Ask Rufus: ‘No River for Steamboats’

It began in the late fall of 1854 and extended through the summer of 1856. Before it was over several Tombigbee steamboats sank, and one caught fire and burned.

Ask Rufus: Columbus becomes Mississippi

Today is the 200th anniversary of the town of Columbus, Alabama, being officially recognized as part of the state of Mississippi and not Alabama.

Ask Rufus: Columbus 200 years ago

Recently, several people have asked me whether Columbus will be celebrating its bicentennial in 2021. My response of “but the bicentennial was last year” always seems to draw perplexed looks.

Ask Rufus: Santa Claus

Before the 1800s Christmas was a mostly religious celebration. Then in 1823, Clement Clarke Moore’s poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” was published.

Ask Rufus: Watercolor Memories

I recently purchased a watercolor at the Columbus Arts Council’s gift shop at the Rosenzweig Arts Center.

Ask Rufus: A Christmas Barbecue

With Christmas fast approaching, it is interesting to consider the traditional foods of a Christmas meal. They may not all be what you think.

Ask Rufus: The Influenza of 1918

Acting on the recommendation of the State Board of Health, the mayor of Columbus after a Friday meeting of the Columbus board of health has announced that “All schools, churches, theatres, pool rooms, motion picture shows and all public gatherings be closed and suspended until further notice.”

No, that was not Mayor Robert Smith last week. It was Columbus Mayor D. S. McClanahan on Oct. 2, 1918. It was the great Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918.

Ask Rufus: The First Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving is a holiday filled with history, tradition and food.

Ask Rufus: A Machine Gun’s Tale

Sometimes an unusual inanimate object can tell a most interesting story.

Ask Rufus: The Double Fire of 1854

n September 1854 much of downtown Columbus was destroyed by two absolutely devastating fires that occurred within a period of a little more than 24 hours.

Ask Rufus: An 1854 Window on Columbus

I had planned on writing my Sunday column on the devastating fire of 1854 that burned much of downtown Columbus. As I was researching it, I came across an 1854 Southern Business Directory and General Commercial Advertiser description of Columbus that I had copied years ago.

Ask Rufus: Three Ghosts

I have always enjoyed a good ghost story at Halloween. Three of my favorite ghost stories actually have a factual basis.

Ask Rufus: The Strange Story of the W.H. Gardner

One of my favorite ghost stories is that of the phantom steamboat, the Eliza Battle. It is a story based on the actual horrific loss of the steamer on the Tombigbee River in 1858. Almost forgotten, though, is the almost as deadly burning in 1887 of another Columbus-Mobile steamboat, the W.H. Gardner.

Ask Rufus: The tradition behind Halloween

For 800 years, Halloween has been an important, meaningful and fun celebration. However, a look today at Halloween around the country would lead one to believe that it’s a time to commercially exploit pagan themes and children. What is being lost is that it actually reflects an almost 2,000-year-old Christian tradition.

Ask Rufus: Union Academy

I planned for today’s column to be a history of Union Academy in Columbus, but the scope of the column narrowed as I became fascinated by the trials of its first few years.

Ask Rufus: Art, Hurricanes and French Explorers

It is amazing how people, places and events are so interconnected.

Ask Rufus: De Soto’s Tombigbee crossing

Lately the ghost of Hernando de Soto has popped up on Facebook. I have seen several comments about where his expedition crossed the Tombigbee River, probably on December 16, 1540.

Ask Rufus: The Legacy of Joe Duck

When hurricanes head into the Gulf, we all start to wonder when, where and how bad will landfall be. The storm updates and forecasts we keep up with have a lot to do with the legacy of Col. Joseph Duckworth.

Ask Rufus: Unsung American Heroes

This is a story of men, who in spite of discrimination at home, become heroes in defense of America’s freedom either in combat or in support of those who were.

Ask Rufus: Cordials to Kool-Aid

Last week I wrote of old Columbus porches and some of the beverages served there.