Articles by Rufus Ward
Ask Rufus: Celebrating forgotten heroes
February is Black History Month and is a great time to review the little told but very important role of blacks in the exploration and settlement of the Tombigbee River Valley.
Ask Rufus: Tombigbee sharks and Mississippi volcanoes
Last week I saw an article about finding a shark on the Tombigbee River in Alabama.
Ask Rufus: Horses and Earthquakes
Horses and earthquakes may seem like an unusual mix of topics for a column that is generally about history and it is.
Ask Rufus: It’s just politics
Last week the Mississippi legislature convened for its annual session. My friend — Representative Jeff Smith — was there for the opening gavel.
Ask Rufus: A postcard story
Probably the most common postcard of a steamboat on the Tombigbee River is a view of the Steamer Ouachita.
Ask Rufus: Floods and high water
The flooding caused by the recent storms brings to mind high water of past times.
Ask Rufus: Of Christmas, boats, books and highway robberies
We recently went to Williamsburg and enjoyed the decorations and feel of an 18th century Christmas. It did bring to mind the question of what was Christmas like in early Columbus?
Ask Rufus: Brutality and barbecue 475 years ago
Four hundred and seventy-five years ago a ragged army of almost 500 Spanish adventurers, soldiers, horses, war dogs, pigs and some priest, women and free Blacks entered what is now Mississippi near the present site of Columbus. About Dec. 16, 1540, the expedition of Hernando de Soto crossed the Tombigbee River.
Ask Rufus: The stories in a name
I am often asked about the origin of local place names. There is a lot of history associated with names and their origins.
Ask Rufus: Stuff of which heroes are made
The news lately has been filled with events and stories that strike fear into the hearts of the traveling public.
Ask Rufus: Tibbee, a prehistoric oral tradition
Friday night I was asked to tell stories at a “lock-in” for the West Point Episcopal Church’s youth group. I was reminded of how, with all the interest in Facebook, Twitter and other forms of social media, the passing down of oral traditions from generation to generation by story tellers is being lost.
Ask Rufus: Remembering
Veterans Day is the day set aside to honor the men and women who have served and are serving our county.
Ask Rufus: The storied Gilmer
Last week it was announced that the City Of Columbus was purchasing the Gilmer Inn in downtown Columbus.
Ask Rufus: Loopers discover Columbus
A week ago I had the pleasure of meeting some folks from out of town who were just passing through.
Ask Rufus: Not just pretty flowers
I have been enjoying taking photographs at the butterfly garden on the Columbus Riverwalk. While the main attractions are the butterflies, hummingbirds and the beauty of the flowers, there is another story within the garden.
Ask Rufus: A conversation with Charles Dickens
I have often written about the many people who have lived in the Columbus, Starkville, West Point area and left their footprints across history or the arts.
Ask Rufus: Friendship Cemetery, a walk through history
A couple of months ago Berkley Hudson, an old friend, was in town and called. He wanted to get together and walk through Columbus’ Friendship Cemetery exchanging stories of the people buried there.
Ask Rufus: A birthday ball
The U.S. Air Force has turned 68 but its roots in the Golden Triangle run much deeper.
Ask Rufus: The Butterfly and the Hummingbird
Lately I have been enjoying taking photographs of hummingbirds and butterflies at the butterfly garden on the Riverwalk.
