| Georgia (Chattahoochee County), Columbus — Gowdy Field — Dedicated 31 March 1925 |
| | Named in honor of Sgt Hank Gowdy
who put his major league career
on hold to join the infantry and
serve the nation in WWI
Rededicated 29 April 2005
Fort Benning Soldiers and family members
Cal Ripken,Jr.
BG Benjamin Freakley Gary Hensley — Map (db m15003) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — 106-2 — "Torch Hill" |
| | On the summit of the rise to the east is the site of "Torch Hill", home of Dr. Francis Orray Ticknor (1822-1874), author of the famed war story, "Little Giffen of Tennessee". Dr. Ticknor was a physician at the Confederate Hospital on Upper Broad St. in 1861-1865.
Giffen, a 16 year old Confederate soldier, was treated at the hospital for serious wounds. Dr. Ticknor took the boy to his home where Mrs. Ticknor nursed him. Before his wounds entirely healed, "Little Giffen" voluntarily took . . . — Map (db m49073) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — “Columbus Stockade Blues” |
| | “Way Down in Columbus, Georgia,
Wanna be back in Tennessee,
Way down in Columbus Stockade,
Friends have turned their back on me.”
The “Columbus Stockade Blues” by Thomas Darby and Jimmie Tarlton, was written and recorded in 1927. Many famous artists have since played the song in band, jazz, blue grass, country, and blues arrangements. These two brick buildings served as jail and police headquarters from the 1850’s to 1906. Then the buildings were joined and . . . — Map (db m43077) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — “Ma" Rainey Home |
| | Gertrude Pridgett “Ma” Rainey, 1886-1939, famed “Mother of the Blues”, lived in this house after 1935, during retirement in her native city. In 1904 she introduced “blues” as part of her traveling act. For 30 years her performances contributed to the growing popularity of this truly American music form. A pioneer female recording artist, she made 94 blues records for Paramount before 1928. At least 47 were her compositions. Managing her own band, she . . . — Map (db m42592) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — “The Folly” |
| | A dwelling has existed at 527 First Avenue since 1831 when Alfred Iverson wed Julia Forsyth, daughter of Georgia Governor John Forsyth. Elected to Congress in 1846, Iverson served in the Senate until Georgia seceded from the Union. Two sons served in the Confederate Army, one as a Brigadier General and one as a Lt. Colonel. During the War Between the States, local contractor Leander May surely knew of O.S. Fowler’s “A Home for All Seasons,” and not only built the front octagonal but . . . — Map (db m22408) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — 106-5 — “Wildwood” |
| | Augusta Jane Evans Wilson, author of St. Elmo and other popular Victorian novels, was born May 8, 1835, in "Wildwood" the early Georgian home northeast of this marker. She was the daughter of Sarah Howard and Matthew R. Evans.
This historic home was built in 1831 by Mr. Evans for his mother-in-law, Jane Vivian Howard. In 1837 it was sold to Van de Van Leonard II. Ownership descended to his daughter, Annie Foster Leonard, and from her to her children, the present (1953) owners. . . . — Map (db m42359) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — 1918 Diamond Jubilee 1993 Camp Benning / Fort Benning |
| | Side 1:
In October 1918, the Infantry School of Arms was established on 80 acres of land near here. Camp Benning, later Fort Benning, was named in honor of Confederate Infantry General Lewis Benning, a Columbus resident. The camp’s first commander was Col. Henry Eames. Constructed in just 7 days, the temporary camp had some 300 tents, mess halls, offices and warehouses. It was built under the supervision Major J. Paul Jones. Hundreds of thousands of young men received their military . . . — Map (db m23176) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — 700 Broadway |
| | Situated on a lot that was part of Edward Lloyd Thomas’ original 1828 plan for the city, this c. 1870 Victorian townhouse is the only one of its design in Columbus. Among the families which inhabited this house was that of Stirling Price Gilbert (1862-1951) a Georgia Supreme Court Justice, who served with distinction in that capacity for twenty years. Because of its desirable setting and architectural significance, this structure was acquired by the Historic Columbus Foundation in 1976 and . . . — Map (db m22940) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Alma Woodsey Thomas |
| |
Side 1:
Alma Thomas, nationally known African-American artist, was the eldest of four daughters born to John Maurice Thomas and Amelia Whitaker Cantey. Highly cultured and socially involved, the Thomas family owned this Victorian home in the Rose Hill district, where Thomas was born and lived until the age of 15. Family tradition states that the manuscript for The Souls of Black Folks, by W.E.B. Dubois was typed on the front porch of the Thomas home by Alma Thomas’ cousin, . . . — Map (db m58269) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Birthplace of Robert Winship Woodruff — December 6, 1889 |
| | Son of Ernest and Emily Winship Woodruff. Honored citizen, noted industrialist and philanthropist, a Georgian of universal friendships and acclaim. Through his vision and leadership the product “Coca-Cola” became the world’s refreshment.
1414 Second Avenue — Map (db m17808) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Brigadier General Henry Lewis Benning |
| | Born in Columbia County, Georgia, on April 2, 1814, Henry L. Benning attended Franklin College prior to practicing law in Columbus. As a local attorney and state Supreme Court Judge, Benning played an active role in Georgia’s secession in 1861. Entering the Civil War as Colonel of the 17th Georgia Infantry Regiment, he eventually became a brigadier general. He was wounded at the Battle of the Wilderness but continued his leadership of “Benning’s Brigade” until the surrender at . . . — Map (db m57107) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Bullard-Hart-Sampson House |
| | Built 1887 by Dr. William L. Bullard, Columbus physician and pioneer ear, eye, nose and throat specialist, this house is a splendid example of Second Empire Victorian architecture. It was designed by L.E. Thornton of New York.
