Columbia City History

Every City has its own historical importance. Columbia City is a wonderful town located in Indiana, United States which has its own place in the American history. It has also been serving as the county place of Whitley County. As of 2010, the population of Columbia City comprised of 8,750 citizens.

The first settler of the town is unknown, but it is said that a person named ‘Asa Shoemaker’ was the one who, in 1837, inhabited at Big Spring Creek, which is now known as Columbia Township.

In 1839, the Columbia City was founded, soon after the establishment of Whitley County. The region was originally named as ‘Columbia’, but in 1854 it was decided to name it as Columbia City by a public voting. As Indiana had 2 Columbias during that time, the Post Office of this town was named as ‘Whitley Court House’. Hence, the residents decided to rename the town and a public debate took place. Two names came forth – Beaver, after well known Native American whose reservation occupied much of the area and Columbia City, which was eventually agreed upon.

Columbia City was formerly considered as a small neighborhood, until the establishment of the famous Fort Wayne, Chicago Railway and the Pittsburgh in 1856. With the development of these famous places and other roadways in the city, there was a fast growth in population, attracting many settlers and different businesses.

Over the years, the population growth in Columbia City has remained slow. But the town has continued to grow, as businesses are developing rapidly in this region. Columbia City has been famous for its production businesses in many things, such as plastics and automobile parts, and at one time it was one of the largest manufacturers of jeans in the entire world. For many years, Columbia City has successfully maintained its economy, and still remains one of the best places to find job.

Today, the National Flag of Columbia City is displayed on the Council Chambers at the City Hall. It symbolizes the position of Columbia City as the seat of Whitley County, depicted by the picture of Whitley County Courthouse. It also shows the nearby regions of Larwill, South Whitley, Coesse and Churbusco.