Columbus, Georgia

**Columbus, Georgia**
Nickname: "The Fountain City"
Slogan: "What progress has preserved."
County	Muscogee County, Georgia
Area - Total - Water	572.4 km² (221.0 mi²) 12.3 km² (4.7 mi²) 2.14%
Population - Total (2000) - Density	186,291 136.0/km²
Time zone	Eastern: UTC–5
Location
Mayor	Robert "Bob" Poydasheff
City website

Columbus is a city in Muscogee County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2000 census, the entire city-county population was 186,291 and 276,000 in the Georgia-Alabama metro area. The city is the county seat of Muscogee County, with which it is a consolidated city-county.

Because of the consolidation, Columbus is listed with the same population and other demographic data as the entire county. Fort Benning takes up most of the rest of the county.

Geography

Columbus is located at (32.489608, -84.940422).

According to the US Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 572.4 km² (221.0 mi²). 560.1 km² (216.3 mi²) of it is land and 12.3 km² (4.7 mi²) of it (2.14%) is water.

Demographics

In 1890, 17,303 people lived in Columbus, Georgia; in 1900, 17,714; in 1910, 20,554; in 1920, 31,125; and in 1940, 53,280. As of the census of 2000, there were 186,291 people, 69,819 households, and 47,686 families residing in the city. The population density was 332.6/km² (861.4/mi²). There were 76,182 housing units at an average density of 136.0/km² (352.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 50.42% White, 43.74% African American, 0.38% Native American, 1.54% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 1.90% from other races, and 1.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.49% of the population.

There were 69,819 households out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples living together, 19.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.8% under the age of 18, 11.9% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,798, and the median income for a family was $41,244. Males had a median income of $30,238 versus $24,336 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,262. About 12.8% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.0% of those under age 18 and 12.1% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Interstate 185 (Spur from Interstate 85 at LaGrange, GA).
Chattahoochee River (Navigable from Apalachicola, FL to Columbus, location of the Fall Line. After construction of various dams on the river however, the river is no longer navigable to the city).

Metropolitan area

The Columbus metropolitan area includes four counties in Georgia, and one in Alabama.

Georgia
- Chattahoochee County
- Harris County
- Marion County
- Muscogee County
Alabama
- Russell County, including Phenix City.

History

Founded in 1828 by an act of the Georgia Legislature, Columbus was situated at the end of the navigable portion of the Chattahoochee River and on the last stretch of the Federal Road before entering Alabama. The city was named for Christopher Columbus, its founders likely influenced by the writings of Washington Irving. The plan for the city was drawn up by Dr. Edwin L. DeGraffenried who placed the town on a bluff overlooking the river. Across the river, where Phenix City, Alabama is now located, Creek Indians lived until their removal in 1836.

The river served as Columbus' connection to the world, particularly connecting the plantations in the region with the international cotton market via New Orleans and ultimately Liverpool, England. The city's commercial importance increased in the 1850s with the arrival of the railroad. In addition, textile mills began springing up along the river, bringing industry to an area reliant upon agriculture.

By 1860, the city was one of the more important industrial centers of the South, earning it the nickname "the Lowell of the South." When the outbreak of war came in 1861, the industries of Columbus expanded their production and Columbus became one of the most important centers of industry in the Confederacy. In addition to textiles, the city had an ironworks as well as a shipyard for the Confederate Navy. The city finally saw its only fighting on Easter Sunday, April 16th, 1865, when a Union detachment under General James H. Wilson attacked the city and burned many of the industrial buildings. The inventor of Coca-Cola, Dr. John Stith Pemberton, was wounded in this battle. The owner of America's last slave ship, Col. Charles Augustus Lafayette Lamar was killed here. Ironically, the battle occurred after Confederate General Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox, effectively ending the Civil War. A historic marker has been erected in Columbus marking the battle by Wilson's troops as the "Last Land Battle in the War Between the States."

Reconstruction began almost immediately and prosperity followed. The industrialization of the town led to rapid growth; the city had outgrown its original plan. Columbus was graced with the Springer Opera House on 10th Avenue, which has hosted over a century of great performers and still delights audiences today.

By the time of the Spanish American War, the city began to see much modernization including the addition of trolleys extending to outlying neighborhoods such as Rose Hill and Lakebottom and a new water works. Mayor Lucius Chappell also brought a training camp for soldiers to the area. This training camp named Camp Benning would grow into present day Fort Benning, named for General Henry L. Benning, a native of the city.

With the expansion of the city, the need for a university saw the establishment of Columbus Junior College which would later grow into Columbus State University. The city would consolidate city and county governments in 1971 and become the first of its kind in Georgia (and one of only 16 in the U.S. at the time). As the city has turned from its initial industry of textiles, it has provided a home for other prominent industries including the headquarters for AFLAC and Synovus.

