Columbia, Louisiana Explained
| Columbia, Louisiana |
| Official Name: | Town of Columbia |
| Settlement Type: | Town |
| Nickname: | Columbia on the Ouachita |
| Mapsize: | 260px |
| Image Map1: | Louisiana in United States (US48).svg |
| Map Caption1: | Location of Louisiana in the United States |
| Coordinates: | 32.1042°N -92.0769°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Louisiana |
| Subdivision Type2: | Parish |
| Subdivision Name2: | Caldwell |
| Established Title: | Founded |
| Established Date: | 1827 |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 2.00 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 0.77 |
| Area Land Km2: | 1.98 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 0.76 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.02 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.01 |
| Elevation Ft: | 75 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 277 |
| Population Rank: | CW 3rd
|
| Population Density Km2: | 139.94 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 362.57 |
| Timezone1: | CST |
| Utc Offset1: | -6 |
| Timezone1 Dst: | CDT |
| Utc Offset1 Dst: | -5 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP Code |
| Postal Code: | 71418 |
| Area Code: | 318 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 22-16830 |
| Blank2 Name Sec2: | Wikimedia Commons |
Columbia is a town in, and the parish seat of, Caldwell Parish, Louisiana, United States.[2] The population was 277 in 2020.
History
The land that became Columbia was first cleared by Daniel Humphries in 1827. A store was built a few years later the only settlement between Monroe, Louisiana, and the settlements of the Black River was formed. The harbor became a busy port for shipping cotton by steamboats and Packet boats until the arrival of the railroad. In February 1864 Columbia was the location of a skirmish between Federal and Confederate troops during the Civil War and there are several plantations in the area.[3]
Geography
Columbia is located just east of the center of Caldwell Parish at (32.104042, -92.076921),[4] on the southwest bank of the Ouachita River. U.S. Route 165 passes through the center of town and bridges the river, leading north to Monroe and south to Alexandria.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2km2, of which 1.96km2 is land and 0.03sqkm, or 1.75%, is water.[5]
Demographics
As of the
2020 United States census, there were 277 people, 152 households, and 107 families residing in the town.
Government and infrastructure
Law enforcement services are provided by the Columbia Police Department[6] and the Caldwell Parish Sheriff's Office.[7] Fire protection services are provided by the Columbia Volunteer Fire Department, and by other Volunteer Fire Departments across the parish when needed.[8] [9]
Notable people
- Buddy Caldwell, Attorney General of Louisiana, elected in 2007
- Graves B. Erskine, U.S. Marine Corps general; combat officer in World War I, having received the Silver Star and Purple Heart; U.S. Commander of the 3rd Marine Division in World War II in the Battle of Iwo Jima, having earned the Distinguished Service Medal
- J.D. DeBlieux, Louisiana State Senator representing East Baton Rouge Parish, 1956-1960 & 1964-1976
- Pam Kelly, recipient of the Wade Trophy in 1982; the title is awarded to the most valuable women's collegiate basketball player in the nation
- Lelon Kenney, Louisiana state representative, farmer, and businessman
- John J. McKeithen, governor of Louisiana (1964–1972); Louisiana Public Service Commissioner (1955–1964); state representative (1948–1952); U.S. Army combat officer (1942–1945) in the 77th Infantry Division having received two Bronze Stars in the battles of Guam, Leyte, Okinawa and Ie Shima
- W. Fox McKeithen, Louisiana House of Representatives, 1984–1988; five-term Louisiana Secretary of State, 1988–2005; former teacher at Caldwell Parish High School
- Clay Parker, former pitcher for the New York Yankees & Seattle Mariners
- Neil Riser, state senator elected in 2007 from the 32nd District, which includes Caldwell Parish; the first Republican from this district since Reconstruction
- Chet D. Traylor, Louisiana Supreme Court, 1997–2009
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: 2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files. United States Census Bureau. March 20, 2022.
- Web site: Find a County . June 7, 2011 . National Association of Counties . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx . May 31, 2011 .
- https://books.google.com/books?id=ZV3pCAAAQBAJ&dq=Lincecum+Lake%2C+Louisiana&pg=PT528 Google books: The WPA Guide to Louisiana: The Pelican State; "Columbia"
- Web site: US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990. United States Census Bureau. April 23, 2011. February 12, 2011.
- Web site: Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Columbia town, Louisiana . dead . https://archive.today/20200212180655/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US2216830 . February 12, 2020 . August 15, 2014 . U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder.
- Web site: Town of Columbia. January 27, 2022. caldwellparishla. en.
- Web site: Caldwell Parish Sheriff's Office. January 27, 2022. caldwellparishla. en.
- Web site: Fire Departments - Caldwell Parish, LA (Fire Stations & Marshals). January 27, 2022. www.countyoffice.org. en.
- Web site: June 21, 2019. Fire Services Caldwell Parish, Louisiana. January 27, 2022. June 21, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190621094722/http://www.caldwellparish.org/services/departments/fire-services. bot: unknown.