The Bullard family lived here for 90 years. Their guests included President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Generals George Patton and George Marshall who dined on “Country Captain,” a popular regional dish originated by the family cook, Arle . . . — Map (db m44423) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — 106-16A — Camp Conrad |
| | Main entrance to site of Camp Conrad, where a brigade of 3,500 troops was stationed in the winter of 1898-99 (Spanish-American War). Camp site occupied space between Third and Sixth Avenues and 29th and 33rd Sts. Brigade was composed of 160th Indiana, Third Kentucky, and First West Virginia Regiments. The Indiana and Kentucky regiments went to Cuba and Puerto Rico in 1899. The West Virginia Regiment was mustered out at Camp Conrad.
Troops at Camp Conrad were reviewed on December 7, 1898, . . . — Map (db m42184) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Carson McCullers — 1917 - 1967 |
| | The family of author Carson McCullers moved to this house in 1927. Here Lula Carson Smith spent her formative years 10-17 and here she began to write, putting on shows in the two sitting rooms, using the sliding doors as curtains and drafting brother Lamar and sister Rita as actors. Shows grew into plays, stories, and novels. She left to study writing in New York in 1934. When a teacher told her that the best stories can be found in one’s back yard, her “green arcade” of trees drew . . . — Map (db m43085) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Church of the Holy Family |
| | Front:
This is the mother church of Roman Catholicism in this area, serving as the only Catholic Church in Columbus from 1880 to 1958. The first Catholic church, the Church of Sts. Philip and James, was built in 1835 on what is now Chapel Street on one of the original lots designated for churches when Columbus was founded in 1828. Early missionary efforts from Sts. Philip and James reached Decatur and Terminus (now Atlanta), Macon, Eufaula, and Apalachicola, Fla. Missionaries visited . . . — Map (db m43639) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — 106-24 — City Mills — <------<<<< |
| | Site of the oldest manufacturing operation on the Chattahoochee River at Columbus. April 3, 1828, the State of Georgia, through Governor George R. Gilmer, issued a grant to Seaborn Jones for Lot No. 1 (5 1/2 acres) in the reserve at the Coweta Fall. Seaborn Jones built a grist mill in 1828, known as Jones Mill and began the manufacture of water-ground corn meal. Milling operations of similar type have continued on this site ever since.
The original dam across the river at this point . . . — Map (db m42192) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — 106-3 — City of Columbus |
| | This city of Columbus was created as a trading town by an act of the General Assembly of Georgia, December 24, 1827. The location designated was on the Chattahoochee River near the Coweta Falls. This spot was selected because it was at the head of river navigation and at the last of a series of falls which afforded great potential water-power. A reservation of 1200 acres was allotted for the town and commons. Surveying of streets began Feb. 1, 1828 and was completed within three months. Within . . . — Map (db m22802) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — 106-2 — Civil War Women’s Riot |
| | On April 11, 1863, during the American Civil War, sixty-five Columbus women armed with knives and pistols rallied at this site and marched down Broad Street raiding the stores of speculators before police could restore order. During the war many planters ignored the Confederate government’s plea to grow food crops and continued to focus on cotton production instead, which was much more profitable but resulted in a food shortage that hit southern urban women particularly hard. Hoarding food and . . . — Map (db m42506) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — 106-26 — Col. W. L. Salisbury |
| | This park is named for Col. W. L. Salisbury (1830-1878), soldier, editor, banker, distinguished citizen of Columbus whose contribution to progress and culture in his native city was outstanding. His home was on the east side of this block. He was a member of the Georgia Greys, Fifth Georgia Regiment, the second group from Columbus to join the Confederate army. A major from early in the war, he fought with honor in many engagements. Col. Salisbury was a leader of a group of citizens whose . . . — Map (db m22772) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Colored Department of the City Hospital / Doctors and Nurses |
| | Colored Department of the City Hospital
The first City Hospital, c. 1841, was located on the South Commons. Called “the Pest House,” its clients were charity patients. The second City Hospital, c. 1894, was built across from Linwood Cemetery. Architectural details of the Victorian era hospital included a turret, porte-cochere and covered walkways from white and colored wards leading to a brick operating room, to the left of the building. Columbus third hospital was . . . — Map (db m45385) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Columbian Lodge No. 7, Free & Accepted Masons Columbus, Georgia |
| | Organized October 9, 1828, Columbian Lodge was chartered by the Grand Lodge of Georgia in December 1828, as No. 28. In 1849 it became No. 7. It is the oldest Lodge in western Georgia. First Worshipful Master was Luther Blake. The Lodge was organized two months before the city of Columbus was incorporated in Muscogee County, then in Indian border territory. Numbered among the many prominent Georgians who have been members of Columbian Lodge: Col. James W. Fannin, Master in 1929, a martyr at . . . — Map (db m23053) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Columbus' First Jewish Cemetery |
| | Since Biblical times when Abraham purchased land to bury his wife Sarah, it has been considered a religious obligation for Jews to set aside land for interring their dead. Often before congregations were established burial societies were formed to perform this sacred act. This site, established by Reform congregation Temple B’nai Israel, is the first burial ground in Columbus for members of the Jewish faith. The first burial was in 1852. Louis Haiman, famous Civil War arms maker for the . . . — Map (db m57359) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — 106-13 — Columbus Iron Works — »—→ |
| | Established 1853, was operated by the Confederate government as Naval Iron Works, making cannon, other war munitions, and two gun boats. This plant was credited with making the first breech-loading cannon.
