Ask Rufus: The Columbus Opera House
Several people have asked me if Columbus ever had an opera house. It not only did but many will remember it as the old Varsity Theatre which burned in the 1970s.
Ask Rufus: Rube Burrows: ‘King of the Outlaws,’ the most feared train robber
Rube Burrows was called by some publications, “The King of the Outlaws.” Though his exploits were limited to Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and Texas, his fame or notoriety was nationwide. He became the most feared train robber of the late 1880s.
Ask Rufus: Follow the Drinking Gourd
Recently there have been several television programs on the Underground Railroad. That was the network established in antebellum times to help escaping slaves make their way to freedom.
Ask Rufus: Connecting art and local history
It is amazing how people and places are so interconnected. Recently I was discussing Salvator Rosa, a father of the romantic and picturesque art movement, with a friend. A few days later the subject of early French exploration of the Tombigbee River Valley arose.
Ask Rufus: Food for the Fourth
Picnics and food have long been associated with the celebration of the Fourth of July. What food is popular, though, has changed with the times. A 1902 suggestion for foods to be served on a summer picnic included “cold pigeon pie” and “jellied veal.”
Ask Rufus: Tom Locke’s Zoo
Many people still remember the small zoo that was in Propst Park but few recall the large private zoo that was once in Columbus.
Ask Rufus: Columbus, Alabama
I recently presented a program to the Macon Rotary Club. Afterward I was asked if it was true that Columbus had once been in Alabama. My response was that it never had been located in Alabama, but the people of Columbus did once think that they were.
Rufus Ward: Columbus and D-Day
Today marks the 66th anniversary of D-Day and it brings to mind the role that people from our area played in World War II. Though World War II seems like old history now, I grew up surrounded by relatives to whom it was very real.
Ask Rufus: Pirates, pigs and 470 years of barbecue
People in the Black Prairie have always taken pride in their history and their Barbecue. Very few, though, realize how close history and barbecue are tied.
Ask Rufus: Memorial Day
Memorial Day will soon be celebrated across the United States. Here in Columbus, we take pride in celebrating Friendship Cemetery as the place of origin of Memorial Day.
Ask Rufus: Before Columbus Air Force Base, there was Payne Field
This weekend is the spectacular air show at Columbus Air Force Base. Several people have asked about how long an air base has been here. The answer surprised most people, as Columbus Air Force Base was not the first pilot training base in the area.
Ask Rufus: Before Columbus Air Force Base, there was Payne Field
This weekend is the spectacular air show at Columbus Air Force Base. Several people have asked about how long an air base has been here. The answer surprised most people, as Columbus Air Force Base was not the first pilot training base in the area.
Rufus Ward: Visions of Fort Apache and Tennessee Williams
I was recently asked if I had any information as to the name of the doctor who delivered Tennessee Williams when he was born in Columbus in 1911.
Rufus Ward: Tan Yard Park
A few days ago I was asked: “Why in the world would they want to name the new Columbus soccer complex Tan Yard Park?” Historically there is a very good reason for that name.
Rufus Ward: A Titanic Columbus link
This week marks the 98th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic and there is a little known Columbus link. Dr John D. Richards grew up in Columbus, went to medical school and then moved to New York City around the turn of the century. In New York he became prominent as a physician, a polo player and a trainer of polo ponies.
Ask Rufus: Streetcars in Columbus
A reader asked about the streetcars or electric trolley line that once served Columbus. For an answer, I called on Columbus architect and historian Sam Kaye, who knows more about the old trolley lines than anyone else.
Local historian explains how the river connected Columbus to the world
Before airplanes, trucks, cars or even railroads brought people and supplies, steamboats paddled up and down the Tombigbee River to connect Columbus with the rest of the world. During this time, the Eliza Battle ruled the river, until the river claimed the Eliza Battle.