Chartered in 1821, Columbus, Mississippi, was originally part of Monroe County. With the signing of the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek nine years later, Columbus found itself in the newly formed Lowndes County. The name Columbus was given to the settlement by Silas McBee as early as 1819. Columbus has been a pioneer in many areas: the first public school in Mississippi, Franklin Academy; the first public college for women in the country, Industrial...