Columbia, Mississippi

Columbia is a U.S. city in and the county seat of Marion County, Mississippi, 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, down from 6,582 in 2010.

History
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 2789 acre of land with 65 enslaved people. North of present-day Columbia, on what was the earliest attempt at a town, was Timothy Terrell on 3151 acre 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.

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.

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.

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.

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. Mutual aid took place between Columbia, Mississippi, and Columbia, South Carolina, following this natural disaster and the 1,000 year flood in South Carolina,

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

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city of Columbia has a total area of 6.8 sqmi, of which 0.004 sqmi, or 0.06%, are water.

Climate
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 on June 7, 1915, while the coldest temperature recorded was 4 F on January 11, 1982 and January 21, 1985.

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

The mayor of Columbia is Justin McKenzie.

Education
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. 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. A few students also left to attend Improve Academy, another segregation academy founded by the Improve Baptist Church. 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

 * Johnathan Abram, National Football League (NFL) safety for the Las Vegas Raiders
 * Anthony Alford, former Major League Baseball player
 * Ted Alford, former Canadian Football League (CFL) player
 * James W. Ball, 24th Chief of Ordnance for the United States Army Ordnance Corps
 * Earl W. Bascom, rodeo champion, Hollywood actor, artist/sculptor, inventor, Mississippi Rodeo Hall of Fame inductee
 * Texas Rose Bascom, rodeo performer, trick roper, Hollywood actress, Mississippi Rodeo Hall of Fame inductee
 * Weldon Bascom, rodeo champion, Mississippi Rodeo Hall of Fame inductee
 * Buddy Blair, former Major League Baseball player
 * Terrell Buckley, American football coach and former player
 * L. Russ Bush, theologian and author
 * Gil Carmichael, businessman and political candidate
 * Logan Cooke, NFL punter for the Jacksonville Jaguars
 * Maurice Dantin, attorney and political candidate
 * Eagle Day, former NFL and CFL quarterback
 * Peggy Dow, film actress and philanthropist
 * Jim Dunaway, former NFL defensive tackle
 * Joey Gathright, former Major League Baseball player
 * Bobby Hamilton, former NFL defensive end, two-time Super Bowl winner with New England Patriots
 * S. J. Hathorn, member of the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1904 to 1908 and the Mississippi Senate from 1917 to 1918
 * Terry Irvin, former CFL cornerback
 * Claudis James, former NFL player
 * Kenny Johnson, former NFL player
 * General Benjamin Lee, military leader and early political figure
 * Carey B. Maddox-Preston, social worker
 * Sylvester Magee, reputedly the last living American slave, died in Columbia in 1971
 * Ken Morgan, member of the Mississippi House of Representatives
 * Jaheim Oatis, American football defensive tackle
 * Joseph T. "Joe" Owens, former NFL defensive end
 * Eddie Payton, former NFL running back
 * Walter Payton, former NFL player in Pro Football Hall of Fame, born in Columbia
 * Johnny Sims, former Arena Football League player
 * Ethelbert I. Singley, member of the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1916 to 1920
 * Jackie Smith, former NFL tight end and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
 * Ruby Terry, gospel musician
 * Hugh L. White, former Columbia mayor and two-term Governor of Mississippi