When Columbus was in its infancy, there was no ignoring the Tombigbee River.
Much like the towns that popped up and flourished along the railroad lines, Columbus owes its existence to the river. While many of those “railroad” towns vanished as rail lines were abandoned and moved, rivers cannot be relocated. That assured Columbus, in its formative years, would endure and prosper.
In the days before highway systems, railroads and airplanes, cities positioned along rivers had a distinct advantage over those whose access to the larger world relied on dirt roads beat through the sprawling wilderness.
Such cities relied on the river for sustenance, transportation and commerce and prospered above their land-locked neighbors well into the 20th century.
Things are different today, of course, and for many of us, the Tombigbee River is something we see from a bridge as we hurry by on our daily travels.
Two recent events have reminded us of what a forgotten jewel we have in the Tombigbee – the first an accident, the other a celebration.
On Dec. 26, two barges broke loose from their moorings after heavy rains and came to rest against the dam at the John C. Stennis Lock and Dam. One of the barges partially sank; the other remains afloat. The barges await recovery, and in the interim, the scene has become something of a tourist attraction, with hundreds of curious on-lookers dropping by to gawk at the spectacle.
The second event that attracted visitors to the river came Monday as the City of Columbus and the Columbus Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau again staged a Christmas Tree Bonfire. Scores of adventuresome citizens bundled up and gathered on the Old Highway 82 pedestrian bridge, which spans the Tombigbee at the Riverwalk. They sipped hot chocolate and stared, transfixed, at the roaring bonfire on the banks of the river below.
The Tombigbee, thanks to the completion of the $2 billion Tenn-Tom Waterway in 1985, remains a tool of commerce as millions of tons of cargo are shipped down the system to the port of Mobile. While few rely on the river for sustenance, and no one relies on the river for daily transportation, we recognize the river continues to play an important role in our community, particularly for the recreational opportunities it provides.
The river nurtures our natural world, sustaining a rich variety of wildlife and standing firm against the ravages of time. Railroad lines can be torn up; roads can be abandoned, but the river remains.
On those occasions where we are drawn to the river, we sense its power and permanence and are reminded of the essential role the Tombigbee River has played in our history and the important role is continues to serve.
It may often be an overlooked treasure, but it is a treasure just the same.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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