Columbus, Texas
| Columbus, Texas | |
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| — City — | |
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| Coordinates: 29°42′21″N 96°32′46″W / 29.70583°N 96.54611°WCoordinates: 29°42′21″N 96°32′46″W / 29.70583°N 96.54611°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Colorado |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Dwain Dungen |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.8 sq mi (7.3 km2) |
| • Land | 2.8 sq mi (7.3 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 203 ft (62 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 3,916 |
| • Density | 1,387.5/sq mi (535.7/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 78934 |
| Area code(s) | 979 |
| FIPS code | 48-16168[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1333156[2] |
Columbus is a city in Colorado County, Texas, United States, 74 miles (119 km) west of Houston along Interstate 10, on the Colorado River. In 1890, 2,199 people lived in Columbus, Texas; in 1900, there were 1,824 residents. The population was 4,180 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Colorado County[3]. The town's motto is "City of Live Oaks and Live Folks", coined by James Harbert Wooten, Jr., M.D.
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Geography [edit]
Columbus is located at 29°42′21″N 96°32′46″W / 29.70583°N 96.54611°W (29.705822, -96.546223)[4].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.9 square miles (10 km2), all land.
History [edit]
Columbus was established in 1837. The area was first populated in 1821 on the legendary site of Montezuma's Indian village. Then in 1822 land grants were issued to members of Stephen F. Austin's Old Three Hundred, who included Benjamin Beason (originally spelled Beeson). Beason arrived in 1821, then received his land grant in 1822 and settled on the Colorado River with his wife Elizabeth "Betsy" and family. By late December of 1821, colonists Robert H. Kuykendall with his brother Joseph, and Daniel Gilleland arrived in the area of present-day Columbus also. In 1822, Benjamin Beason began operating a ferry across the Colorado River, and the settlement became known as Beason's Ferry or Beason's Crossing. Beason also established a gristmill, gin and a sawmill, and his wife operated a boarding house. Beason's Crossing became part of Austin's colony in 1822, when the colony was divided into two districts by Mexican governor José F. Trespalacios. The Mexican government granted the rights to establish a town and locals elected town officials. John J. Tumlinson, Sr. was elected alcalde, with Robert Kuykendall captain and Moses Morrison lieutenant. Tumlinson's land adjoined Beason's land, making up present-day Columbus. Tumlinson was killed by the Indians in 1823. In 1834, after the Tumlinson children inherited the estate, they sold land to William Dewees, who was married to Benjamin Beason's daughter, Lydia. Dewees's land grant was near the site of present-day Glidden, Texas. By 1836, Beason's Ferry Crossing was home to over twenty-five families. During the fight for Texas Independence, Sam Houston and his men camped along the banks of the Colorado River near Beason's Crossing. Following the Battle of the Alamo, Santa Anna's army headed for San Jacinto, and Sam Houston ordered that Beason's Crossing be burned during the Runaway Scrape. Beason's Crossing was officially renamed Columbus after the population returned. Some speculate that it was named in honor of residents from Columbus, Ohio, while others believe the town was named after Christopher Columbus. The town of Columbus was platted again in 1837, and the Dewees family gave land for a new school and possibly a courthouse. By 1837, the town had been reestablished with two public houses, two stores, and half a dozen small dwellings. [5] [6]
Demographics [edit]
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 3,916 people, 1,497 households, and 946 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,387.5 inhabitants per square mile (535.7 /km2). There were 1,750 housing units at an average density of 620.1 per square mile (239.4 /km2). The racial makeup of the city was 66.55% White, 19.94% African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 10.52% from other races, and 2.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.62% of the population.
There were 1,497 households out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.8% were married couples living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.4% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 24.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 88.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,175, and the median income for a family was $40,197. Males had a median income of $30,104 versus $19,077 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,822. About 15.5% of families and 20.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.7% of those under age 18 and 16.1% of those age 65 or over.
Notable People from Columbus [edit]
- Donna Campbell - former Columbus resident; member of the Texas Senate and an emergency room physician in New Braunfels[7]
- Tanya McQueen - Interior designer for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition[8]
- Doug Rau - Former Major League Baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers
- Aaron Schobel - NFL Defensive End with the Buffalo Bills
- Bo Schobel - Defensive End with the Arizona Cardinals
- Matt Schobel - Tight End with the Philadelphia Eagles
- (All three Schobels were standout football players at TCU)
- Hal Smith - Former Major League catcher and third baseman during 1955-1964[9]
- James Truchard - Cofounder of National Instruments[10]
- William D. Lacey - a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence
Education [edit]
The City of Columbus is served by the Columbus Independent School District. The district includes:
- Columbus High School (9-12).[11]
- Columbus Junior High (6-8)
- Columbus Elementary (PK-5)
The Columbus Cardinal mascot was named by James Harbert Wooten, Jr., M.D.
Also in Columbus are Saint Anthony School, a Catholic school serving students in grades pre-kindergarten through eight,[11] and Texas Bible Institute, a branch of Burchfield Ministries International.
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "Colorado County Chronicles", "Handbook of Texas", "Journals of Sam Houston", "Daughters of the Republic of Texas", "Austin's Old Three Hundred", accessed October 17, 2012.
- ^ Don Allon Hinton, "COLUMBUS, TX," Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hgc12), accessed May 31, 2011. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
- ^ "John W. Gonzalez, "Campbell, Wentworth in dogfight of a runoff for Senate," July 22, 2012". San Antonio Express News. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
- ^ "TanyaMcQueen.com". Retrieved 2007-01-06.
- ^ Baseball Almanac. "Hal Smith Baseball Stats". Retrieved 2007-01-06.
- ^ National Instruments Corporation. "Dr. James Truchard".
- ^ a b city-data.com. "Columbus, Texas (TX) Detailed Profile". Retrieved 2007-01-06.
External links [edit]
- City of Columbus
- Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau
- Columbus Independent School District
- Saint Anthony School
- Texas Bible Institute
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