During the 1970s and 1980s, urban blight, flight, and prostitution were serious problems in much of downtown Columbus and adjacent neighborhoods. Early efforts to halt the gradual deterioration of downtown included designation of various historic districts in and around downtown, demolition of large tracts of blighted areas, and construction of the Government Center. A significant period of urban renewal and revitalization occurred in the mid to late 1990s. With these improvements, residents and businesses began moving back to these formerly blighted areas. Examples of these municipal projects including construction of a softball commons for the 1996 Olympic Games, construction of a riverwalk park on the Chattahoochee River, construction of the Port Columbus Civil War Naval Museum, expansion of the Columbus Museum, and road improvements to include a new downtown bridge connecting downtown with Phenix City. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, commercial activity expanded north of downtown along the interstate corridor. During the next several years, the expansion will continue starting with the growth at Fort Benning. Over the next several years more than 15,000 new troops will move to the Chattahoochee Valley.

Entertainment

Columbus is home to many exciting cultural, artistic, and athletic venues. The Springer Opera House, state theatre of Georgia, the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts, the Bradley Theatre, Port Columbus Civil War Naval Museum, the Columbus Museum, and the Columbus Civic Center. Columbus is also the home of Historic Columbus Foundation's Riverfest Weekend ^*, a major Georgia festival and a Top Twenty Event in the Southeast. Riverfest Weekend is always the last full weekend in April.

Sports

Club	Sport	League	Venue	Logo
Columbus Catfish	Baseball	South Atlantic League; Southern Division	Golden Park
Columbus Cottonmouths	Ice Hockey	Southern Professional Hockey League'''	Columbus Civic Center
Chattahoochee Valley Vipers	Indoor football	American Indoor Football League; Southern Conference	Columbus Civic Center

Famous Columbus natives and residents

Robert M. Barr, band director and teacher
W.C. Bradley, banker and industrialist
General Henry Lewis Benning, Confederate general
Eugene Bullard, first African-American fighter pilot
William Calley, convicted Vietnam war criminal. Jeweler in Columbus
Augusta Jane Evans, novelist
Roderick Hood, National Football League cornerback
Tim Hudson, Major League Baseball pitcher
Nunnally Johnson, writer and screen writer
Carson McCullers, novelist and author of The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
Sam McQuagg, NASCAR driver
George Foster Peabody, banker and philanthropist; the Peabody Award is named for him
John Stith Pemberton, creator of Coca-Cola
Ma Rainey, blues-musician known as 'The Mother of the Blues"
Mack Strong, Seattle Seahawks football player
Alma Thomas, African-American artist
Frank Thomas, baseball player for the Oakland A's.
Tim Wilson, comedian

Miscellaneous

Columbus is the third largest city in Georgia and the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state. Columbus was the second largest city in Georgia up until 1996, when Augusta and Richmond County consolidated, making it the second largest city in Georgia.
The companies AFLAC, Carmike Cinemas, Synovus, and TSYS locate their headquarters in Columbus.
From 1916 through 1958, Columbus was the site for every college football game except one between the University of Georgia and Auburn University. Georgia won 21 times, Auburn won 16 times, and there were 2 ties.
Tom's Foods was based in Columbus before the company closed in October, 2005. Its facilities are now used by Lance, Inc
Columbus lies next to Fort Benning, home to a large basic training facility for infantry.
Was the site of the first ever Olympic women's fast-pitch softball competition during the 1996 Olympic Games.
Every November, SOA Watch organizes a protest, which is held in Columbus just outside the main entrance to Fort Benning, against the former School of the Americas. Celebrities who have appeared at the protest have included Martin Sheen and Susan Sarandon. Since 2002, a counter-protest called God Bless Fort Benning Day has been organized by local residents.
Was the home of RC Cola until the 1960s.
Coca-Cola was developed here by Dr. John Pemberton, who resided in Columbus during the 1860s.
Columbus, GA is the largest city in the United States which has a larger namesake (Columbus, Ohio).
Columbus was nicknamed the Fountain City for the many fountains that were installed early in the 20th century.
The city is the home of the Columbus Catfish baseball club of the South Atlantic League, Columbus Cottonmouths of the Southern Professional Hockey League and the Chattahoochee Valley Vipers of the American Indoor Football League.
The city is the home of Columbus State University.
Convicted war criminal William Calley is a jeweler in Columbus.
Columbus also received the dubious distinction of being insulted by rapper Ice-T in his 1991 single "Freedom of Speech". Ice-T had planned to do a show in Columbus, but was threatened with jail time if the show contained profanity. This led to his cancelling the show and condemning the Columbus city fathers as narrow-minded and interefering with his right to free expression.
Columbus is home of wrestler Marty Jannetty.
Columbus was at one time named "River City"
The National Infantry Museum is now located with in city limits, and after its compoletion, will be the largest millitary museum in the country. The country's only civil war naval museum, "Port Columbus", is located in Columbus.

Media

Newspapers

The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, the only daily newspaper in Columbus
The Columbus Times, a weekly publication featuring African-American perspectives of current events
The Saber, Columbus State University campus newspaper

Television

WRBL Channel 3, CBS affiliate
WTVM Channel 9, ABC affiliate
WCGT Channel 16, Independent
WJSP-TV Channel 28, PBS member station, Georgia Public Broadcasting
WLTZ (formally WYEA) Channel 38, NBC affiliate
WXTX Channel 54, Fox affiliate
WLGA Channel 66, UPN affiliate

Radio

WRCG-AM 1420

External links

Cities in Georgia (U.S. state) | Muscogee County, Georgia

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