At south end of Dillingham Street bridge, two blocks west of this marker, was built the world’s first ice factory operated by Columbus Ice Mfg. Co. Ice machines made at the Columbus Iron Works were used in this plant. — Map (db m43729) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Columbus’ First Theater |
| | (Side 1): A pioneer theatrical entrepreneur, Sol Smith, 1801-1869, built many theaters in the Deep South, including New Orleans and Mobile and the first permanent theater west of the Mississippi in St. Louis, a city that he and partner Noah Ludlow dominated. Smith came to Columbus in 1831 to a primitive log structure in the 800 block of Broadway, which builder Asa Bates had completed in one week. “Pizzaro” was his company’s first production there. Later, Smith toured . . . — Map (db m22838) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — 106-27 — Confederate Dead |
| | More than 200 soldiers from every Confederate state are buried in two separate plots in Linwood Cemetery. Many of these men died in the several Confederate hospitals located in Columbus, 1862-1865. Numbers fell in the battle here, Easter Sunday, April 16, 1865, between less than 2,000 soldiers and citizens, hastily organized for the defense of Columbus, and 4,000 of Wilson’s Federal Raiders, dismounted for the attack. This was the last battle of the War Between the States east of the . . . — Map (db m45985) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — 106-28 — Confederate Hospitals |
| | In February 1864, to relieve the serious overcrowding of Confederate hospitals in the Atlanta and Dalton areas, Columbus was chosen as the site of a 1,500 bed army hospital. Eight buildings on Broad Street, including two saloons and the Court House, were rented and equipped. By May there were 1,350 patients. The location seemed remote from enemy raids.
One of the largest convalescent hospitals in the Confederacy was constructed “on the edge of town” on the site of Camp . . . — Map (db m45732) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — 106-15 — Confederate Memorial Day |
| | The first Confederate Memorial Day service in Columbus was held on this site (St. Luke Methodist Church) on April 26, 1866. The program was under the auspices of the Ladies’ Memorial Association, which was organized in the early Spring of 1866 for the purpose of holding a Memorial service each year honoring the Confederate dead.
April 26, anniversary of the surrender of General Joseph E. Johnston, was selected as a suitable date for Memorial Day. The Secretary of the Ladies’ Memorial . . . — Map (db m56674) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Confederate Siege Gun — National Civl War Naval Museum |
| | 1861-1865
Mounted by Camp Benning, U.C.V.
Aug. 1898 — Map (db m61860) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Dedicated to the Veterans of 1898 to 1902 |
| | “You triumphed over obstacles which would have overcome men less brave and determined”
President McKinley
Dedicated to the Veterans of 1898 to 1902 Camps and Auxiliaries of the Department of Georgia
United Spanish War Veterans
At the 31st Annual Convention
May 10-12 1953 — Map (db m57362) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Dr. Pemberton’s Country Home |
| | This house served as the residence of Dr. Pemberton between 1860-1869. Dr. Pemberton enjoys international prestige as the originator of the formula for Coco-Cola. He moved into this house from the white frame cottage located at 11 Seventh Street. Originally located in the country, four miles north of Columbus, this structure was moved to this site in 1977 to afford it the protection of the Nationally Registered Columbus Historic District. — Map (db m22646) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Dr. Thomas H. Brewer |
| | A Pike County, Alabama native of African-American descent, Dr. Brewer was born November 16, 1894. His office was located at 1025 1/2 First Avenue. Brewer emerged as a chief spokesman for the Civil Rights of the Negro and was described by Roy Wilkins of the NAACP as a fearless champion of the rights of his people.” His goal to guarantee the Negro the right to vote throughout the South was achieved in the Primus King case in 1945. He was a leader of the local chapter of the NAACP and worked . . . — Map (db m10975) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — 106-18 — Eagle & Phenix Mills |
| | In 1851 the Eagle Mill, one of the pioneer textile plants of Columbus, was built on this site to manufacture cotton and woolen goods. During the War the mill manufactured goods for the Confederacy and the State of Georgia. Products included grey uniform tweed, cotton duck for tents, cotton stripes for army shirts, cotton jeans, osnaburgs, sheetings, rope and India rubber cloth. Federal forces burned the mill April 17, 1865. It rose from the ashes in 1866 as Eagle & Phenix Mills, the added name . . . — Map (db m43730) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Early Residences |
| | On this block stood the residences of families who contributed to the early development of the city. These included the house built prior to 1840 by William Waters Garrard, planter, adjacent to his cotton warehouses at the north end of the block; the home of Lemuel Tyler Downing, attorney, who transplanted the elm trees on Broad Street from his Connecticut home; and the home of Joseph L. Morton, partner in the firm of Barringer and Morton who built many of the early structures in Columbus. On . . . — Map (db m43093) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Empire Mills |
| | G. W. Woodruff began grist operations in 1861 on this site previously occupied in 1847 by E.T. Taylor Cotton Gin Company and in 1841 by William Waters Garrard’s cotton warehouse. Empire Mills ran night and day during the Civil War and was spared in 1865 when Union Troops burned all non-food-producing industry in the city. By 1887 it was the largest meal and flour mill in the South, operating 36 roller mills with a capacity of 600 barrels of flour per day. Empire also produced Graham flour, . . . — Map (db m46944) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Eugene J. Bullard, 1895-1961 / World’s First Black Combat Aviator |
| | Eugene J. Bullard, 1895 - 1961
Bullard grew up in a small shotgun style house near this site. His father, William, was a laborer for the W. C. Bradley Company. Eugene completed the fifth grade at the 28th Street School. Shaken by the death of his mother, Josephine, and the near lynching of his father, Bullard left Columbus as a young teenager. In 1912, he stowed-away on a merchant ship out of Norfolk, Virginia. He spent the next 28 years of his life in Europe.
