Ask Rufus: The Legacy of Joe Duck
When hurricanes head into the Gulf, we all start to wonder when, where and how bad will landfall be. The storm updates and forecasts we keep up with have a lot to do with the legacy of Col. Joseph Duckworth.
Ask Rufus: Unsung American Heroes
This is a story of men, who in spite of discrimination at home, become heroes in defense of America’s freedom either in combat or in support of those who were.
Ask Rufus: Cordials to Kool-Aid
Last week I wrote of old Columbus porches and some of the beverages served there.
Ask Rufus: Stories on a Southern Porch
It was not long ago that sitting on a porch sharing stories seemed to have become a relic of former days. That is no longer necessarily the case.
Ask Rufus: A Walk Through Time
Several years ago, I wrote about how the Riverwalk is not only a touch of natural beauty at the edge of downtown but also a place steeped in history. I have expanded that old column further describing how history merges with the beautiful natural landscape along the walkway.
Ask Rufus: Palm Sunday, Holy Week and an Easter Feast
Today is Palm Sunday with Holy Week and Easter to follow. In reviewing Columbus newspaper accounts of Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Easter there were actually little mentioned until the early 1900s.
Ask Rufus: A Walk Through 200 Years of History
One of the highlights to have been included in this year’s Pilgrimage was an Architectural History Walking Tour of Southside by Ken P’Pool, retired deputy state historic preservation officer and longtime head of the Division of Historic Preservation for the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.
Ask Rufus: An 1828 Choctaw Account of Creation
A fascinating article on the Choctaw account of creation was written by Rev Alfred Wright, a missionary at Mayhew, for the Missionary Herald and published in the July 2, 1828, Cherokee Phoenix of New Echota, Georgia.
Ask Rufus: ‘All the Beauty and Innocence of Eden’
So often when we think of the grand beauty of nature, we think of impressive sights such as Niagara Falls or the Grand Canyon. While those are truly world class wonders, the countryside around us is filled with wondrous beauty and fascinating sights only on a lesser scale.
Ask Rufus: The Presence of History
Sometimes when you are walking across a piece of property, the land seems to speak. There seems to be almost a spiritual presence as though it is a special or holy place. Often that piece of earth is the location of some historic event or of religious significance.
Ask Rufus: The Story of the Columbus Pilgrimage
In the mid-1930s, my grandfather, T.C. Billups, who was circulation manager for The Commercial Dispatch, was seeking ways to promote Columbus. He observed the success of Natchez and several other Southern towns in using a spring pilgrimage to attract tourists and promote community development.
Ask Rufus: Happy 200th Birthday to the Columbus Post Office
Last Dec. 6 was the bicentennial of the official recognition of the Town of Columbus. However, as the Mississippi-Alabama line had not been surveyed, it was believed Columbus was in Alabama and the act mentioning Columbus was passed by the Alabama Legislature.
Ask Rufus: Floods and Old Bridges
This past week we have seen another Tombigbee Flood and it appears a loose barge may have seriously damaged Columbus’ 1928 River bridge. The current flood, though bad, does not compare with the catastrophic floods of 1847, 1892, 1948 and 1973. And if a barge did hit the 1928 bridge, that would not be the first time a vessel struck a Columbus bridge.
Ask Rufus: Snowdrops, Harbinger of Spring and Hope
Last week snowdrops began blooming in profusion from Columbus to West Point and all around.
Ask Rufus: A New City Hall and Fire Station
Last week Carol Brown took her fourth grade class from New Hope Elementary School on a walking tour of downtown Columbus to discover the history found in the buildings there. They had some questions about City Hall’s history and the old bell that is displayed in front of the building.
Ask Rufus: A Town Called Mill Port
I have been asked about the history and story behind Millport, Alabama, which is located 24 miles up Highway 50 from Columbus.
Ask Rufus: The Land Pirates
The headline in Friday’s Dispatch read “A Pirate Comes Ashore,” referring to Mike Leach’s arrival in Starkville on Jan. 9 to become Mississippi State’s new football coach. Also, on Jan. 9 — but in 1836 — The Natchez Daily Courier ran a notice that “The Western Land Pirates” had arrived at the Natchez steamboat Landing.
Ask Rufus: The Year of Wonders
Recently I have had people ask me about an old Indian trail that crossed Tibbee Creek near the location of Highway 45 Alternate, about early steamboats and about the New Madrid earthquake.
Ask Rufus: A Sporting Heritage
With the holidays and the approaching new year, many friends have had to decide between watching ball games or going hunting. The Golden Triangle area has a grand and centuries-old heritage of both.
Ask Rufus: ‘No Personal Antagonism’
At the South Side Christmas party last night, the subject of one of my earliest columns came up.