Editing Columbus County, North Carolina (section)

===Creation===
Columbus County was created by the General Assembly on December 15, 1808, to make it easier for local residents to conduct official business without having to travel to the seat of Brunswick County.{{sfn|Rogers|1946|p=13}} Columbus was formed from parts of [[Bladen County, North Carolina|Bladen]] and [[Brunswick County, North Carolina|Brunswick]] counties and named in honor of [[Christopher Columbus]].{{sfn|Corbitt|2000|p=71}} The county's borders were modified several times by legislative act between 1809 and 1821.{{sfn|Corbitt|2000|p=72}} In 1810, a community was platted on land owned by James B. White for the purpose of creating a county seat.{{sfn|Corbitt|2000|p=71}} It was originally known as White's Crossing before being incorporated as [[Whiteville, North Carolina|Whiteville]] in 1832.{{sfn|Powell|1976|p=532}} The first courthouse and jail, made of wood, were built there in 1809.{{sfn|Rogers|1946|p=13}}