Columbia, AL

Columbia sits in the northeastern corner of Houston County on the Chattahoochee River, right against the Georgia line. Founded in 1820, it became the seat of Henry County from 1826 to 1833 and grew into a major Wiregrass trading center. Steamboats called at the river landing, stores followed the traffic, and local figures such as Purcell built businesses around the water. Alabama Routes 52 and 95 still bring Columbia into the regional road network, but the river remains the town's defining edge.

ATTRRivers Langley; SaveRivers / CC BY-SA 3.0

The railroad reached Columbia in 1889 and pulled trade away from the river, yet the town kept working through farming, cotton, and local industry. A cotton textile mill opened in 1891, an electric plant followed in 1892, and the George W. Andrews Lock and Dam was built one mile south in the 1960s, with a state dock added to support river traffic. The Columbia Historical Society preserves the old town story, while the annual River City Festival brings food, crafts, children's activities, and live music to the calendar. Columbia is a river town that has changed jobs without losing its crossing point.