Editing Columbia, Louisiana

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Columbia, Louisiana
| official_name = Town of Columbia
| settlement_type = Town
| image_skyline = Columbia on the Ouachita, LA, IMG_2705.JPG
| imagesize = 250px
| image_caption = Gateway to [[Ouachita River]] at Columbia
| nickname = Columbia on the Ouachita
| image_map = File:Caldwell Parish Louisiana Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Columbia Highlighted.svg
| mapsize = 260px
| map_caption = Location of Columbia in Caldwell Parish, Louisiana.
| image_map1 = Louisiana in United States (US48).svg
| mapsize1 = 
| map_caption1 = Location of Louisiana in the United States
<!-- Location ------>
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = United States
| subdivision_type1 = State
| subdivision_name1 = Louisiana
| subdivision_type2 = Parish
| subdivision_name2 = [[Caldwell Parish, Louisiana|Caldwell]]
<!-- Government -->
| established_title = Founded
| established_date = 1827
| named_for = 
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type = 
| governing_body = 
| leader_party = 
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = 
<!-- Area -----> 
| unit_pref = Imperial
| area_footnotes = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_22.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=March 20, 2022}}</ref>
| area_total_km2 = 2.00
| area_total_sq_mi = 0.77
| area_land_km2 = 1.98
| area_land_sq_mi = 0.76
| area_water_km2 = 0.02
| area_water_sq_mi = 0.01
<!-- Population ---->
| population_as_of = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total = 277
| population_rank = [[Caldwell Parish, Louisiana#Communities|CW]]: 3rd
| population_density_km2 = 139.94
| population_density_sq_mi = 362.57
| population_demonym = 
<!-- General information -->
| timezone1 = [[North American Central Time Zone|CST]]
| utc_offset1 = -6
| timezone1_DST = [[North American Central Time Zone|CDT]]
| utc_offset1_DST = -5
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft = 98
| coordinates = {{coord|32|06|09|N|92|04|37|W|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
<!-- Area/postal codes and others -->
| postal_code_type = [[ZIP Code]]
| postal_code = 71418
| area_code_type = 
| area_code = [[Area code 318|318]]
| blank_name = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
| blank_info = 22-16830
| blank1_name  = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info  = 2406299<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2406299}}</ref>
| website = 
| footnotes = 
}}
'''Columbia''' is a town in and the [[parish seat]] of [[Caldwell Parish, Louisiana|Caldwell Parish]], [[Louisiana]], United States.<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011 }}</ref> The population was 277 in 2020.<ref name=":0" />

==History==
The land that became Columbia was first cleared by Daniel Humphries in 1827. A store was built a few years later the only settlement between [[Monroe, Louisiana]], and the settlements of the [[Ouachita River#Black River|Black River]] was formed. The harbor became a busy port for shipping cotton by [[steamboat]]s and [[Packet boat]]s until the arrival of the railroad. In February 1864 Columbia was the location of a skirmish between Federal and Confederate troops during the [[American Civil War|Civil War]] and there are several plantations in the area.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=ZV3pCAAAQBAJ&dq=Lincecum+Lake%2C+Louisiana&pg=PT528 Google books: ''The WPA Guide to Louisiana: The Pelican State''; "Columbia"]- Retrieved March 11, 2017</ref>

==Geography==
Columbia is located just east of the center of Caldwell Parish on the southwest bank of the [[Ouachita River]]. [[U.S. Route 165]] passes through the center of town and bridges the river, leading north {{convert|32|mi}} to [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]] and south {{convert|64|mi}} to [[Alexandria, Louisiana|Alexandria]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|2.00|km2|disp=flip}}, of which {{convert|1.96|km2|disp=flip}} is land and {{convert|0.03|sqkm|disp=flip|2}}, or 1.75%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web |title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Columbia town, Louisiana |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US2216830 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212180655/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US2216830 |archive-date=February 12, 2020 |access-date=August 15, 2014 |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1870= 235
|1880= 210
|1890= 352
|1900= 382
|1910= 500
|1920= 434
|1930= 760
|1940= 840
|1950= 920
|1960= 1021
|1970= 1000
|1980= 687
|1990= 386
|2000= 477
|2010= 390
|2020= 277
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
|+Columbia racial composition as of 2020<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US2216830&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 29, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!scope="col"| Race
!scope="col"| Number
!scope="col"| Percentage
|-
!scope="row"| [[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
| 202
| 72.92%
|-
!scope="row"| [[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
| 48
| 17.33%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
| 2
| 0.72%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
| 10
| 3.61%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
| 15
| 5.42%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 277 people, 152 households, and 107 families residing in the town.