World’s First . . . — Map (db m45865) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — First African Baptist Church |
| | The initial congregation of this church was formed by slaves who had attended Ephesus Baptist Church (later First Baptist), since its organization on February 14, 1829. When a new church was built in 1840 the slaves worshipped in the older building. White ministers served the African Baptist Church until 1862 when Rev. Harry Watson became the first black minister. The church was granted a site at Eleventh Street and Sixth Avenue by the Georgia General Assembly but moved to its current location . . . — Map (db m44025) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — First Baptist Church |
| | On February 14, 1829, twelve persons met and organized under the name Ephesus Baptist Church of Columbus. The northern half of this block had been designated for religious purposes in the state survey of 1828, and a small meeting house was built for the church on this site in 1830. This was replaced by a larger frame structure in 1840, the same year the General Assembly of Georgia granted a charter to the Baptist Church of Columbus. The name was changed to First Baptist Church of Columbus, . . . — Map (db m44359) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — First Black Public School |
| | Near here, in July 1872, the first local public school for black students was opened. The school was the result of an action by the City Council directing the Trustees of the Columbus Public Schools to set up classes for blacks. For the first of these, the trustees rented Temperance Hall, built in 1849. Until the 1871 opening of the Springer Opera House, this had been the city’s foremost theater. On its stage had appeared many of the opera, music, and theater greats of the era. Among them was . . . — Map (db m23120) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — First Presbyterian Church |
| | (Side 1):
The Presbyterians were granted one of the original church lots in the 1828 Columbus plan. It was on the North side of Chapel St. between Second and Third Avenues. The fourteen charter members, received in 1830, were: Edward Featherston, William Root, James S. Norman, Richard T. Marks, David Dean, Thomas B. McCreary, John Johnson, Mrs. Jane L. Marks, Mrs. Leah J. Norman, Mrs. Harriet A. Root, Mrs. Miriam Dean, Mrs. Sarah DeGraffenried, Mrs. Eliza Bullock, Miss Rebecca . . . — Map (db m43943) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Fit for Man and Beast |
| | This watering fountain at Broadway and 10th Street represents the last one of several located in each block down Broadway. It is Columbus' oldest public fountain, dating back to the earliest days of the city. Called the Man and Beast fountain, it contains three watering bowls, one at street level for dogs, a large one in the middle for horses, and a medium-sized one near the top for people. Although we no longer go to public fountains to collect drinking water, fountains offer our community an identity and sense of history in our public spaces. — Map (db m22376) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Fourth Street Baptist Church |
| | In 1900 the Mt. Canaan Baptist Church was established under the leadership of the Reverends John Bellamy and Willis Carter when a few men and women met under a fig tree on Third Avenue to worship. In 1901 Rev. Bellamy separated from Mt. Canaan to organize a group of fifteen members who worshipped under a brush arbor on Fifth Street as New Canaan Baptist Church. Rev. Bellamy resigned as pastor in 1901 and was replaced by Rev. Pearson under whose leadership a fifty dollar tract of land was . . . — Map (db m57846) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Friendship Baptist Church |
| | Founded in 1892 at 4th Avenue and 6th Street, the church moved to its permanent home here in January of 1897. The first minister was Rev. J. S. Kelsey, who served the church from 1897-1901. The present building was completed under his leadership. It was enlarged and improved during the long ministry of Rev. R. K. Paschel, 1901-1944. A dream of Rev. Paschel was realized in 1950 with the completion of the educational annex named in his honor. Four other pastors served during the church’s first . . . — Map (db m57857) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Garrett and Sons / Cargill-Wright Company |
| | Garrett and Sons:
Joseph Simpson Garrett, a whiskey, tobacco, and groceries merchant, constructed this building in 1883 for his business, Garrett and Sons. This wholesale business was regarded as the first of its kind in Columbus. Garrett served as Columbus postmaster from 1897 to 1905. Many businesses occupied this building between 1900 and 1934 when Simon Schwob, a tailor from Alsace-Lorraine, opened Schwob Manufacturing Company. With the “factory to consumer” approach, . . . — Map (db m44518) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — 106-8 — General Benning |
| | Opposite this marker stood the home of Henry Lewis Benning (1814-1875), the Confederate Brigadier General for whom Fort Benning was named. He was married in 1839 to Mary Howard Jones, daughter of Colonel and Mrs. Seaborn Jones.
General Benning was Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia, member of the Georgia convention adopting the Ordinances of Secession, and Commissioner to the Virginia Convention, January 1861, to advocate Secession.
