Editing Columbia County, Georgia (section)

===Early 19th century===
Appling was the political, educational, social, and religious center of the county. Near Appling were located Mt. Carmel Academy and Columbia Institute. Mt. Carmel Academy was run by the famous Southern educator, [[Moses Waddel]]; it was here that [[John C. Calhoun]] and [[William H. Crawford]] were educated. Columbia Institute was started by a certain gentleman going by the surname Bush; he was none other than the [[David Bushnell (inventor)|Bushnell]] of Revolutionary War [[submarine]]r fame.{{Citation needed|date=September 2010}} During the [[Georgia Gold Rush]] of the 1820s, some successful prospecting and mining occurred in Columbia County.

The 1830s were a period of major [[infrastructure]] projects and the coming of the railroad. When the [[Georgia Railroad and Banking Company|Georgia Railroad]] was established, the judges determined that having trains' passing near Appling would disturb their proceedings; they insisted that the railway line that was built in the county from Atlanta to Augusta pass well below Appling. Construction of the [[Augusta Canal]] in the 1830s required Columbia County's cooperation, as the beginning of the canal and the locks were within the county.

In 1855, the Courthouse in Appling received a major overhaul, and after the remodeling was complete, the building was in more or less its present form. Despite the extensive project, builders retained the shell of the 1809–1812 building.