When working on my weekly Dispatch column, I often rely on period newspapers for primary source information. That creates a real problem for me, as I almost always get sidetracked. Old newspapers are filled with the stories of our past and the everyday lives of those who once lived here. In Columbus we are lucky for the Library of Congress through its American Chronicles has digitized and made available most of the surviving copies of Columbus newspapers published between 1836 and 1922.
The history of the newspapers published in Columbus is fascinating. I have found references to 24 different newspapers in 44 different versions that have been published in Columbus since 1832. But what of Columbus history before 1832? Much information can be found in Tuscaloosa, Mobile and Natchez newspapers of 1819-1832. Some Columbus news such as Dr. Hand and Dr. Barry performing successful surgery in Columbus on a Chickasaw chief in 1821 even appeared in newspapers nationwide, as did the building of Andrew Jackson’s Military Road in 1818 and 1819. References to the Town of Columbus began appearing in newspapers in December of 1819.
The earliest newspaper article I have found that directly relates to Northeast Mississippi was published in 1736. “The Gentleman’s Magazine” of London, in its September 1736 issue, published a letter from South Carolina headlined “Indians Beat the French.” It was an account of the fighting occurring at what is now Tupelo between the French, with Choctaw assistance, and the Chickasaws with English assistance. It was a battle that determined northeast Mississippi would have an English rather than a French heritage.
Newspapers from the 1820s have obituaries of prominent area Indian leaders such as noted Choctaws Pushmataha and Hummingbird. In the mid-1830s, the New Yorker newspaper was full of articles about the Columbus-Starkville area. That was because the Mississippi agent for the New Yorker was Henry Gibson (son-in-law of John Pitchlynn), whose address was given as Choctaw Agency, a site southeast of Starkville.
The origins of stories that are thought of as legends can even be examined through period papers. One of the strangest ghost stories connected with the Tombigbee River is that of the steamboat the James T. Staples. The Staples blew up near Bladon Springs, Alabama, on January 9, 1913, under very strange circumstances. Her story became legendary with its inclusion in one of Alabama storyteller Kathryn Tucker Windham’s books.
Unlike most ghost stories, the unusual circumstances surrounding the Staples’ loss were picked up by news media and the January 13, 1913, Columbus Commercial had a front-page account of the loss of the James T. Staples. The article actually commented on the strange circumstances surrounding the disaster, bringing to life a real ghost story that was not just a legend.
The 1851 ghost story The Legend of Black Creek tells of tragic events and the resulting haunting of the Military Road’s crossing of Black Creek just north of Columbus. Stories in Columbus papers of the late 1830s early 1840s describe actual events that probably were the basis of some of the legends.
In examining records of Columbus newspapers I have found mention of only three African American newspapers here and only information on two. The New Light was published and edited by R D Littlejohn beginning in 1887. It was the voice of the Black community and the Republican party in Northeast Mississippi. It continued in operation despite white newspapers as late as 1905 referring to it as being “not considered a good influence.” More recently The Columbus Sun was first published in 1953. The Billups Garth Archives has some copies, the last dated 1998.
Looking at the history of The Commercial Dispatch, Vinton Birney Imes graduated from Franklin Academy (old Columbus High School) in 1906. He became a writer, then editor of The Columbus Dispatch in 1910. (The Columbus Dispatch had once raised eyebrows for having a woman, Susan Maer, as editor and publisher at a time when that just wasn’t done.)
By 1920 Imes was writing a local interest column called “Know your own city, do you know that?” Imes left the Dispatch, bought the Commercial and then in 1922 he purchased the Dispatch and the papers merged into The Commercial Dispatch. The paper passed to his son Birney Jr., then to Birney III, and now Peter Imes is the 4th generation at the paper.
It is surprising the number of old Columbus newspapers that are available online. According to the Library of Congress, from 1832 to 1943 there were 21 different newspapers in 41 different versions published in Columbus. The first known Columbus paper was the State Advocate in 1832. Fourteen different Columbus newspapers (1836-1922) and two Starkville papers (1888-1922) have been digitized and may be found online under American Chronicles at the Library of Congress website. They provide a rich history of our communities. The old newspapers tell not just the news — they tell of people, how times once were and what life was like.
Based principally on newspaper listings in the Library of Congress this is a listing of Columbus newspapers:
1. State Advocate, 1832-183?
2 Democrat Press, 1833-1836
3. Southern Argus, 1834-1842
4 Columbus Democrat, 1836-1878
5. The Democratic Whig, 1842-1843?
6. Columbus Whig,. 1843-18??
7 The Primitive Republican, 1851-1852?
8. Southern Standard, 1851-1856
9. The plug-ugly, 1857-18??
10.The Mississippi Democrat, 1858-18??
11.The Southern Republic, 1861-186?
12 Daily Republic, 1861-186?
13. The Columbus Daily Republic, 1864-186?
14. The Southern Sentinel, 1865-186?
15. Mississippi Index, 1865-18??
16. Columbus Index, 1869-1893
17. The Columbus press. 1869-1876
18. The Lowndes County Republican, 1869-18??
19. Columbus Tri-weekly Democrat, 1874-18??
20. The Lowndes Independent, 1875-187?
21. The Patron of Husbandry, 1875-1883
22. The Columbus Dispatch, 1878-1922
23. Daily Evening Independent, 1877-1878
24 The Tri-weekly Dispatch, 1879-1902
25. Columbus Tri-weekly Index, 18??-18??
26. Triweekly Columbus Democrat, 18??-1???
27. The New Light, 1887- post 1905
28. The Columbus Commercial, 1893-1922
29. The Columbus Weekly Dispatch, 1902-1905
30. Columbus Advertiser, 1916 – ?
31. The Commercial Dispatch, 1922-current
32. Columbus Sun, 1953 – post 1998
33. Columbus Packet, 1991 – current
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 34 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 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
Join the Discussion