He entered the Confederate Army, in . . . — Map (db m46996) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — George Parker Swift I |
| | George Parker Swift, I, pioneer cotton manufacturer of Georgia, was born Sept. 1, 1815, in Fairhaven, Massachusetts. He moved to Georgia in the early 1840’s and started the Tribune Mills at Waymanville, Upson County, first making cotton thread and yarn, then expanding into cotton weaving. Colonel Swift moved to Columbus in 1865 and in 1867 founded the Muscogee Mills, now the Muscogee Manufacturing Company which has been in continuous operation by the same family owners and has grown to be one . . . — Map (db m42159) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — 106-17 — Haiman's Sword Factory — >>>>----->> |
| | Site of Haiman’s Sword Factory, the largest plant of its type in the South during the War Between the States. Louis and Elias Haiman came to Columbus from Prussia in the 1830s and established a tinsmith shop. At the War’s start they established a small sword factory, moving to this site later to manufacture swords and other various army equipment. By 1863 they employed over 400 workers. That year they also began to manufacture the Colt Navy Pistol, selling the machinery to the C.S. Government . . . — Map (db m50878) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — 106-25 — He Helped Bring And Keep Fort Benning |
| | Mallory Reynolds Flournoy (Oct. 21, 1882 - Apr. 26, 1920), leader in establishing Fort Benning and the Infantry School on the 182,000 acre military reservation south of Columbus, lived here. The son of John F. Flournoy, outstanding citizen and developer of Columbus, Mallory Flournoy, working with a C. of C. Committee during World War I, was instrumental in establishing Camp Benning in a limited area east of Columbus. When that camp was abandoned, he suggested the area south of town with ample . . . — Map (db m42531) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — 106-6 — Hero's Memorial |
| | North of this marker in the Porterdale Cemetery is the grave of Bragg Smith over which the City of Columbus erected a marble memorial to commemorate an outstanding deed of heroism. The text reads:
“Erected by the City of Columbus to mark the resting place of Bragg Smith, who died on September 30, 1903, at the age of 32, in the heroic but fruitless effort to rescue the city engineer from a caving excavation on Eleventh Street.
‘Honor and fame from no condition rise. Act well . . . — Map (db m57367) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — High Uptown Historic District / Garrett-Bullock-Delay House |
| | High Uptown Historic District
This area, known as “High Uptown,” contains historic residential structures that were built by affluent business and community leaders of the 19th and early 20th centuries. These homes are prototypes of architectural styles in vogue from the 1850’s until about 1910. Many of the district’s most significant structures are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This historic district was created in 1986 by the city council of the . . . — Map (db m44465) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Historic Riverdale Cemetery |
| | Side 1:
In 1890, availability of lots at Linwood Cemetery, the oldest institution of the Columbus city government, was becoming scarce. At that time, the city acquired additional property on 10th Avenue which became Riverdale Cemetery. The brick building near the entrance, erected in 1915, originally included a chapel, housing for the city sexton and a bell tower atop an arched passageway for funeral processions. Many citizens who have contributed significantly to the development and . . . — Map (db m22942) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Holsey Chapel Christian Methodist Episcopal Church |
| |
Side 1:
In 1884, a group of black citizens banded together to organize a church. They appealed to the Commissioners of Columbus, Georgia, and obtained a lot on Eighth Street. The first church was completed in 1886 and called Everett Chapel after Newton Everett, one of the original founders and trustees. In 1894, the church was renamed Holsey Chapel, after Bishop Lucius H. Holsey, who played a vital role in the organization of the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1915, . . . — Map (db m57864) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Jewish Section of Riverdale Cemetery |
| | Side 1:
The earliest recorded Jewish burials in Columbus were in historic Linwood Cemetery and in the Raphael Moses family cemetery, Esquiline. When the City of Columbus established Riverdale Cemetery in 1890, Temple Israel purchased a piece of this property which became known as the “Jewish Section.” City Council notes of October 8, 1891 show that Mr. H. Sternberg, Treasurer of Temple Israel, paid fifty dollars as the first installment for half of Section Two. In 1896, . . . — Map (db m22943) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — John McIlhenny Home |
| | John McIlhenny, Civil Engineer, City Council member, and Mayor of Columbus 1873-1874, lived in this house in the 1860’s. Mr. McIlhenny is recognized as the father of the Columbus public school system. Authorized by the Georgia Legislature in December 1866, Columbus’ was the first city-supported school system in the state. Mr. McIlhenny was noted for his invention of the McIlhenny Gas Meter. In 1877, he moved to Philadelphia where his grandson, Henry P. McIlhenny, became a world-renowned art . . . — Map (db m22799) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — 106-1 — Last Land Battle in War of 1861-65 |
| | The last important land battle of the War Between the States was fought here April 16, 1865, resulting in the capture of Columbus by Federal forces.
The engagement began directly west of Columbus in Alabama and ended on the Georgia side of the Chattahoochee. The defending line of entrenchments (in Alabama) was more than a mile in length.
Artillery mounted on high hills was used in the action. Both cavalry and infantry engaged in the battle. — Map (db m42113) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Leonard Spring — Columbus’ Original Source of Water |
| | In 1839 citizens first called for the development of a water works system. On this site is located the original source of water for drinking and general household use for Columbus. Beginning in 1844, Leonard Spring, with a discharge of 200,000 gallons a day, provided water to the City through a series of wooden pipes. Water was piped to Broad Street by way of Randolph Street, now known as 12th Street. In the 1880's city water was obtained from Lee County, Alabama. The present water plant on . . . — Map (db m22484) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Liberty Hill Baptist Church |
| | Organized in 1869 by slaves, the first church building was built on land donated by Mrs. Emma Jones and Mrs. Nora Felton. The church was called the Bush Arbor Church because the construction and materials used. Reverend Phil Owens was the first pastor. A permanent church was built in 1875. It was a white wooden structure that served as the first school in the area as well as the meeting place for the International Benevolent Society. Renamed Liberty Hill Baptist Church, Inc. in 1956, the church . . . — Map (db m22970) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Linwood Cemetery |
| | A part of the 1828 plan of Columbus, Linwood contains graves of pioneer citizens and their descendents, as well as the tombs of some 200 Confederate soldiers. Among those buried here are Anna Caroline Benning (1853-1935), who formed the “Columbus Committee” of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Georgia; General Henry L. Benning (1814-1875), Confederate leader for whom the military post was named; industrialist and philanthropist . . . — Map (db m46947) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Lummus Cotton Gins |
| | On this site in 1847 stood the E.T. Taylor Cotton Gin Manufacturing Company. In 1854 it became the W.G. Clemons, Brown & Company and operated as such until the Civil War. In 1867 Franklin H. Lummus controlled the company and the name “Lummus” became synonymous with the manufacture of cotton gins. The company moved to Juniper, Georgia but returned to Columbus in 1899. Lummus Cotton Gin Company became the world’s largest independent gin manufacturer. Diversification into textile . . . — Map (db m43091) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — 106-7 — Martin J. Crawford — (1820-1883) |
| | On the adjoining lot stood the large columned home of Martin Jenkins Crawford, Lawyer, Member of the General Assembly of Georgia, twice Judge of the Superior Court of the Chattahoochee Circuit, Member United States Congress, and of the provisional Confederate States Congress. He was one of the three Confederate Peace Commissioners to President Lincoln. Upon the outbreak of the war he raised the Third Georgia Cavalry regiment of which he was Colonel.
