Columbia

History

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. Five mensettled south of present-day Columbia on of land with 65 enslaved people. North of present-day Columbia, on what was the earliest attempt at a town, Timothy Terrell enslaved 32 people on . 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…

Geography

Columbia is in southern Mississippi, on the east bank of the Pearl River. It is in north-central Marion County, by highway south of Jackson, the state capital, and north of New Orleans. U.S. Route 98 passes through the south side of the city, leading east to Hattiesburg and west to McComb. Mississippi Highway 13 passes through the center of Columbia, leading north to Prentiss and southeast to Lumberton. State Highway 44 leads northeast from Columbia to Sumrall. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city of Columbia has a total area of , of which , or 0.06%, are water.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  288
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  283
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  254
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  243
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  217
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  217
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  204
• Pine Warbler

  Setophaga pinus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  200

Largest nearby schools

• WEST MARION HIGH SCHOOL
  High · Foxworth · 569 students · 12.9:1 ratio
• COLUMBIA HIGH SCHOOL
  High · Columbia · 469 students · 15.1:1 ratio
• COLUMBIA PRIMARY SCHOOL
  Elementary · Columbia · 466 students · 12.9:1 ratio
• EAST MARION ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
  Elementary · Columbia · 394 students · 12.7:1 ratio
• JEFFERSON MIDDLE SCHOOL
  Middle · Columbia · 373 students · 13.3:1 ratio
• WEST MARION PRIMARY SCHOOL
  Elementary · Foxworth · 352 students · 13:1 ratio
• COLUMBIA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
  Elementary · Columbia · 338 students · 12.5:1 ratio
• EAST MARION HIGH SCHOOL
  High · Columbia · 330 students · 11.8:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 3 — 2025-03-15
  5 km NNE of Magee, Mississippi