==Government and infrastructure==
Law enforcement services are provided by the Columbia Police Department<ref>{{Cite web|title=Town of Columbia|url=https://www.caldwellparishla.com/town-of-columbia|access-date=January 27, 2022|website=caldwellparishla|language=en}}</ref> and the Caldwell Parish Sheriff's Office.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Caldwell Parish Sheriff's Office|url=https://www.caldwellparishla.com/caldwell-parish-sheriff-s-office|access-date=January 27, 2022|website=caldwellparishla|language=en}}</ref> Fire protection services are provided by the Columbia Volunteer Fire Department, and by other Volunteer Fire Departments across the parish when needed.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Fire Departments - Caldwell Parish, LA (Fire Stations & Marshals)|url=https://www.countyoffice.org/la-caldwell-parish-fire-departments/|access-date=January 27, 2022|website=www.countyoffice.org|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=June 21, 2019|title=Fire Services {{!}} Caldwell Parish, Louisiana|url=http://www.caldwellparish.org/services/departments/fire-services|access-date=January 27, 2022|archive-date=June 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190621094722/http://www.caldwellparish.org/services/departments/fire-services|url-status=bot: unknown}}</ref>

==Notable people==

* [[Buddy Caldwell]], [[Attorney General of Louisiana]], elected in 2007
* [[Graves B. Erskine]], [[U.S. Marine Corps]] general; combat officer in [[World War I]]
* [[J. D. DeBlieux]], [[Louisiana State Legislature|Louisiana State Senator]] 1956-1960 & 1964-1976
* [[Pam Kelly]], basketball player, recipient of the [[Wade Trophy]] in 1982
* [[Lelon Kenney]], Louisiana state representative, farmer, and businessman
* [[John J. McKeithen]], [[governor of Louisiana]] (1964–1972)
* [[W. Fox McKeithen]], [[Louisiana State Legislature|Louisiana House of Representatives]], 1984–1988
* [[Clay Parker]], former pitcher for the [[New York Yankees]] & [[Seattle Mariners]]
* [[Neil Riser]], state senator elected in 2007 from the 32nd District
* [[Chet D. Traylor]], [[Louisiana Supreme Court]], 1997–2009

==Gallery==
<gallery class="center" widths="130px">
File:Homeland Federal Savings Bank, Columbia, LA IMG 2694.JPG|Homeland Federal Savings Bank is located off [[U.S. Highway 165]] in Columbia
File:Columbia Hill Cemetery, Columbia, LA IMG 2726.JPG|A portion of the hillside graves at the large but dispersed Columbia Hill Cemetery in Columbia. The cemetery was launched just prior to the [[American Civil War]] during a [[yellow fever]] epidemic.
File:Riser and Son Funeral Home, Columbia, LA IMG 2696.JPG|Riser and Son Funeral Home in Columbia is owned by [[Louisiana State Legislature|State Senator]] [[Neil Riser]].
File:First United Methodist Church, Columbia, LA IMG 2697.JPG|At this site First [[United Methodist]] Church in Columbia dates to 1838. The current building was constructed in 1911. Previously, [[circuit rider (religious)|circuit rider]]s served Caldwell Parish.
File:First Baptist Church, Columbia, LA IMG 2699.JPG|First [[Baptist]] Church in Columbia
File:Columbia Heights Baptist Church, Columbia, LA IMG 2680.JPG|Columbia Heights Baptist Church off Highway 165 calls itself "The Lighthouse on the Hill".
</gallery>

{{Portal|United States}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110708175631/http://www.columbia-progress.com/ Columbia Progress] Community Progress Site for Columbia, LA

{{Caldwell Parish, Louisiana}}
{{Louisiana parish seats}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Columbia, Louisiana|*]]
[[Category:Parish seats in Louisiana]]
[[Category:Louisiana populated places on the Ouachita River]]
[[Category:Towns in Caldwell Parish, Louisiana]]
[[Category:Towns in Louisiana]]