Articles by Rufus Ward
Ask Rufus: Williamsburg links
We recently spent four days in Williamsburg, Virginia. It was their Grand Illumination with all of its lights, fireworks and Christmas decorations.
Ask Rufus: Walt Disney and Catfish
During the “Golden Age” of Disney animation, the term catfish around Walt Disney Studios did not refer to a fish.
Ask Rufus: The Old Elks Club
The Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau recently announced the Elks Club building on Main Street in Columbus was purchased and would become the home of a new children’s museum.
Ask Rufus: Two veterans
Friday was Veterans Day and one of the few holidays still celebrated primarily with parades and public programs.
Ask Rufus: Two heroes
At the close of a divisive political campaign, two very real heroes came to mind last week.
Ask Rufus: Horned serpents, a portal and a witch
Next Friday there will be a Chickasaw Indian Heritage Festival in Tupelo. That event provides the perfect backdrop for an interesting ancient Chickasaw legend. It is the legend of Tibbee Lake, which is between Columbus and West Point.
Ask Rufus: The art of history
I recently bought a painting by Josh Meador from a Nevada art dealer. It arrived today and got me thinking about how history and art are intertwined.
Ask Rufus: An elegant sufficiency
I recall from my childhood an elderly cousin, Dr. William Richards. After a good meal he would often look up and announce that he had had an “elegant sufficiency.”
Ask Rufus: Columbus and Mississippi’s Bicentennial
Today, the Bicentennial of Mississippi kicks off here in Columbus but another bicentennial is also fast approaching — that of the founding of Columbus.
Ask Rufus: In 1819 this was Columbus, Alabama
In a week the Mississippi Bicentennial Celebration will kick off in Columbus.
Ask Rufus: Intruders in the Chickasaw Nation
It’s interesting how projects and research often end up overlapping.
Ask Rufus: The blues heritage of the Black Prairie
The old Black Prairie of Mississippi and Alabama, named after its fertile soil, has deep roots in the history of blues music.
Ask Rufus: Aberdeen is burning
On Monday March 20, 1882, Columbus Mayor C.E. Dancy received a telegram of distress from the mayor of Aberdeen.
Ask Rufus: Walt Disney’s artist friend
Recently I bought a painting by Oscar-winning Columbus native Josh Meador.
Ask Rufus: Looping The Island
Late one recent afternoon, Karen and I joined Stuart and Kallie Phillips on their boat to make a loop around The Island across from Columbus.
Ask Rufus: A sister for the Little Sisters of Liberty
In 1950, the Boy Scouts of America instituted a project called Crusade to Strengthen the Arm of Liberty, which aimed to place replicas of the Statue of Liberty across the country.
Ask Rufus: ‘A Moste Strange Weddinge of the Frogge and the Mouse’
Sometimes the stories behind stories can be more interesting than the story itself. Such is the case with the children’s nursery rhyme/song “Frog Went A-Courtin.” My story of the song begins in the middle.
Jelly Roll to perform at Jeffery Simmons Community Fun Day
July 3, 2025
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