate. The Post Office operates one Saturday in December every year as part of the Christmas Celebration along the Alamo- La Bahia route.

Bibliography Page

Hedwig, Krell Didear. A History of Karnes County and Old Helena. Austin:
San Felipe, 1969

Thornhoff, Robert H., "History of Karnes County
(M.A. thesis, Southwest Texas State College, 1963)

Fuller, Henry C. "Pioneer Days in Karnes County."
Frontier Times Aug 1928

"Helena, Texas". The Handbook of Texas Online
http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/HH/hnh18.html

Severson, Harold. "Sure! We All Know Rocky Reagan."
Cattleman July 1942

Syers, Ed. Backroads of Texas
Houston: Gulf Publishing Co., 1988

"Ghost Town."
San Antonio Express News Magazine 24 January 1993

Ruckman, John. "Letter from Bereaved."
San Antonio Express News Magazine 28 March 1953

Schuenemann, Sr. Helmuth H. "The Karnes County Story."
Karnes County News 1979

St. John, Bob. "Tiny Helena Preserves it's Rich History."
Dallas Morning News 24 July 1999

Clements, Jesse. "Town remebers theft of courthouse- Helena Marks Demise of Lawless' Boomtown."
San Antonio Express News 3 September 1996

Mrs. Coate. Personal interview. 12 Oct. 2001
Interview with Mrs. Coate

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