Postcard of steamerAmerican on Tombigbee River at Columbus, c. 1890-1920
The first record of the site of Columbus in Western history is found in the annals of the explorerHernando de Soto, who is reputed to have crossed the nearbyTombigbee River on his search forEl Dorado. However, the site does not enter the main continuity of United States history until December 1810, whenJohn Pitchlynn, the U.S. Indian agent and interpreter for theChoctaw Nation, moved toPlymouth Bluff, where he built a home, established a farm, and transacted Choctaw Agency business.[citation needed]
After theBattle of New Orleans,Andrew Jackson recognized the urgent need for roads to connect New Orleans to the rest of the country. In 1817 Jackson ordered aroad be built to provide a direct route fromNashville toNew Orleans. His surveyor, Captain Hugh Young, chose a place on the Tombigbee River where high ground approached the river on both sides as the location for a ferry to be used for crossing the river when high water prevented fording the river. A military bridge was constructed where the present-day Tombigbee Bridge was later developed in Columbus, Mississippi. Jackson's Military Road opened the way for development in the area.[8]
Columbus was founded in 1819, and, as it was believed to be in Alabama, it was first officially recognized by an Alabama Legislative act as the Town of Columbus on December 6, 1819.[9] Before its incorporation, the town site was referred to informally asPossum Town, a name which was given by the local Native Americans, who were primarily Choctaw and Chickasaw. The name Possum Town remains the town's nickname among locals. The town was settled where Jackson's Military Road crossed the Tombigbee River 4 miles south of John Pitchlynn's residence at Plymouth Bluff. In 1820 the post office that had been at Pitchlynn's relocated in Columbus. Pitchlynn's which had been settled in 1810 became the town of Plymouth in 1836 and is now the location of an environmental center for Mississippi University for Women.[10] Silas McBee suggested the nameColumbus; in return, a small local creek was named after him.[11]
The city's founders soon established a school known as Franklin Academy. It continues to operate and is known as Mississippi's first public school. The territorial boundary of Mississippi and Alabama had to be corrected as, a year earlier, Franklin Academy was indicated as being in Alabama. In fact, during its early post-Mississippi-founding history, the city of Columbus was still referred to asColumbus, Alabama.[citation needed]
During theAmerican Civil War, Columbus was a hospital town. Its arsenal manufactured gunpowder, handguns and a few cannons. Because of this, the Union ordered the invasion of Columbus, but was stopped by Confederate GeneralNathan Bedford Forrest. This is substantiated in the bookThe Battle of West Point: Confederate Triumph at Ellis Bridge by John McBride. Many of the casualties from theBattle of Shiloh were brought to Columbus. Thousands were eventually buried in the town'sFriendship Cemetery.[citation needed]
One of the hospitals was located at Annunciation Catholic Church, built in 1863 and still operating in the 21st century. The decision of a group of ladies to decorate the Union and Confederate graves with flowers together on April 25, 1866, is an early example of what became known asMemorial Day. A poet,Francis Miles Finch, read about it in the New York newspapers and commemorated the occasion with the poem "The Blue and the Grey".[12] Bellware and Gardiner noted this observance of the holiday inThe Genesis of the Memorial Day Holiday in America (2014). They recognized the events in Columbus as the earliest manifestation of an annual spring holiday to decorate the grave of Southern soldiers. While the call was to celebrate on April 26, several newspapers reported that the day was the 25th, in error.[13]
As a result of Forrest preventing the Union Army from reaching Columbus, its antebellum homes were spared from being burned or destroyed, making its collection second only toNatchez as the most extensive in Mississippi.[14][page needed] These antebellum homes may be toured during the annual Pilgrimage, in which the Columbus residences open their homes to tourists from around the country.[citation needed]
When Union troops approached Jackson, the state capital was briefly moved to Columbus before moving to a more permanent home inMacon.[15]
Columbus has hostedColumbus Air Force Base (CAFB) sinceWorld War II. CAFB was founded as a flight training school. After a stint in the 1950s and 1960s as aStrategic Air Command (SAC) base (earning Columbus a spot inSoviet Union target lists), CAFB returned to its original role. Today, it is one of only four basic Air Force flight training bases in the United States, and prized as the only one where regular flight conditions may be experienced. Despite this, CAFB has repeatedly hung in the balance duringBase Realignment and Closure (BRAC) hearings.[citation needed]
Columbus boasted a number of industries during the mid-20th century, including the world's largesttoilet seat manufacturer, Sanderson Plumbing Products, and major mattress, furniture and textile plants. Most of these had closed by 2000. A series of new plants at theGolden Triangle Regional Airport, including theSeverstal mill, theAmerican Eurocopter factory, thePaccar engine plant and theAurora Flight Sciences facility, are revitalizing the local economy.[citation needed]
On June 12, 1990, a fireworks factory in Columbus exploded, detonating a blast felt as far as 30 miles away from Columbus. Two workers were killed in the blast.[18][19]
On February 16, 2001, straightline winds measured at 74 miles per hour destroyed many homes and trees but resulted in no fatalities. The city was declared a federal disaster area the next day by PresidentGeorge W. Bush. OnNovember 10, 2002, a tornado hit Columbus and caused more damage to the city,[20][21] including the Mississippi University for Women.[22][23]
In 2010, Columbus won a Great American Main Street Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.[24]
In February 2019, Columbus took a direct hit froman EF-3 tornado that caused devastating damage to homes and businesses and killed one woman after a structure fell on her.[25]