Col. Crawford died while a member of the Supreme Court of Georgia. — Map (db m43079) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — 106-1 — Mildred L. Terry Branch Library |
| | The first public library for African Americans in segregated Columbus, the Colored/Fourth Avenue Library, opened on January 5, 1953. The existence of
this facility resulted from covenants and restrictions barring the use of the city’s new public library by African Americans. The project was completed with expenditures of less than one hundred thousand dollars. The library was renamed the Mildred L. Terry Branch in 1981 to honor its first librarian. — Map (db m22410) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Ninth Street Branch YMCA |
| |
Side 1:
In 1901, George Foster Peabody and his brothers made an offer to the colored men and boys of Columbus to build a YMCA on the condition they raise $1,000, purchase a building lot and get membership of 300 men. On Sunday, April 28, 1901 a mass meeting at St. James A.M.E. Church was held and the Ninth Street Branch YMCA was founded with 178 men. About 1902 the lot at 903 Sixth Avenue was purchased. Mr. Peabody and his brothers donated $20,000 to the colored people of . . . — Map (db m57806) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Philip Thomas Schley |
| | This house was built circa 1840 on the present site of First Presbyterian Church, by Philip Thomas Schley. Capt. Schley came to Columbus in 1834 at the request of his brother, Georgia Gov. William Schley, to command the Muscogee Blues, a militia company active in the Indian Wars. In 1858 Capt. Schley sold his lot to the Presbyterians and had his house dismantled, moved and rebuilt at this site, 1445 Second Avenue. The house was later owned by the family of James H. Warner, who had been Chief . . . — Map (db m43940) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Philip Trammell Shutze — 1890-1982 |
| | A Columbus Native whose birthplace stood close to this site, Shutze became one of the most prominent American architects of the twentieth century. After graduating from the Georgia Institute of Technology and from Columbia University with degrees in architecture, Shutze studied for several years at the American Academy in Rome, Italy. In the mid-1920’s, as a partner in Atlanta’s premier architectural firm, Shutze began work on a series of commercial and residential structures that would bring . . . — Map (db m45459) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Radcliff School |
| | In the fall of 1914 Radcliff School was organized in Allen Temple A.M.E. Church. At that time it was known as Wynnton Hill School. J. L. Bond was principal and the first head teacher was Mrs. S. A. Cody. When the building burned, the school was relocated to Wynnton Hill Baptist Church and later Primitive Baptist Church. In 1929, the school name was changed to Radcliff after a new building was erected on land purchased through a grant from the Rosenwald Foundation. Mrs. Cody was principal with . . . — Map (db m22409) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — 106-22 — Red Jacket |
| | Red Jacket, a small brass cannon, was first used in firing a salute of 500 guns when Georgia seceded from the Union. In custody of the Columbus Guards, it fired salutes at the inauguration of Jefferson Davis as President of the Confederate States of America at Montgomery, Alabama, Feb. 18, 1861. Red Jacket was purchased by Mrs. Laura Beecher Comer in 1861 and presented to the Columbus Guards. During the war period it was used to fire salutes to Confederate victories in the Army and Navy. When a . . . — Map (db m46948) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Richard Christmas — c. 1763–1848 |
| | A veteran of the North Carolina militia in the American Revolution, Christmas is buried here with his wife, Mary Roberson, his son, Nathaniel G. Christmas, and other descendants.
Living then in Green County, Ga., he drew a land lot nearby in present Harris County in the land lottery of 1827. He acquired property and moved here before 1835. His home was to the northeast on County Line Road.
