List of mayors of Columbus, Georgia facts for kids

Welcome to Columbus, Georgia! This article tells you about the important people who have led the city since it was founded in 1828. These leaders are called "intendants" and "mayors." They help make decisions and manage the city to make it a great place to live.

What is a City Leader?

Cities need leaders to help them run smoothly. These leaders work to improve the city for everyone who lives there. They make sure services like roads, parks, and public safety are working well. In Columbus, Georgia, the main leader is called the Mayor. Before mayors, there were "intendants."

Intendants: Early City Managers

When Columbus was first established, its leaders were called intendants. An intendant was like an early city manager. They helped organize the new city and set up its first rules.

• Ulysess S. Lewis (1828)
• James Van Ness (1829)
• Sowell Woolfork (1830)
• Samuel Lawhorn (1831)
• Allen Lawhon (1832–1834)
• James C. Watson (1835)

Mayors: Leading Columbus Through History

After 1835, the city's top leader became known as the Mayor. A mayor is the chief executive of a city. They are usually elected by the people and work with a city council to make laws and manage the city's budget.

• John Fontaine (1836–1837)
• James S. Calhoun (1838–1839)
• George D. McDougal (1840)
• W.H. Harper (1841)
• John L. Lewis (1842–1843)
• Jacob I. Moses (1844)
• L.B. Moody (1845)
• Hohn G. Winters (1846–1847)
• Wiley Williams (1848)
• S.W. Flournoy (1849–1850)
• Willis S. Holstead (1851–1852)
• J.L. Morton (1853)
• John E. Bacon (1854)
• Wiley Williams (1855)
• F.G. Wilkins (1856–1860)
• W.S. Holstead (1861)
• D.B. Thompson (1862)
• John F. Bozeman (1864)
• F.G. Wilkins (1864 – May 1868)
• Capt. William Mills, 16th U.S. Infantry (May 1868-April 1869), during a time of military leadership after the Civil War.
• John McIlhenny (April 1869 – 1870)
• S.B. Cleghorn (1871)
• John McIlhenny (1872)
• S.B. Cleghorn (1873)
• John McIlhenny (1874–1876)
• S.G. Cleghorn (1877)
• F.G. Wilkins (1878–1881)
• Cliff B. Grimes (1882–1889)
• D.P. Dozier (1890–1891)
• J.J. Slade (1892–1895)
• Cliff B. Grimes (1896–1897)
• L.H. Chappell (1898–1907)
• Rhodes Browne (1908–1911)
• L.H. Chappell (1912–1913)
• John C. Cook (1914–1916)
• D.L. Parmer (1917–1919)
• Joe L. Couch (1920–1921)
• J. Homer Dimon (1922–1931)
• H.C. Smith (1932–1934)
• J. Homer Dimon (1935)
• Luther Clinton Wilson (1936–1938)
• James Barton Knight, Jr. (1939)
• Edward Murrah (1940–1942)
• W.G. Bridges (1943)
• Sterling Albrecht (1944–1946)
• Walter A. Richards (1947–1949)
• Ralph A. Sayers (1950)
• B.F. Register (1951–1952)
• Lawrence Shields (1953)
• Ralph A. Sayers (1954)
• C. Ed Berry (1955)
• Robert T. Davis (1956)
• B.F. Register (1957–1959)
• B. Ed Johnson (1960–1961)
• Steve Knight (1962)
• Harold E. Hughes (1963–1965)
• B. Ed Johnson (1965–1969), he was the first full-time Mayor chosen by voters.
• J.R. Allen (1969 – February 1973)
• A.J. McClung (February–April 1973)
• Bob D. Hydrick (April 1973 – 1975)
• Jack P. Mickle (1975–1979)
• Harry C. Jackson (1979–1983)
• J.W. Feighner (1983–1987)
• James E. Jernigan (1987–1991)
• Frank K. Martin (1991–1995)
• Bobby G. Peters (1995–2003)
• Robert Poydasheff (2003–2007)
• Jim Wetherington (2007–2011)
• Teresa Tomlinson (2011–2019), she was the first female mayor of Columbus.
• Berry “Skip” Henderson (2019–present), he is the current mayor of Columbus.

See also

• Timeline of Columbus, Georgia