Articles by Rufus Ward
Ask Rufus: Tennessee Williams and the literary heritage of Columbus
The wonderful statue of Tennessee Williams by Bill Beckwith that Dixie Butler presented to the people of Columbus brings to mind the literary heritage that is found throughout the city’s history.
Ask Rufus: Newspapers tell our early history
People have often asked me where I find some of the little known events of history that I have written about.
Ask Rufus: Columbus Spring Pilgrimage turns 85
Starting Tuesday, 16 historic homes in Columbus will again open their doors to visitors.
Ask Rufus: Telling our story
With Pilgrimage about to start I can’t help but think of several projects that would show just what a unique and historic town Columbus is.
Ask Rufus: The roots of early Columbus
Most people seem to associate the history of Columbus and its old homes with the classic antebellum homes of the mid 1800s and the Civil War, but I think of a much earlier time.
Ask Rufus: Finding fossils
This past week I have had several people from outside the Golden Triangle area ask me how the fossil park in Columbus is coming along, and though moving slowly it is moving.
Ask Rufus: Frame houses and English China
The Choctaw and Chickasaw of northeast Mississippi in the early 1800s were a civilized, cultured people.
Ask Rufus: The tangled web of art and history
The interconnecting web of history can be fascinating.
Ask Rufus: Snowdrops, the heralds of spring
There are several subjects that I am interested in and really enjoy researching.
Ask Rufus: Finding African American roots
I am sometimes asked, “What resources are available for local African American genealogy and history?” People are surprised when I answer, “More than you would think.”
Ask Rufus: 2 bits, 4 bits, 6 bits, a dollar
This week several people have brought up pirate movies or the buried treasure associated with pirates. In all the pirate movies, the pirates seek silver coins called “pieces of eight.” A piece of eight was an actual Spanish silver coin.
Ask Rufus: Franklin Academy
With last week’s announcement that Franklin Academy would no longer be used as a school, it is worth reviewing the history of the historic 204-year-old school.
Ask Rufus: Following America’s first western railroad to Columbus’ Stone Hotel
Sometimes writing my weekend columns takes me on a winding, twisting journey of seemingly unrelated connections that wind up being a tangled web.
Ask Rufus: ‘Follow the Drinking Gourd’: A pathway to freedom
In 2017 I wrote a column about the song “Follow the Drinking Gourd.” The column told how within the stories of the Underground Railroad as a pathway to freedom for enslaved people in the antebellum South one account merges into local history.
Ask Rufus: The horses of the prairie
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the New Madrid earthquakes of December 1811 through January 1812, which was when a horse from John Pitchlynn’s at Plymouth Bluff suddenly stumbled, fell and died.
Ask Rufus: Christmas scenes
It is interesting to see how the images associated with the Christmas season have changed over the years.
Ask Rufus: When the Mississippi River flowed backward
It’s been an interesting couple of weeks for earthquakes.
Ask Rufus: The storied Gilmer block in downtown Columbus
On Wednesday, The Dispatch ran an article on the Gilmer block in downtown, which is one of Columbus’ most historic city blocks.
Ask Rufus: An elegant sufficiency at Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a time when good food and formal family meals come to mind. It is also a time that we experience a fascinating mix of food and history.
