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Columbia, Mississippi

Not to be confused with Columbus, Mississippi.

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Columbia, Mississippi
City
Marion County courthouse in Columbia
Marion County courthouse in Columbia
Location in Marion County and the state of Mississippi
Location in Marion County and the state of Mississippi
CountryUnited States
StateMississippi
CountyMarion
Government
 • MayorJustin McKenzie[1]
Area
[2]
Population
 (2020)[3]
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
39429
Area code601
FIPS code28-15340
GNIS feature ID0668715
Websitewww.cityofcolumbiams.com

Columbia is a U.S. city in and the county seat of Marion County, Mississippi,[4] United States. Formed six years before Mississippi was admitted to statehood, Columbia was named for Columbia, South Carolina, from which many of the early settlers had migrated. The population was 5,864 as of the 2020 census,[3] down from 6,582 in 2010.

History[edit]

Columbia is the county seat of Marion County, which was created out of Amite County in 1811, encompassing the southwest quarter of the current state of Mississippi. Before statehood in 1816, there were three territorial census/poll tax records taken of what was deemed Marion County at the time. These records reveal that during 1813, several Lott men arrived and settled on the Pearl River in what is now Columbia. In 1813, William Lott was the largest slave holder near present-day Columbia, owning 28 people. There were five men, who settled south of present-day Columbia on 2,789 acres (1,129 ha) of land with 65 enslaved people. North of present-day Columbia, on what was the earliest attempt at a town, was Timothy Terrell on 3,151 acres (1,275 ha) with 32 slaves.

The land on which the current city of Columbia resides was first purchased for cash on April 18, 1820, by William Lott and John Lott. This land is Township 3 East, Range 18 West, Section 5 (640 acres), which is now the center of Columbia. Other early patent holders of Columbia include James Phillips, Jr., and John Cooper (1825), in Section 4 next to John and William Lott.[5][6]

Columbia was officially incorporated on June 25, 1819, becoming the fourth municipality in the state of Mississippi. It served as the temporary capital of Mississippi from November 1821, when the 5th session of the Mississippi Legislature first met there, until 1822. In that year, a special session of the legislature met in Columbia, inaugurating Governor Walter Leake, and selecting LeFleur's Bluff (now Jackson) as the permanent capital.

Columbia, "The City of Charm on the River Pearl", has always been in danger of flooding, due to its bordering the Pearl River. The county courthouse, with its records dating back to pre-statehood, has managed to survive war, floods, tornadoes and hurricanes. In its first 100 years, Columbia relied on the Pearl River for transportation of goods. The river was much deeper and wider than it is now. Steamboat captains, such as John Black, lived in Columbia.[7]

During the Civil War, Union troops under the command of General John Wynn Davidson camped outside Columbia, taking provisions from the local population. The courthouse was spared. The Southern Claims Commission Files detail these events.[8]

In 1935, Mississippi's first rodeo was held in Columbia. In 2016, the Mississippi Rodeo Hall of Fame was founded and headquartered in Columbia.

During the civil rights movement, Columbia and Marion County were the site of peaceful demonstrations, due to the diligent insistence of non-violence by Sheriff John Homer Willoughby. The town is known for its citizens ability to work together.[9]

In 2005, Columbia suffered extensive damage from Hurricane Katrina. Once again, the courthouse survived. There was very limited looting, and citizens worked together with local churches, civic officials, and law enforcement to provide for citizens during the extensive power loss. Individuals immediately began helping their neighbors clear roads and escape being trapped in debris.

The day after Hurricane Katrina struck, several inmates took advantage of the storm damage and escaped from the Marion County Jail (some of whom had been charged with murder). Marion County deputies along with the help of the Mississippi National Guard and Kentucky State Police, captured all but one escapee, who was later apprehended in Texas just before he could get to the Mexican border.

Former Mississippi governor and Columbia native Hugh L. White introduced white squirrels to the area, and they are still common in Columbia City Park. White's home still stands today, a stately reminder of architecture of the past.

In 2014, a tornado measuring EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita scale struck Columbia, causing widespread damage.[10] Mutual aid took place between Columbia, Mississippi, and Columbia, South Carolina, following this natural disaster and the 1,000 year flood in South Carolina,[11]

Geography[edit]

Columbia is in southern Mississippi, on the east bank of the Pearl River. It is in north-central Marion County, 84 miles (135 km) by highway south of Jackson, the state capital, and 118 miles (190 km) north of New Orleans. U.S. Route 98 passes through the south side of the city, leading east 33 miles (53 km) to Hattiesburg and west 41 miles (66 km) to McComb. Mississippi Highway 13 passes through the center of Columbia, leading north 25 miles (40 km) to Prentiss and southeast 31 miles (50 km) to Lumberton. State Highway 44 leads northeast from Columbia 21 miles (34 km) to Sumrall.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city of Columbia has a total area of 6.8 square miles (18 km2), of which 0.004 square miles (0.010 km2), or 0.06%, are water.[2]

Climate[edit]

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Columbia has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Columbia was 113 °F (45.0 °C) on June 7, 1915, while the coldest temperature recorded was 4 °F (−15.6 °C) on January 11, 1982 and January 21, 1985.[12]


Demographics[edit]

Historical population
CensusPop.%±
187066—
1900507—
19102,029%
19202,826%
19304,833%
19406,064%
19506,124%
19607,117%
19707,587%
19807,733%
19906,815%
20006,603%
20106,582%
20205,864%
U.S. Decennial Census[13]
Columbia racial composition as of 2020[14]
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 3,042 51.88%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 2,483 42.34%
Native American 15 0.26%
Asian 26 0.44%
Other/Mixed 154 2.63%
Hispanic or Latino 144 2.46%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 5,864 people, 2,080 households, and 1,155 families residing in the city.

