Columbia, Mississippi

Template:Use mdy dates Template:Distinguish Template:Infobox settlement Columbia is a city in and the county seat of Marion County, Mississippi,<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> 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,<ref name="Census 2020"/> down from 6,582 in 2010.

History

Template:Refimprove section 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 Template:Convert of land with 65 enslaved people. North of present-day Columbia, on what was the earliest attempt at a town, was Timothy Terrell on Template:Convert 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.<ref>Mississippi State and Territorial Census</ref><ref>Bureau of Land Management</ref>

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.<ref>1880 US Federal Census, Columbia, Marion Co, MS</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>Columbian-Progress newspaper, 1960-1964,</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Mutual aid took place between Columbia, Mississippi, and Columbia, South Carolina, following this natural disaster and the 1,000 year flood in South Carolina,<ref>"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.</ref>

Geography

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

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city of Columbia has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert, or 0.06%, are water.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2023"/>

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 Template:Convert on June 7, 1915, while the coldest temperature recorded was Template:Convert on January 11, 1982 and January 21, 1985.<ref name = NOWData />

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Demographics

Template:US Census population

Columbia racial composition as of 2020<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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

The Mississippi Department of Human Services's Division of Youth Services operated the Columbia Training School in unincorporated Marion County, near Columbia.<ref>"Columbia city, Mississippi Template:Webarchive." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on July 21, 2010.</ref><ref>"Public Appearance Calendar Governor Ronnie Musgrove For the Week of December 31, 2001 Template:Webarchive." Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Retrieved on July 21, 2010. "Columbia Training School 1730 Highway 44 Columbia, MS."</ref>

The mayor of Columbia is Justin McKenzie.<ref name="Mayor"/>

Education

File:Columbia High School MS.jpg

Columbia High School

Almost all of the city of Columbia is within the Columbia School District,<ref name=MarionCoSDMap2020>Template:Cite web - Text list</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name="Integration along the Pearl">Template:Cite news</ref> A few students also left to attend Improve Academy, another segregation academy founded by the Improve Baptist Church.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

A small portion of the city limits is within the Marion County School District.<ref name=MarionCoSDMap2020/> There are also two other public schools that are in the county, East Marion High School and West Marion High School. Both of these schools are under the Marion County School District. East Marion High school is located just outside of the Columbia city limits on the East side of the Pearl River, and it has a Columbia postal address, while West Marion is located on the West side of the Pearl River next to 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.

Marion County is in the service area of Pearl River Community College.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>