Records show that the barrio traced its beginning in the year 1687, when the Jesuit missionaries closed the river from J. Dela Pena, in search for a place to build a new church. Like most Philippine barrios, the first inhabitants of Sta. Elena were farmers and fishermen, including a few shoemakers. The place was peaceful, the people industrious and kind. The barrio got its name through the subject of a religious legend. According to this legend, during the early days of the barrio, the people saw a huge wooden cross floating down the Marikina River. Many people dove into the water to get it ashore, but failed for reasons they could not explain. So they decided to build a small chapel in honor of the mysterious cross at the place where it was seen. At first the cross stood alone, but later the image of the Sta. Elena, whom she held old age gave rise to her reputation as the discoverer of the relic of the cross used as Christ's crucifixion, this chapel has stand then undergone renovations. The last was in 1945 and now an imposing concrete edifice stands not far from its original site. It was then learned that originally Sta. Elena was owned by an affluent family who lived near the improvised chapel, which was burned in 1935 during the bombing of Marikina before the American occupation. The nearly 300 years after the establishment of the other areas of the barrio was slow but there was sure progress, which gained full momentum after World War II. The population increased and then similarly was introduced by Laureano Kapitan Moy Guevara, one of the most illustrious men of Sta. Elena. The people of Sta. Elena engaged in the industry thus begun the spring of mushrooms. This peaceful life was destroyed by minor natural catastrophe such as the earthquake of 1825 which caused considerable damage to life and property, and the fire of 1887 which nearly gutted down the house of Kapitan Venciong, This building still stands in its original si...