Columbia, Louisiana

Columbia, Louisiana
Town
250px Gateway to Ouachita River at Columbia, Louisiana
Nickname: Columbia on the Ouachita
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Parish	Caldwell
Elevation	75 ft (22.9 m)
Coordinates
Area	0.77 sq mi (1.99 km2)
- land	0.76 sq mi (1.97 km2)
- water	0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2)
Population	390 (2010)
Density	514.9 / sq mi (198.8 / km2)
Founded	1827
Timezone	CST (UTC-6)
- summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
Area code	318
Location in Caldwell Parish and the state of Louisiana. Location in Caldwell Parish and the state of Louisiana.
Location of Louisiana in the United States

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 at the 2000 census.

Geography

Columbia is located just east of the center of Caldwell Parish at (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%
Est. 2014	379		−2.8%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2000, there were 477 people, 184 households, and 101 families residing in the town. The population density was 629.9 people per square mile (242.3/km²). There were 237 housing units at an average density of 312.9 per square mile (120.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 70.02% White, 27.25% African American, 0.63% Native American, 1.47% Asian, 0.42% from other races, and 0.21% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.42% of the population.

There were 184 households out of which 21.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.8% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.6% were non-families. 41.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the town the population was spread out with 22.2% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 103.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $30,000, and the median income for a family was $33,523. Males had a median income of $33,000 versus $18,000 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,999. About 19.0% of families and 25.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.0% of those under age 18 and 32.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government and infrastructure

It has a volunteer fire department

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
• Jack Keahey, former president of the Caldwell Parish School Board and the Louisiana School Boards Association; national president of Aerial Applicators Association, and former president of the Tensas Basin Levee Board
• Pam Kelly, recipient of the Wade Trophy, the most valuable women's collegiate basketball player in the nation
• 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) having received two Bronze Stars in the battles of Okinawa and Iwo Jima
• W. Fox McKeithen, Louisiana House of Representatives, 1984–1988; five-term Louisiana Secretary of State, 1988–2005; former teacher at Caldwell Parish High School
• Neil Riser, state senator elected in 2007 from the 32nd District, which includes Caldwell Parish; the first Republican from this district since Reconstruction
• Don Shows, former football coach at Caldwell Parish High School
• Chet D. Traylor, Louisiana Supreme Court, 1997–2009
• Mary Lou Trawick Winters (1935-2014), member of the Democratic National Committee for thirty-two years, elector for U.S. President Bill Clinton in 1996, the chief lobbyist for the Louisiana State Medical Society, in which capacity she worked pro bono in 1975 to obtain passage of legislation to protect the medical profession against questionable lawsuits.Winters lost the runoff election in 1979 for the Louisiana State Senate to Dan Richey, then of Ferriday in Concordia Parish.

Photo gallery

• Homeland Federal Savings Bank, Columbia, LA IMG 2694.JPG

  Homeland Federal Savings Bank is located off U.S. Highway 165 in Columbia

• Columbia Hill Cemetery, Columbia, LA IMG 2726.JPG

  A portion of the hillside graves at the large but dispersed Columbia Hill Cemetery in Columbia. The cemetery was launched just prior to the American Civil War during a yellow fever epidemic.

• Riser and Son Funeral Home, Columbia, LA IMG 2696.JPG

  Riser and Son Funeral Home in Columbia is owned by State Senator Neil Riser.

• First United Methodist Church, Columbia, LA IMG 2697.JPG

  At this site First United Methodist Church in Columbia dates to 1838. The current building was constructed in 1911. Previously, circuit riders served Caldwell Parish.

• First Baptist Church, Columbia, LA IMG 2699.JPG

  First Baptist Church in Columbia

• Columbia Heights Baptist Church, Columbia, LA IMG 2680.JPG

  Columbia Heights Baptist Church off Highway 165 calls itself "The Lighthouse on the Hill".

External links

• Columbia Progress Community Progress Site for Columbia, LA