Columbia, Illinois
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Columbia is a city located in Monroe County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 7,922.
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Geography
Columbia is located at 38°26'57" North, 90°12'31" West (38.449172, -90.208500)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 24.4 km² (9.4 mi²). 24.4 km² (9.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.21% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 7,922 people, 3,112 households, and 2,218 families residing in the city. The population density is 325.0/km² (841.5/mi²). There are 3,219 housing units at an average density of 132.1/km² (341.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 98.52% White, 0.10% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.20% from other races, and 0.64% from two or more races. 0.96% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 3,112 households out of which 35.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.3% are married couples living together, 7.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 28.7% are non-families. 25.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.50 and the average family size is 3.01.
In the city the population is spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 88.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $58,003, and the median income for a family is $69,059. Males have a median income of $46,197 versus $31,042 for females. The per capita income for the city is $26,767. 2.5% of the population and 2.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 2.3% of those under the age of 18 and 4.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
History
(Source: http://www.verschwisterungsverein-gedern-columbia.de/histco.htm) The first white settlers who came to the area of Columbia, Illinois, in the mid 1600s were French.
In the mid 1700s the British took over the territory until the Revolutionary War (1776 - 1781) forced them out of the area. The colonial American settlers soon arrived and established Fort Whiteside (1780) and Fort Piggott (1783), which were the first permanent settlements in the area of Columbia. Both forts were made out of log cabins and were used to protect against Indian raids. They were named after Capt. William Whiteside and Capt. James Piggot, who fought with Col. George Rogers Clark in the Revolutionary War.
In 1820 Columbia was plotted out as a town and built on bluffs 500 feet high to protect against the flooding of the Mississippi River.
The German immigration began in 1833, with a majority coming in the 1840s. U.S. land agents had traveled to Germany to sell parcels of land to emigrating Germans. When the Germans arrived in the U.S.A., they traveled immediately to their own parcels of land. Whole villages (like Wernings) moved to the U.S.A.
Entering the USA in New Orleans, these Germans went up the Mississippi River to St. Louis, Missouri. They settled in the general region, including the Columbia area. The ground was not expensive, harvests were rich, and the climate was perfect for growing grain. German thrift, German tenacity and German industriousness changed the character of Columbia from a pioneer settlement to a thriving community. The hard-working nature of the early German immigrants had a direct influence on the town’s present prosperity. In the early 1800s the American landowners in the Columbia area often hired the German immigrants who were not landowners as farmhands. Money was short, so they were given land as payment. Soon most of the land belonged to the Germans.
In 1859 Columbia became a town as a result of the growth from German immigration. In 1868 the first railroad tracks were laid in Columbia, and the town continued to grow and develop. In 1927 Columbia became a city.
A notable feature of the community spirit was in evidence with the high level of Columbia’s interest in the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904. With singular purpose, on Sept. 22, 1904 all businesses and schools were closed and 1000 of the 1300 inhabitants of Columbia attended the World’s Fair on that one day! It set a record of attendance for members of one community to be at the Fair at the same time. In 1959, the 100th birthday (centennial) of Columbia was celebrated with a large community festival. In 1960 the “Strassenfest” was established, a three-day festival celebrating the German heritage of the communiity. The “Strassenfest” became so popular that it had to be transferred to St. Louis in 1972, where it now attracts more than 100,000 visitors over a three-day period every year (http://www.strassenfest.org/). Today Columbia is a city with a population of about 8.000, mainly of German origin. Agriculture and light industry are the pillars of the local commerce. Primarily, however, Columbia is home for commuters making their living in St. Louis.