I began our family history search in August of l992 in Lawrence County Arkansas. Aunt Willie Williamson and I were able to find some old records at the Powhatan, AR Courthouse, a historical landmark and museum, which has been restored in recent years by the Arkansas Parks Dept. During the restoration, boxes of old court records were found in the basement, left when the county seat was moved to Walnut Ridge from Powhatan courthouse. Willie and I knew only names of grandparents and great grandparents such as David and Nancy Helms and John and Sarah Davis.

During the past year we have been able to trace the Helms back to Tennessee and to Mecklenburg, North Carolina and the late 1700's, The Browns were only traceable to Alabama and the 1840's. The Whites were found in Pidgeon Mountain, Walker Co., Georgia prior to their move to Lawrence Co., AR in the early 1850 and back to Chowan Co., NC in 1777.

I began the Davis family with Rosswell and Lavinia Davis my Great, Great Grandparents in Warren Co., TN in the 1840 TN Census. A family history by John R. McCarroll from Waco, TX which was published with the McCarroll family history in 1989. pretty well covered the early Davis Family.

The first step backward was an 1850 Census in Lawrence County, AR. We knew Great grandpa David Helms was born in TN amd we found him with his parents, Wyatt and Elizabeth Helms on page 25 and a sister Elizabeth and brother Leaton. David was 6 yrs old, Elizabeth was age 4 and Leaton age 2 months. His father Wyatt was born in North Carolina and mother Elizabeth was born in Tennessee. The copy of that page was poor at best, and it took me six weeks to look directly above Wyatt Helms on the same page and see the name Archibald Helms, age 50 years and wife Elander, age 46, with sons, Jenkins and Leaton. ages 22 amd 20, all born in North Carolina. There were 3 daughters, Lavina age 14, Emily age 11, and Lena age 6, all born in Tennessee.

My 2nd cousin, Pamela Helms, also interested in the Helms Family History had bought a book some years ago written by a Gerald Helms in North Carolina. In his book there was an Archibald Helms born in 1800 who appeared in the 1830 Census in Mecklenburg, Co. He then disappeared in the 1840 and 1850 NC Census. I was able to find "Old Archy" in the 1840 Jackson County, Gainesboro township, Tennessee Census. He then, of course appeared in the 1850 Lawrence Co. AR Census. I Called Gerald Helms in NC with my great news, but he told me that I would have to document my finding before he could accept it as fact. I spent countless hours, a lot of postage, and a number of phone calls to do just that. I have to admit it became an obsession and over a years time of frustration it became known as the "Archibald Connection".

I finally found Land grant records in TN for Archy, and just this last July, with the help of Evelyn Flippo at the Powhatan courthouse, we found tax records for Archy, Wyatt and Jenkins Helms in 185l and 1852 on microfilm. Evelyn Flippo was showing us an old record book someone had found in the attic of an old house from the 1850's and while she flipped pages to show us, I saw the names Elander and Archy Helms go flying by. There was a bill for Archy Helms, deceased, for $15.00 dated August l0, 1854 and it was paid on 8-12-1854. God Love Evelyn Flippo! The next find was at the courthouse in Walnut Ridge AR, county seat for Lawrence Co., where we found Estate records for A. J. Helms, in the amount of $159.76. I finally felt that I had made the "Archibald Connection". Needless to say, copies of all this is on it's way to Gerald Helms in North Carolina. I have since received a phone call from him confirming our Archibalds relationship, and he tells me we are now cousins". The history of the Helms family prior to 1800 are straight out of his newest, "1720-1991 Helms Family. It's nice to know we'll be included in the next "Helms Family" book in North Carolina. Gerald also tells me that all of our family information will be forwarded on to the Later Day Saints Geneology Library in Utah.

This was written several years ago, but it hasn't changed much.    Jeri Helms Fultz