Columbus is known for its historic architecture, literary connections to Tennessee Williams and Eudora Welty and being home to MS University for Women, MS School for Mathematics & Science, 7th Avenue, Catfish Alley and the Columbus Arts Council. Hernando de Soto crossed the Tombigbee River in 1540 into this area. William Cooper had a trading post near here in the 1780's. Columbus has managed to pr
ogress as a city, while still honoring those who came earlier and forged a path. Since before the town was chartered in 1821, men and women of character and intellect had already staked their claim on the area. At that time, the still-new United States was offering land grants to anyone who could work the land. United States military officers came through here during the War of 1812, and some decided that someday, they would return to this lush and lovely land. A few did return, and built the plantations Goshen, Belmont and others after they cleared wilderness for homesites.
