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Columbia |
University of Missouri, Columbia
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University of Missouri, Columbia |
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Columbia Columbia began in 1819 as Smithton; it was renamed and made the seat of Boone County in 1821. After Boone's Lick Trail was rerouted south through Columbia, the town became a prosperous outfitting station for westbound emigrants, some of whom chose to remain. Columbia's residents responded to the competition to secure a state university with a political campaign. As a result of door-to-door canvassing and torchlight parades, 900 patrons, some of whom sold their houses and farms to meet their pledges, raised $117,000. The University of Missouri, the first public university west of the Mississippi River, opened its doors in 1839. Its school of journalism, founded in 1908, is distinguished as the world's first. Columbia College and Stephens College confirm Columbia's identity as a college town, though the insurance industry and medical services support its economic base. Visitors to Columbia can cheer for the Mizzou Tigers go to the Davis Art and Curved Entrance galleries at Stephens College to view exhibits throughout the year. The 8.2-mile M-K-T Trail connects downtown Columbia to the Katy Trail, a rails-to-trails conversion that crosses the state. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Garden is another attraction. Columbia is considered one Missouri’s big cities with a population of 84,531. One hundred years ago in 1900 the population of Columbia was 5,651. |
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