Columbia, Mississippi

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 2,789 acres (1,129 ha) of land with 65 enslaved people. North of present-day Columbia, on what was the earliest attempt at a town, was Timothy Terrell on 3,151 acres (1,275 ha) 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,

Columbia is in southern Mississippi, on the east bank of the Pearl River. It is in north-central Marion County, 84 miles (135 km) by highway south of Jackson, the state capital, and 118 miles (190 km) north of New Orleans. U.S. Route 98 passes through the south side of the city, leading east 33 miles (53 km) to Hattiesburg and west 41 miles (66 km) to McComb. Mississippi Highway 13 passes through the center of Columbia, leading north 25 miles (40 km) to Prentiss and southeast 31 miles (50 km) to Lumberton. State Highway 44 leads northeast from Columbia 21 miles (34 km) to Sumrall.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city of Columbia has a total area of 6.8 square miles (18 km²), of which 0.004 square miles (0.010 km²), or 0.06%, are water.

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 (45.0 °C) on June 7, 1915, while the coldest temperature recorded was 4 °F (−15.6 °C) on January 11, 1982 and January 21, 1985.

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 5,864 people, 2,080 households, and 1,155 families residing in the city.

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.

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.

• Official website