Crossing the Chattahoochee River between Alabama and Georgia, look north to see the rushing waterfalls around which the city of Columbus (pop. 186,291) grew. Built on the site of a Creek Indian village, Columbus is now Georgia’s second-largest city, and home of the brutal Army Ranger training school at Fort Benning. During the Civil War, its iron foundries and water-powered factories converted to munitions production, but Columbus was untouched until Union Gen. James H. Wilson stormed across the Chattahoochee in 1865; unaware that the treaty of Appomattox had already ended the war, “Wilson’s Raiders” destroyed much of the city. The huge brick textile mills now lining the river’s eastern bank date from the post-Reconstruction years up through the turn of the 20th century, when Columbus emerged as an industrial giant, an era captured in the stories of Columbus author Carson McCullers, and in the recordings of blues singer Gertrude “Ma” Rainey, whose home still stands downtown at 805 5th Avenue.
Most city sights are conveniently located in a compact riverside district. Stroll along the Riverwalk promenade for a close-up look at the river, or rumble down the cobblestone lanes of Broadway and Front Street past block after block of graceful old homes and fountain-studded parks. Stop by the Italianate mansion that houses the Historical Columbus Foundation (Mon.–Fri. only; 706/323-7979) at 700 Broadway for maps and guided tours ($2) of several neighborhood homes, including the former residence of J. S. Pemberton, the inventor of Coca-Cola. The elegant little Springer Opera House, 103 10th Street, is the highlight of the adjacent commercial district, where beautifully renovated buildings mix with funky shops selling wigs and voodoo trinkets.
On a hill east of downtown, a half mile from the river, the Columbus Museum (closed Mon.; free; 706/649-0713), at 1251 Wynnton Road, is the major cultural center for the region, with engaging displays tracing the history of the river valley from the time of the Creek Indians—don’t miss the 20-minute movie “Chattahoochee Legacy,” which screens frequently throughout the day. A wide-ranging collection of fine and folk art is on display in the spacious galleries. Overall, this is one of the state’s more captivating small museums, well worth an hour at least.
On the site of the former Confederate shipyard at Port Columbus, south of downtown at the foot of 4th Street, the National Civil War Naval Museum (daily; $4.50; 706/327-9798), 1002 Victory Drive, contains the charred remnants of two Civil War ironclad ships, mock-ups of early submarines and mines, and tons of naval memorabilia.