Government and infrastructure[edit]

The Mississippi Department of Human Services's Division of Youth Services operated the Columbia Training School in unincorporated Marion County, near Columbia.[15][16]

The mayor of Columbia is Justin McKenzie.[1]

Education[edit]

Columbia High School

The city of Columbia is served by the Columbia School District, with Columbia High School as the public high school. Prior to January 1970, black students were educated in a separate system with sub-par facilities, including John J. Jefferson High school, which became the middle school in January 1970 when the schools were integrated. White politicians called for a public boycott of the school system.[17] At that time, around 100 white students left the public school system to attend the newly founded whites-only Columbia Academy, which was created in September 1969 as a segregation academy to avoid racial integration.[18] A few students also left to attend Improve Academy, another segregation academy founded by the Improve Baptist Church.[19] There are also two other public schools that are in Columbia, East Marion High School and West Marion High School. Both of these schools are under the same district called Marion County Schools. East Marion High school is located just outside of town on the East side of the Pearl River, while West Marion is located on the West side of the Pearl River in Foxworth. East Marion is one largely connected building that houses grades K-12, but West Marion has a primary school as well as a high school.

Notable people[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Government Officials". City of Columbia. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "2023 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Mississippi". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "P1. Race – Columbia city, Mississippi: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011.
  5. ↑ Mississippi State and Territorial Census
  6. ↑ Bureau of Land Management
  7. ↑ 1880 US Federal Census, Columbia, Marion Co, MS
  8. ↑ "Marion County Mississippi History Index". Msmarion.com. October 30, 2008. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
  9. ↑ Columbian-Progress newspaper, 1960-1964,
  10. ↑
  11. ↑ "Resolution R-2016-053 To Honor the City of Columbia, Mississippi With Official Sisterhood for its Assistance during the October 2015 Flood" (PDF). City of Columbia SC. August 16, 2016.
  12. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named NOWData
  13. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Columbia city, Mississippi ." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on July 21, 2010.
  16. ↑ "Public Appearance Calendar Governor Ronnie Musgrove For the Week of December 31, 2001 ." Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Retrieved on July 21, 2010. "Columbia Training School 1730 Highway 44 Columbia, MS."
  17. ↑
  18. ↑
  19. ↑
  20. ↑ "Anthony Alford Stats". MLB.com. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Ted Alford". profootballarchives.com. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  22. ↑ "MG James W. Ball". armyrotc.msstate.edu. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  23. ↑ https://www.columbianprogress.com/most-recent/history-mississippi-rodeo-shared Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Category handler/data' not found.[<span title="Script error: No such module "delink".">bare URL]
  24. ↑ http://cowboyandarenachampions.com/Resumes/Bascom_Family_Bio.pdf Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Category handler/data' not found.[<span title="Script error: No such module "delink".">bare URL PDF]
  25. ↑ https://www.yazooherald.net/features-press-releases-state/mississippi-cowgirl-cowboys-spotlighted-and-honored Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Category handler/data' not found.[<span title="Script error: No such module "delink".">bare URL]
  26. ↑ "Texas Rose Bascom - Mormonism, the Mormon Church, Beliefs, & Religion - MormonWiki".
  27. ↑ "Cherokee-Choctaw Cowgirl, Texas Rose Bascom, First Female in MS Rodeo Hall of Fame". September 13, 2018.
  28. ↑ https://www.yazooherald.net/features-press-releases-state/mississippi-cowgirl-cowboys-spotlighted-and-honored Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Category handler/data' not found.[<span title="Script error: No such module "delink".">bare URL]
  29. ↑ http://cowboyandarenachampions.com/Resumes/Bascom_Family_Bio.pdf Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Category handler/data' not found.[<span title="Script error: No such module "delink".">bare URL PDF]
  30. ↑ "Buddy Blair Stats". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  31. ↑
  32. ↑ "L. Bush Obituary". legacy.com. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  33. ↑ "Gilbert Carmichael Obituary". Meridian Star. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  34. ↑ O'Bleness, Ryan (May 3, 2018). "2018 NFL Draft Q&A: For Whom The Cowbell Tolls on Logan Cooke". Archived from the original on March 30, 2019. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
  35. ↑
  36. ↑ "Eagle Day". msfame.com. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  37. ↑
  38. ↑
  39. ↑
  40. ↑ "Kenny Johnson Stats". Pro-Football-Reference. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  41. ↑
  42. ↑
  43. ↑ "Ken Morgan's Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  44. ↑
  45. ↑ "Johnny Sims Football Statistics". Stats Crew. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  46. ↑
  47. ↑ "Jackie Smith". Northwestern State University Athletics. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  48. ↑ "Ruby Terry". justgospel.weebly.com. Retrieved May 25, 2023.

External links[edit]

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