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Columbia, Louisiana
Town
Town of Columbia
Gateway to Ouachita River at Columbia
Gateway to Ouachita River at Columbia
Nickname(s): 
Columbia on the Ouachita
Location of Columbia in Caldwell Parish, Louisiana.
Location of Columbia in Caldwell Parish, Louisiana.
Location of Louisiana in the United States
Location of Louisiana in the United States
Country United States
State Louisiana
Parish Caldwell
Founded 1827
Area
 • Total 0.77 sq mi (2.00 km2)
 • Land 0.76 sq mi (1.98 km2)
 • Water 0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation
75 ft (23 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 277
 • Rank CW: 3rd
 • Density 362.57/sq mi (139.94/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Code
71418
Area code(s) 318 Exchange: 649
FIPS code 22-16830

Columbia is a town in, and the parish seat of, Caldwell Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 390 as of the 2010 census, down from 477 in 2000.

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.


Geography

Columbia is located just east of the center of Caldwell Parish at 32°6′15″N 92°4′37″W / 32.10417°N 92.07694°W / 32.10417; -92.07694 (32.104042, -92.076921), on the southwest bank of the Ouachita River. U.S. Route 165 passes through the center of town and bridges the river, leading north 32 miles (51 km) to Monroe and south 64 miles (103 km) to Alexandria.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.77 square miles (2.00 km2), of which 0.76 square miles (1.96 km2) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2), or 1.75%, is water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1870 235
1880 210 −10.6%
1890 352 67.6%
1900 382 8.5%
1910 500 30.9%
1920 434 −13.2%
1930 760 75.1%
1940 840 10.5%
1950 920 9.5%
1960 1,021 11.0%
1970 1,000 −2.1%
1980 687 −31.3%
1990 386 −43.8%
2000 477 23.6%
2010 390 −18.2%
2020 277 −29.0%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 census

Columbia racial composition
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 202 72.92%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 48 17.33%
Asian 2 0.72%
Other/Mixed 10 3.61%
Hispanic or Latino 15 5.42%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 277 people, 152 households, and 107 families residing in the town.

Photo gallery


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

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Columbia (Luisiana) para niños

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