Columbia is a city in
Marion County-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 25,595 people, 9,336 households, and 6,880 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile . There were 10,395 housing units at an average density of 19 per square mile...
,
MississippiMississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, which was formed six years before Mississippi was admitted to statehood. Columbia was named for
ColumbiaColumbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
,
South CarolinaSouth Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, from which many of the early settlers had migrated. The population was 6,603 as of the 2000 census. It is the
county seatA county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of
Marion County-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 25,595 people, 9,336 households, and 6,880 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile . There were 10,395 housing units at an average density of 19 per square mile...
.
Geography
Columbia is located at 31°15′24"N 89°49′44"W (31.256781, -89.828779). It is located on the east bank of the
Pearl RiverThe Pearl River is a river in the U.S. states of Mississippi and Louisiana. It forms in Neshoba County, Mississippi from the confluence of Nanih Waiya and Tallahaga creeks. It is long. The Yockanookany and Strong rivers are tributaries. Northeast of Jackson, the Ross Barnett Reservoir is formed by...
and is 81 miles south of
JacksonJackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
, Mississippi and 103 miles north of
New OrleansNew Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
,
LouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 6.4 square miles (16.6 km²), all land.
Demographics
As of the
censusA census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 6,603 people, 2,497 households, and 1,620 families residing in the city. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,033.5 people per square mile (399.0/km²). There were 2,821 housing units at an average density of 441.6 per square mile (170.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 62.56% White, 35.64% African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.18% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.77% of the population.
There were 2,497 households out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.5% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 19.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% were non-families. 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 20.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 88.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $19,644, and the median income for a family was $28,493. Males had a median income of $28,173 versus $17,847 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $12,592. About 24.5% of families and 29.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 41.0% of those under age 18 and 24.3% of those age 65 or over.
Government and infrastructure
The
Mississippi Department of Human ServicesThe Mississippi Department of Human Services is a state agency of Mississippi, headquartered in Jackson. The department operates the state's family services.-Division of Youth Services:...
's Division of Youth Services operated the Columbia Training School in
unincorporatedIn law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
Marion County-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 25,595 people, 9,336 households, and 6,880 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile . There were 10,395 housing units at an average density of 19 per square mile...
, near Columbia.
Education
The City of Columbia is served by the
Columbia School DistrictThe Columbia School District is a public school district based in Columbia, Mississippi .-Schools:*Columbia High School *Jefferson Middle School *Columbia Elementary School *Columbia Primary School 2-3...
.The mayor of Columbia is Reed Houston, who was recently voted into office succeeding long-time mayor Harold Bryant.
History
The site was first settled by John and William Lott in the early 19th century, giving the town its original name, Lott's Bluff. It was incorporated as Columbia on June 25, 1819, becoming the fourth municipality in the state of
MississippiMississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
. 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 LeakeWalter Leake served as a United States Senator from Mississippi and as Governor of Mississippi .He was the first Governor of Mississippi to die in office...
, and selecting LeFleur's Bluff (now
JacksonJackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
) as the permanent capital.
http://www.mainstreetcolumbia.com Former Mississippi governor and Columbia native
Hugh L. WhiteHugh Lawson White was an American politician from Mississippi and a member of the Democratic Party. He served two non-consecutive terms as Governor of Mississippi .-Biography:...
introduced white squirrels to the area, and they are still common in Columbia City Park.
http://www.villageprofile.com/mississippi/marion/08/topic.html
Historic Home of Mississippi Rodeo
In the mid 1930s, two Columbia, Mississippi
cowboyA cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
s –
EarlEarl W. Bascom was an American painter, printmaker, rodeo performer and sculptor, raised in Canada, who portrayed his own experiences cowboying and rodeoing across the American and Canadian West.- Childhood :...
and Weldon
BascomFort Bascom, established in 1863, is located in New Mexico on the Canadian River slightly west of the Texas border. The fort was named in honor of Captain George Nicholas Bascom who was killed during the American Civil War on February 21, 1862 while defending Fort Craig against Confederate forces...
– made Columbia the historic “Home of Mississippi Rodeo.” Known as the “Founding Fathers of Mississippi Rodeo,” the Bascom brothers pioneered the sport in Mississippi, producing the first
rodeoRodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
in
Marion County-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 25,595 people, 9,336 households, and 6,880 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile . There were 10,395 housing units at an average density of 19 per square mile...
in 1935. Originally from
AlbertaAlberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, the Bascoms cowboyed for the nearby Hickman Ranch. Both of these cowboys married local girls. This first rodeo of 1935 was held at Columbia’s City Park and is now known in rodeo history as the world’s first outdoor night rodeo held under electric lights. In 1936, Earl Bascom, an inventor as well as a trained artist, designed and supervised the construction of Mississippi’s first permanent rodeo arena in Columbia. Earl Bascom has been called the “Father of Modern Rodeo”, having helped pioneer the sport with his many rodeo innovations. To this day, rodeo remains a popular sport in Columbia and Marion County.
Notable residents
- Earl W. Bascom
Earl W. Bascom was an American painter, printmaker, rodeo performer and sculptor, raised in Canada, who portrayed his own experiences cowboying and rodeoing across the American and Canadian West.- Childhood :...
(1906–1995) - inventor, actor, rodeo champion, internationally-known artist/sculptor who lived in Columbia 1935-1937
- Gerry E. Hinton
Gerry Earl Hinton was a pioneer in the chiropractic profession from Slidell, Louisiana, and served from 1984 to 1996 as a member of the Louisiana State Senate from District 11 Gerry Earl Hinton (June 30, 1930 – July 2, 2000) was a pioneer in the chiropractic profession from Slidell, Louisiana, and...
(1930–2000) - former member of the Louisiana State SenateThe Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
and the SlidellSlidell is a city situated on the northeast shore of Lake Pontchartrain in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 25,695 at the 2000 census. The Greater Slidell Community has a population of about 90,000...
, LouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, City Council
- Claudis James
Claudis James is a former wide receiver and halfback in the National Football League.-Career:James was drafted in the fourteenth round of the 1967 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers and played with the team for two seasons. While there, he was a member of the Super Bowl II Champion Packers.He...
- NFL player
- Eddie Payton
Edward Payton is a former American football running back and kick returner who played five seasons in the NFL from 1977 to 1982 for the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings. He also played in the Canadian Football League...
- NFL player
- Walter Payton
Walter Jerry Payton was an American football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League for thirteen seasons. Walter Payton was known around the NFL as "Sweetness". He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football...
- NFL player
- Hugh L. White
Hugh Lawson White was an American politician from Mississippi and a member of the Democratic Party. He served two non-consecutive terms as Governor of Mississippi .-Biography:...
- former Columbia mayor and two term Governor of Mississippi
- General Benjamin Lee - military leader and early political figure
- Reverend John Ford
Reverend John Ford was a pioneering Methodist minister and political leader in South Carolina and in the Mississippi Territory....
- pioneering Methodist minister and early political leader
- Joseph T. "Joe" Owens - NFL player
- Sylvester Magee
Sylvester Magee may have been the last living slave in America. Born a slave in North Carolina, he was the son of slaves named Ephraim and Jeanette, who worked on the J.J...
- reportedly the last living American slave, died here in 1971
- Jeff Bates
Jeffery Wayne "Jeff" Bates is an American country music artist. Signed to RCA Records in 2003, Bates released his debut album Rainbow Man that year. A second album, Leave the Light On, was released in 2005 on RCA. He left RCA in 2006. This album was followed by Jeff Bates in 2008 on the...
- American Country Music Artist