Articles by Rufus Ward
Ask Rufus: ‘It runs like a scared dog’
With the coming of the September and October rains, the Tombigbee’s summer time shallow water gives way to rising water of fall and thoughts in Columbus and Aberdeen long ago turned to the arrival of steamboats.
Ask Rufus: The Lost Silver Mine of Black Creek
Many places have legends of lost gold or silver mines. In the 1950s Josh Meador, the Oscar-winning head of Animation Effects for Disney Studios, enjoyed going out in search of a lost Nevada gold mine.
Ask Rufus: Choctaw origins
Last June I wrote about John Wesley’s 1737 account of two Chickasaw chiefs, Postubbee and Mingomawtaw, telling of their spiritual beliefs. Last week I came across an 1828 newspaper account of a Choctaw origin story.
Ask Rufus: The Heritage of the Blues
The blues is Mississippi’s music and though African-American in origin, it transcends race and culture.
Ask Rufus: Turkish Corners and Lady Drivers
Last week I wrote about the 1800s interior decor of Waverley.
Ask Rufus: Waverly as it was
The exterior appearance of Waverly, a National Historic Landmark, between West Point and Columbus is well known and pictured in many books on architecture.
Ask Rufus: A 100-year heritage of military aviation continues
The twist and turns of history are always interesting.
Ask Rufus: Dinner at Moshulitubbee’s, 1822
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to dine with one of the principal chiefs of the Choctaw Nation in 1822?
Ask Rufus: A visit to Massacre Island
Last week we went to Massacre Island, Alabama, which is not only a delightful vacation spot but a place intertwined with the history of the Tombigbee River Valley.
Ask Rufus: A potpourri of history
I have been writing this history column for eight years now and even though there are topics I have covered in several columns, I still have people ask me, “why don’t you write about that topic or tell that story?”
Ask Rufus: A River Pilot’s Story
The Eliza Battle was considered one of the largest and finest steamers on the Tombigbee during the 1850s and had been described as a floating palace.
Ask Rufus: Columbus’ most interesting buildings
For almost 40 years, Ken P’Pool has been with the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and Mississippi’s go-to person in historic preservation.
Ask Rufus: Stories on a Southern Porch
It may be social media or just changing times, but sipping cool beverages and listening to grand stories while sitting on a porch on a hot summer day seems to be a relic of the past.
Ask Rufus: Could this weekend be Columbus’ 200th birthday?
Although Columbus was not officially recognized as the “Town of Columbus” until a December 6, 1819, act of the Alabama legislature, its founding may have been 200 years ago this weekend.
Ask Rufus: Forever gone
Greenpeace once sold a T-shirt with a picture of a dinosaur and the caption “Extinct means forever.” That phrase well applies to some beautiful birds that once graced our skies.
Ask Rufus: John Wesley’s Chickasaw Interview of 1736
The year 1736 was a pivotal year in the history of the Tombigbee River Valley.
Ask Rufus: Memorial Day
Last week a project was announced to try and located lost graves of Union soldiers who had been buried in Friendship Cemetery in Columbus during and at the close of the Civil War.
Ask Rufus: Tales to be told
Recently I have been working on a project that involves Friendship Cemetery here in Columbus.
Ask Rufus: The Rebel Tombigbee Squadron
Two weeks ago I wrote of the poem the Blue and the Gray and Friendship Cemetery on the banks of the Tombigbee River.
Ask Rufus: Eight O’May
In the Columbus area, the “Eight O’May” has long been called “Emancipation Day.” It is the day which tradition says the slaves in the Columbus area learned they were free.
Jelly Roll to perform at Jeffery Simmons Community Fun Day
July 3, 2025
By
