Columbia is a town in and the parish seat of Caldwell Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 277 in 2020.

History

The land that became Columbia was first cleared by Daniel Humphries in 1827. A store was built a few years later the only settlement between Monroe, Louisiana, and the settlements of the Black River was formed. The harbor became a busy port for shipping cotton by steamboats and Packet boats until the arrival of the railroad. In February 1864 Columbia was the location of a skirmish between Federal and Confederate troops during the Civil War and there are several plantations in the area.

Geography

Columbia is located just east of the center of Caldwell Parish at 32.10417°N, -92.07694°W (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 mi to Monroe and south 64 mi to Alexandria. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.00 km2, of which 1.96 km2 is land and 0.03 sqkm, or 1.75%, is water.

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 277 people, 152 households, and 107 families residing in the town.

Government and infrastructure

Law enforcement services are provided by the Columbia Police Department and the Caldwell Parish Sheriff's Office. Fire protection services are provided by the Columbia Volunteer Fire Department, and by other Volunteer Fire Departments across the parish when needed.

Notable people

Gallery