A marker honoring his military service was placed on his grave by the Button Gwinnett Chapter, . . . — Map (db m9949) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Saint John African Methodist Episcopal Church |
| | This one-story Victorian Gothic structure dates back to 1870. The cornerstone of the church indicates that the building was constructed in 1870 with the basement added in 1890. This suggests that the original wooden church was raised, a basement added, and then the entire structure bricked-in. St. John AME Church was originally named St. John Chapel and its congregation descended from that of St. James AME church in Columbus. The congregation was forced to move to a new site when the historic . . . — Map (db m45599) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Samuel Cooper — 1754-1841 — Soldier –- American Revolution |
| | Born in Maryland, Cooper served in the South Carolina Militia during the American Revolution and participated in battles at Brandywine, Germantown and Stony Point. After the War he moved to Putnam County, Georgia and later to Muscogee County where he had drawn 202 1/2 acres in the 1827 Lottery. A member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, he is buried with his family in a cemetery which was located in front and south of his home. His last words were “Jesus is good.” Abandoned many . . . — Map (db m17811) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Secondary Industrial School |
| |
Side 1:
Proposed in 1904 by Carleton B. Gibson, Columbus School Superintendent, the Secondary Industrial School is regarded as the nation’s first public coeducational industrial high school. G. Gunby Jordan, then President of the School Board, and his son R. C. Jordan donated the land and were instrumental in developing the school. The school was centrally located in Waverly Terrace, a community planned and developed by the Jordan Company, and completed in 1906. The school’s name . . . — Map (db m57617) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Sixth Avenue Passenger Station |
| | The Central of Georgia Railroad’s Station, designed by Bruce and Morgan of Atlanta, GA, was erected in 1901. Featuring massive granite arches, it served as the transportation hub of the city for over 70 years. Threatened with demolition in 1984 this landmark, on the Eastern perimeter of the Original City, was saved through the leadership of the Historic Columbus Foundation and the generosity of the Southern Railway System and the Consolidated Government of Columbus and its citizens. The . . . — Map (db m45676) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Specialist Ross A. McGinnis |
| | The Infantry Honors Specialist Ross A. McGinnis 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Division Medal of Honor Operation Iraqi Freedom 14 June 2009Specialist Ross A. McGinnis distinguished himself by acts of gallantry, and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with an armed enemy in Adhamiyah, Northeast Baghdad, Iraq, on 4 December 2006. On that day, his platoon was conducting combat control operations in an effort to reduce and control sectarian violence in the area. While Specialist . . . — Map (db m61862) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — 106-31 — Springer Opera House |
| | Theater in Columbus found its finest home on February 27, 1871, when Francis Joseph Springer, originally of Alsace, opened his opera house. The Springer’s forty-foot deep stage held a continuous round of shows of every description.
Here Edwin Booth played Hamlet, February 15, 1876, on his first Southern tour after the War. “Blind Tom” Bethune, the Negro musical prodigy born near Columbus, performed here often. Oscar Wilde and Williams Jennings Bryan lectured here; . . . — Map (db m47004) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — 106-9 — St. Elmo |
| | “St. Elmo,” one of the most exquisite examples of the classic houses of America, stands in view of this point. It was built on the old Stagecoach Road, by Colonel Seaborn Jones, for his wife, Mary Howard Jones. Completed in 1833, it was originally called “Eldorado.” Here, Augusta Jane Evans visited her Aunt and found inspiration for her celebrated novel, “St. Elmo.”
As a member of Governor Troup’s staff, Seaborn Jones came to the site of Columbus with . . . — Map (db m43119) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — St. James AME Church |
| | St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1863. The present church is built on land granted by act of the Georgia Legislature in 1873. It was erected in 1876 under the pastorate of Rev. Wesley J. Gaines, at a cost of $20,000. Rev. Gaines was the first pastor on record of the church. The graceful central tower and flanking turrets were added in 1886 during the ministry of Rev. L. L. Thomas. St. James AME Church ranks as the second oldest church of the domination in Georgia. — Map (db m45680) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Temple Israel |
| | SIDE 1:
In 1854 twenty Columbus families banded together to form congregation B’Nai Israel, later known as Temple Israel, one of the first Jewish congregations in Georgia. For almost one hundred years religious services were held on this site, first in a wooden structure followed by a classical cathedral style edifice reflecting Synagogue architecture of that era. This two story brick Temple, built in 1886 was dedicated September 2, 1887. The last service held in this location was on . . . — Map (db m23477) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — 106-21 — Textile and Banking Pioneer |
| | Site of the home of William H. Young (1807- 1894), a native of the State of New York who migrated to Georgia at the age of 17. Visiting the site of Columbus a year before the city was established, he made his way through the dense forest to the banks of the Chattahoochee River, watched the mass of wildly tumbling waters of the country’s furthest-South waterfalls, and envisioned a great textile industry for Columbus. He was the leading spirit in the organization, and building, on that site in . . . — Map (db m42530) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — The Cedars |
| | In 1836, John Banks and his wife, the former Sarah Watkins, both natives of Elbert Co., Ga., moved to Columbus, bought this property (then totaling 265 acres) in the fashionable suburb of Wynnton and began construction of this Greek Revival house. Already a successful lawyer and merchant, Banks became involved in banking and manufacturing, the operation of large plantations south of the city, and local philanthropy including the co-founding of the Wynnton School on his property. The Cedars, his . . . — Map (db m22560) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — 106-16 — The Columbus Guards — >>>>-------> |
| | Site, of the last armory of the Columbus Guards, a noted military company chartered by the Georgia Legislature in 1843 and organized in 1835. They served voluntarily in the Indian War, 1836; the War with Mexico, 1846; the War Between the States, the Spanish War, on the Mexican Border in 1916-17, and the first World War after which they became inactive. The Columbus Guards furnished the largest number of volunteers of any of the 21 companies from Muscogee County in the States War. Serving in 31 . . . — Map (db m43951) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — The Elms |