The city is located approximately 10 mi (16 km) west of the Mississippi-Alabama state line alongU.S. Route 82,U.S. Route 45, and numerous state highways. US 82 leads southeast 29 mi (47 km) toReform, Alabama and west 25 mi (40 km) toStarkville. US 45 leads south 32 mi (51 km) toMacon and north 28 mi (45 km) toAberdeen. According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 22.3 square miles (58 square kilometers), of which 21.4 square miles (55 square kilometers) is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 square kilometers) is water. Large lakes and rivers are nearby, such as theButtahatchee River in northern Lowndes County that defines the border between Lowndes and Monroe counties; in the middle of the City of Columbus and Lowndes County lies theLuxapallila Creek, and theTombigbee River with theJohn C. Stennis Lock and Dam impoundingColumbus Lake. Columbus is a relatively flat place in the northern part of Lowndes County, as the land rises for a short period of time into hills and bluffs, in the southern/eastern part of the county, the land has rolling hills that quickly turn into flatland floodplains that dominate this county. This county lies in the Black Prairie Geographic Region, and the Northeastern Hills Region of the state/area. Prairies, forests and floodplain forests lie here. Thesoil quality is poor in the eastern part of the county, otherwise the soil is relatively fertile. Columbus and the surrounding areas are listed as an Arbor Day Hardiness Zone 8a (10 to 15 °F or −12.2 to −9.4 °C); note that temperatures in 2010 reached 11 °F (−12 °C), but the USDA Hardiness Zones list the area as zone 7b (5 to 10 °F or −15.0 to −12.2 °C).[26]
Columbus' population has grown steadily since the beginning of the twentieth century. In 1900, 6,484 people lived in Columbus; in 1910, 8,988; in 1920, 10,501; and in 1940, 13,645. As of thecensus[31] of 2000, there were 25,944 people, 10,062 households, and 6,419 families living in the city. Thepopulation density was 1,211.5 people per square mile (467.8 people/km2). There were 11,112 housing units at an average density of 518.9 per square mile (200.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city is 43.62%White, 54.41%African American, 0.10%Native American, 0.56%Asian, 0.01%Pacific Islander, 0.51% fromother races, and 0.79% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 1.13% of the population.
There were 10,062 households, out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.0% weremarried couples living together, 21.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.2% were non-families. 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 12.0% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,393, and the median income for a family was $37,068. Males had a median income of $30,773 versus $20,182 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $16,848.
Columbus is the birthplace of playwrightTennessee Williams, whose grandfather was the priest of St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Williams was born in the rectory on Main Street, which is now the Tennessee Williams Home Museum and Welcome Center.[33][34]
The city's public high school (under theColumbus Municipal School District) isColumbus High School, located in the eastern part of town. It is the largest high school in the city and fifth largest in the state, enrolling approximately 1370 students. Columbus High School was formed by the merger of the city's two previous high schools,Stephen D. Lee High School and Caldwell High School; the schools were merged in 1992 and the campuses in 1997. Columbus is also home to the oldest public elementary school in Mississippi,Franklin Academy Elementary, founded in 1821.[citation needed]
Desegregated in 1970, Lee High School received a state award for the high school with the best race relations.[citation needed] Prior to desegregation, the school formed a race relations committee consisting of black and white students who could discuss issues and determine how to handle certain situations. For instance, the students decided to have both white and black homecoming courts so as to prevent sides being taken along racial lines. However, black students were allowed to vote for the white homecoming court and vice versa. The school went undefeated in football in 1970, which helped unite the student body. Students were ranked based on achievement score tests and divided into three groups, in order to allow each group to learn at their own pace.[citation needed] This practice was in place prior to integration. It was continued after integration for a period, but such tracking was later ruled to be unconstitutional by a Federal court, because it was based on biased testing. It did not take into account differences in preparation in earlier grades.[citation needed]
Columbus' city newspapers are the daily (except Saturdays)Commercial Dispatch, the weekly (Thursdays)Columbus Packet and the internet-only paper, Real Media (formerly The Real Story). One television station,WCBI-TV 4, theCBS affiliate, is located in the city's historic downtown area; it broadcastsFOX andMyNetworkTV programming on digital subchannels.
Columbus is also served by television stations from the Columbus / Tupelo / West Point DMA. These includeNBC affiliateWTVA 9, itsDT2 subchannel which is the market'sABC affiliate, andCW affiliateWLOV-TV 27.
^Toulmin, Harry.1825. Cahawba, Alabama: Ginn and Curtis.
^Sherman, Harry L (2007).A Very Remarkable Bluff. Mississippi University for Women. pp. 34–45.
^Rowland, Dunbar, ed.Mississippi, Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons arranged in Cyclopedic Form in three volumes. Vol. 2. Atlanta: Southern Historical Publishing Association, 1907, pp. 134-137.
^Bellware, Daniel; Richard Gardiner (2014).The Genesis of the Memorial Day Holiday in America. Columbus State University. pp. 63–65.ISBN978-0-692-29225-9.
^John McBride,The Battle of West Point: Confederate Triumph at Ellis Bridge, The History Press, 2013
^"About".www.aia.org.Archived from the original on January 13, 2016. RetrievedMarch 19, 2018.
^"Edward J. C. Kewen, 1st Attorney General". State of California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General. January 20, 2011.Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. RetrievedNovember 28, 2013.
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