Columbus High School - Cohiscan Yearbook (Columbus, GA)

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ontinuou power, the Chattahoochee, is turned off. Since that time the Swift spinning wheels have quadrupled in size and Bibb Manufacturing Company has a mill with 35 acres of floor space under one roof, making it the largest in America. Leonard Springs was the first source of our water but on April 10, 1884, the first contract for the water works was concluded. Today water from the Chatta- hoochee supplies 22 per cent of all Georgia homes. An average of 16 to 17 million gallons of water a day is supplied to the 135,000 citizens of Columbus. Another form of power present in this locality is the 68,653 men stationed at Fort Benning. This greatest infantry school of arms in the world was established in 1917. Although supplying power to the United States, Fort Benning also supplies power in the form of 170 students to us and we thank the government for its aid. However, the greatest bulk of Columbus, power does not come from the river, industry or government, but from the people. Our school is a large contributing factor, for its 1,583 students are a source of this power. The form of power that we will offer to the city cannot be termed as gallons, kilowatt hours or horsepower, but rather as achievements, enthusiasm and brain-power. 5

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4- 1 ,:,. 1 .Wshg ur river ontributes Embracing the industrial site of Columbus, Geor- gia, the Chattahoochee River offers continuous power which has developed a trade settlement of 300 into a thriving city of 135,000 ln 1908 the Goat Rock Dam furnished 29,840 kilowatts. tToday the dams around Columbus furnish 464,070 kilowatts.J This remarkable water power is the foundation for the establishment of many cotton and textile factories which have created a substantial, spreading, industrial center. ln 1828 the town was laid out and the first steam- boat, 4'The Steubenvillef, opened the river for trade and transportation. For 100 years riverboats stopped at Co- lumbus and during this time 200 boats plied the river. Also connecting our city with the nation were telegraphs first sent from here on August 23, 1847 and railroads built in 1853. The first telephone was present on April 21, 1880. In 1827 plans were begun for the Eagle Factory and in 1834 Mr. James Shrivers built a small textile factory three miles north of Columbus. It was known as Clappas Factory and was a popular picnic ground, but is now the location of the newly constructed Oliver Dam. ln 1841 lots were leased and the cotton mill industry truly began and will not be stopped until the switch,

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6 offers seren setting On Christmas Eve of 1828, 131 years ago, the state adopted a bill for the laying out of Columbus near the Coweta Falls on the Chattahoochee River. The settle- ment was surveyed and laid out by Edward Loyd Thomas in January. Surroundings offered the location for a city which has now enveloped 26.4 square miles. Encircled by the Chattahoochee, lazily flowing with grace and calm, a serene setting for homelife is offered by the river. One house representing this period is now the home of the Walter A. Richards on Wynnton Road. Another is the C.F.A. Building atop Wynn's Hill. This land was first inhabited by the Muscogee Indians of the Creek Nation who gave the river its name which means flowering rock. Franciscan monks from Spain and the English explorer, Henry Woodward, were the first white men here. After many wars the Indians left the land to a peace, destroyed by the Civil War. Our city has been the host to many distinguished guests. Amelia Earhart was welcomed graciously on November 28, 1931. Presidents Truman, Taft, Harding and Bryan have been visitors here and President Franklin Roosevelt was often a fan at the Georgia and Auburn football game. Sir Winston Churchill and Anthony Eden have been guests of the city. In 1926 President Eisenhower was stationed at Fort Benning as a Major in the 241th Infantry Regiment. John Wilkes Booth took part in a Shakespearean play at Temperance Hall in Columbus in 1860-a few weeks later Lincoln was shot. In the summer the murky water is transformed by sunlight into a playground of speeding boats, skillful skiers and the echoing laughter of youth. The background scenery is Lake Harding known to all as Bartlett's Ferry, or better still, The River. The 34,500,000 dam made usable a great source of water power in the south and created a large, entertaining lake. The city government of Columbus was formed on January 2, 1836. We now have a commission-manager type of government. The first mayor of Columbus was John Fontaine and in 1960 the mayor is C. Ed Johnson. The advantages of life in Columbus are evident in the congenial and wholesome feeling shown here, a city which retains the cleanliness of a small town and an excellent educational and inspirational atmosphere. The 1,583 pupils of Columbus High School will be the homemakers and businessmen in future years, and we are eager to offer service to our home town.