| | In 1844, Lambert Spencer built a simple Greek Revival home detailed with Doric columns and acanthus leaves. In 1868, Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Bowers enlarged and beautified the home. Mr. Bowers added two hexagonal wings and hired an itinerant painter to paint three ceiling frescoes. Mrs. Bowers, with the help of an English gardener, laid out a formal butterfly-shaped garden. The kitchen was a separate building, joined to the house by a covered porch. Other outbuildings included a two-story servant . . . — Map (db m17820) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — The Joseph House — Circa 1842 |
| | This historic house is an early example of cottage style Greek Revival. Descendants of Isaac Joseph occupied this house for over one hundred years. Because of her interest in and dedication to historic preservation, Mrs. Gertrude Joseph Wood gave this excellent architectural example to the Historic Columbus Foundation, thereby preserving it for future generations. This site was placed on the National Register of Historic Sites and Places in 1969. — Map (db m22649) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — The Ledger-Enquirer Newspapers |
| | The Columbus Enquirer and The Columbus Ledger have been published from this site since 1930. The Enquirer was founded in 1828 by Mirabeau Bounaparte Lamar, later the second president of the Republic of Texas. The Ledger was founded in 1886 by Edward T. Byington and his wife, Ella G. Byington. In 1893, The Ledger was purchased by Rinaldo William Page. The Page family purchased the Enquirer in 1930 and owned both newspapers until they were sold to Knight Newspapers, Inc., now Knight-Ridder Inc., . . . — Map (db m22873) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — The Pemberton House |
| | Dr. John Styth Pemberton, originator of the formula for Coca-Cola, lived in this regional cottage from 1855-1860, during which time he was a practicing pharmacist in Columbus. This house is dedicated to his memory by The Coca-Cola Company, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. — Map (db m22497) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — The Rankin House |
| | Side 1:
James A. Rankin came to Columbus from Ayrshire, Scotland and in 1839 married Agnes Affleck. Mr. Rankin was a planter and owner of the Rankin Hotel and Rankin Realty Co. This high style Italianate mansion was built between 1860 and 1870. Lawrence Wimberly Wall was the architect. In 1898, the Rankin House, valued at $18,500, was the finest home in Columbus. After the Civil War, Mr. Rankin returned to Scotland and turned the home over to his eldest child, Mrs. Emma Jane Rankin . . . — Map (db m44370) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — The Spencer House |
| | William Henry Spencer, Negro Educator, lived in this Neo-classical home from 1912-1925, during the time he was Supervisor of the Colored Schools in Muscogee County.
This house is dedicated to his memory by his daughters, and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. — Map (db m44024) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — This Gun |
| | This gun was one of the battery of the Confederate ram, built in Columbus, captured and burned by Wilson Raiders.
Apr. 16, 1865 — Map (db m56820) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Trinity Episcopal Church |
| | Side 1:
The cornerstone of Trinity Episcopal Church was laid in 1890. The present church replaced the congregation’s first building, which stood across the street at 1140 First Avenue. Since its foundation in 1834, Trinity has held regular worship services in Columbus. The church added a parish house in 1925-26, with further expansion completed in 1965. Trinity serves the oldest and largest Episcopal congregation in Columbus. The only Gothic Revival church in Columbus, it . . . — Map (db m44360) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Tyler Home |
| | Where in March 1866, the Ladies Aid Society organized the first Memorial Association honoring Confederate heroes. “One day” each year is theirs.
(Reverse side):
Ladies Memorial Association
Organized March 12, 1865.
Officers Elected
Mrs. Robert Carter President
Mrs. Robert A. Ware 1st, Vice President
Mrs. J. M. McAllister 2nd Vice President
Mrs. M.A. Patten Treasurer
Mr. Charles J. Williams Secretary — Map (db m42140) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Victory Drive |
| | On August 15, 1945, celebrating the surrender of Japan which ended World War II, the Muscogee County Commission unanimously voted to rename the boulevard extending from Columbus to Fort Benning as Victory Drive. Commissioner L.R. Aldridge stated, “No time could be more appropriate than the day following the night when we know victory is ours.” Ft. Benning Commanding General William H. Hobson responded to the gesture: “We believe that so designating the highway as ‘Victory . . . — Map (db m22139) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Walker – Peters – Langdon House |
| | Moveable, prefabricated houses similar to this Federal Cottage were available for purchase by settlers participating in the Land Lot Sale of 1828. Original owner, Colonel Virgil Walker of Harris County, transferred the lot and “all improvements” to Mrs. Dicey Peters, mother of Mrs. William Langdon. Six generations of the Langdon Family subsequently owned the house, traditionally known as the oldest in Columbus. The Historic Columbus Foundation acquired the property in 1966. — Map (db m22673) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — William Bartram Trail — Traced 1773-1777 — Deep South Region |
| | William Bartram crossed the Chattahoochee (Chata Uche) River January 5, 1778 to Chehaw and Usseta now Columbus. — Map (db m42160) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — William H. Spencer High School |
| | On this site, on November 29, 1930, the first local high school for colored students opened. The school was the result of a grant from the Rosenwald Foundation and was named in honor of William Henry Spencer, Supervisor of the Colored Schools in Muscogee County from 1912-1925. The first principal was Professor F. R. Lampkin, who also served as Supervisor of Colored Schools in Muscogee County from 1930-1945. The teaching staff consisted of 15 members. T. Hicks Fort was President of the Board of Education. — Map (db m58783) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Woodruff Farm House and Log Cabin |
| | The 1840’s Woodruff Farm House was originally located eight miles east of Columbus on land adjoining the old road to Macon, Georgia. The dwelling was enlarged and used as a summer residence by the Woodruff family in the 1920’s. When development endangered this structure, it was donated to the Historic Columbus Foundation and was placed on this site in 1986.
Moved from its original location ten miles from this site, the cabin on this lot is an example of the kind of log building used by . . . — Map (db m22679) HM |
| Georgia (Muscogee County), Columbus — Wynnton School Library |
| | Erected in 1843 as Wynnton Academy, the present
WYNNTON SCHOOL LIBRARY
is the oldest such building in continuous use as a school facility in the State of Georgia. This historic site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
This marker has been placed in honor of Dr. William Henry Shaw, Superintendent of Education 1945-1973, who has been instrumental in preserving this historic site. — Map (db m58993) HM |
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