I was recently given an 1852 Mississippi Almanac which I will be placing in the Billups Garth Archives at the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library. In it was a description of Columbus and Lowndes County with a brief history of Columbus, which was similar to that published in the 1854 Southern Business Directory and General Commercial Advertiser.
This is the history of Columbus found in the 1852 Almanac, which is slightly different from the one in the 1854 Southern Business Directory and General Commercial Advertiser that I wrote about in a column five years ago.
“The first effort made to settle Columbus was in 1819. In the latter part of the year 1817, Thomas Thomas, a man who had been driven out by the agent as an intruder in the Chickasaw Nation, built a small split log hut on the spot now known as the corner of Main and Franklin (Third Street South) streets, but there were no signs of it ever being occupied by any person till 1819. The town was first called SOOK-HTTAH-TOM-A-HAH, a name given it by the Indians, signifying ‘Opossum Town.’
During the winter of 1819 and spring of 1820, the Military Road leading from New Orleans to Nashville, passing through Columbus was opened by U.S. troops. The first death that occurred in Columbus was Mrs. Keziah Cocke wife of the Hon. William Cocke, former U.S. Senator from Tennessee, and stepmother of the Hon. Stephen Cocke, the present Chancellor of Mississippi. The first sheriff of the county was Barlett Sims, elected in 1822.
Columbus was incorporated into a town in 1822, and William L. Moore was the first Mayor. The first steamboat that came to Columbus was the Cotton Plant, Stephen Chandler, captain in 1822.”
The 1852 almanac provided the number and types of businesses in Columbus, but the 1854 account had more detail about the businesses in Columbus. According to the 1854 Southern Business Directory and General Commercial Advertiser, the following businesses were in Columbus.
“DRY GOODS – Cozart, Humphries & Billups, A. Simpson & Co., Gay, Bro. & Co., Sherman & Harris, Lampkin & Taylor, Franklin & Bro., Oscar T. Keeler, Hamilton, Baskerville, & Co., Ottley & Travis, Griessman & Hoffman.
GROCERS – Parham & Mason, E.C. Eggleston, Danl. Baldwin, J.C. Saunders, James H. Eckford, Gaston & Bro., Alfred Thacher, Franklin & Bro., D.C. Richards.
DRUGGISTS – James Blair, James Jones & Co., A.N. Jones.
HATS, CLOTHING AND SHOES – George Van Hook, S.T. Sappington.
MERCHANT TAILOR – Harrison Johnston, George Frazee.
BOOKS AND STATIONERY – D.C. Richards & Son,
JEWELERS – Isaac M. Knapp, Elias B. Ward.
CABINET MAKERS – J. Womelsdorff, Gaston & Miller.
SADDLERS – Jos. W. Edwards, Wm. J. Smith, E.J. Munger.
BOOTS AND SHOE MANUFACTURERS – Hale & Murdock, E.J. Munger, John M.T. Reid, James L Kelly, John Kelly.
MILLINER – Mrs. C. Tufft.
AUCTIONEERS – Hale & Murdock, Oscar T. Keeler, E.C. Eggleston, A.C. Gilbert & Co.
GUNSMITHS – Johns S. Krecker, George B. Tucker.
ARCHITECT – James S. Lull.
BUILDERS – James S. Shaw, John Smith, Hardy Stevens, Wm. C. Worrell, Lewis Greene, J. Kirk.
DENTISTS – S.A. Saltonstall, W.J. Blackman, James W. Hopkins.
TIN MANUFACTORIES – John N. Spears, Dulany & Harper.
CARRIAGE MANUFACTORIES – Thomas W. Carter, Samuel Kline, George B. Tucker, Miles Wolfington.
WAGGON MANUFACTORIES OR WHEELWRIGHTS – Richard Wood, Samuel Kline.
COTTON GIN MANUFACTORIES – Hayden & McCraw, Campbell & Brown.
IRON FOUNDRY – George Gunn.
STEAM SAW MILL – John M. Symons.
MARBLE CUTTER – Richard Miller.
BRICK YARDS – James S. Shaw, George W. Marquis.
SCHOOLS – I.O.O.F. High School, Columbus Female Institute, Franklin Academy (free); and numerous private schools.
NEWSPAPERS – Southern Standard; Columbus Democrat; Columbus Argus.
CONFECTIONERS – John Francis, M.W. Peterson.
LIVERY STABLES – William Cady & Co., John Stringer.
FLORISTS & GARDENERS – W.C. Tucker, A.J. Rabb.
MUSIC STORE – S. Markstein.
DAGUERROTYPE – Hiram T. Sherrill.
WAREHOUSES – Union Warehouse, by B.S. Long; Planters Warehouse, by J.N. Dickson.
HOTELS – Blewett House, by W. Pope, Sr.; Phoenix Hotel, by James Jones & Son; Columbus Hotel, by M.J. Howard.
CHURCHES – Episcopal; Methodist; Baptist; Presbyterian; Cumberland Presbyterian; Christian.
Columbus Lodge, No. 5, Masonic, S.A. Brown, Sec’ry.
Lowndes Lodge, No. 114, “O.T. Keeler.”
Columbus Chapter, No. 4, Masonic, O.T. Keeler, Secretary.
Covenant Lodge No. 20, I.O.O.F.
McKendree “32”
Tombigbee Encampment, No. 6, I.O.O.F.
Columbus Division No. 9 Sons of Temperance.
1 United States Land Office; 1 Telegraph Office; 1 Court House; 1 County Jail; 1 Board of Trade; 1 Town Hall; 1 Masonic and Odd Fellow’s Hall; 6 Churches; 1 Tan Yard; 1 Market; 3 Hotels; Columbus Riflemen; Lowndes Dragoons; 2 Fire Engine Companies; 1 Hook and Ladder Company.
INSURANCE AGENCIES – Columbus Life and General Insurance Company, W.J. Anderson, Secretary.
Columbus Mutual, Abraham Murdock, Sec’ry.
Mississippi Mutual (Aberdeenville) A.W. Lampkin, Agent.
Tennessee Fire and Marine, (Nashville) A. Simpson, Agent.
Hartford Protection, (Hartford, Ct.) R.D. Haden, Agent.”
The 1852 account, which is by Keeler, illustrates the problems with writing the early history of Columbus. Official records show Columbus was not incorporated in 1822, as the 1852 account states. It was first recognized as the town of Columbus in Alabama in 1819. In 1821, it was incorporated as Columbus, Mississippi.
Barlett Sims was the first sheriff of Lowndes County but since 1819 had been the sheriff of Marion County, Alabama, when Columbus was believed to have been in Alabama. The Cotton Plant was the first Steamboat to come to Columbus, but an 1824 newspaper article gives the date of its first arrival at Columbus as March 1823, not 1822. In this 1852 account, Keeler gives the location of the first house on the site of Columbus as the corner of Main and Franklin (Third Street South) streets. In Keeler’s 1848 account, he gives the location as on the grounds of C D Warren’s house, which was on the northeast corner of Franklin and Washington (Third Street South and College Street) rather than on the corner of Main Street.
There are other errors in early written accounts. Though small, they still cause some confusion that makes writing the history of Columbus like putting a puzzle together.
Rufus Ward is a Columbus native a local historian. E-mail your questions about local history to Rufus at [email protected].
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 39 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 39 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
