Columbia, California

Columbia is located along State Route 49 just north of Sonora, at an altitude of {{Convert|2139|ft}}.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of {{convert|6.0|sqmi|km2}}. Only 0.31% of the total area is covered by water.

This region experiences hot and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 90.1 °F (32.3 °C). According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Columbia has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=77257&cityname=Columbia%2C+California%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Columbia, California]

File:ColumbiaCA.jpg, within Columbia State Historic Park]]

File:Columbia California.jpg

The original indigenous people in the Columbia region were the Miwok.

Rev. John Steele wrote about his time in the gold rush era and about the "Mi-wuk" of Columbia in his memoirs In Camp and Cabin.

Within weeks of finding gold in the vicinity of Columbia, thousands of people arrived and the population climbed to 5,000. By 1852, there were 8 hotels, 4 banks, 17 general stores, 2 bookstores, 1 newspaper, 3 churches, and over 40 drinking/gambling establishments. Between 1850 and the early 1900s, $87 million (~${{Format price|{{Inflation|index=US-GDP|value=87000000|start_year=1850}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US-GDP}}) in gold was removed from the surrounding hills.

In 1851, the local community brass band, a popular institution, greeted the arrival of the first "white woman" in town.Abel, pg. 133 Columbia had five cemeteries, including a Boot Hill, where burials were made without markers.Hoover, pg. 223

In 1854, Columbia's first major fire destroyed a majority of the city. The wealthier merchants began rebuilding their business using brick with iron construction materials, the remainder of town was rebuilt of wood and canvas. In 1857, another fire burned down nearly everything else, except three brick buildings. The Columbia one-room school house was built in 1860, renovated in 1872, and finally closed in 1937. It was purchased by the state of California for $1 in 1947, and incorporated into the historic district park.

According to the 1954 episode "11,000 Miners Can't Be Wrong" of the western anthology series Death Valley Days, Columbia lost out in an 1854 bid to become the permanent California state capitol: When Jim Hardwicke, a respected settler, informs the sheriff that he had killed a man in self-defense, Hardwicke is forced to stand trial. Because of jury tampering by a corrupt district attorney, Hardwicke was found guilty. His lawyer, Ed Barrett and his fiancée develop a bizarre scheme to free his client from the hangman's noose; Barrett steals from a safe in the local bank a petition with 11,000 signatures of persons who at the instigation of the same district attorney want Columbia to be the capital, rewrites the first page to call for a pardon for Hardwicke and appeals to the governor, who is impressed that so many signed. The governor orders Hardwicke's release, but Sacramento became the capital.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0556603/?ref_=ttep_ep2|title=11,000 Miners Can't Be Wrong on Death Valley Days|date=September 25, 1954|publisher=Internet Movie Data Base|access-date=August 20, 2018}} However, the series' episodes tended to be "based on fact" rather than historically accurate.

By 1860, the gold mined in Columbia was diminishing rapidly. The only land left to mine was in the city itself. Miners dug under buildings and tore down houses to get at the gold beneath the city. Copper deposits were found in the area, with the nearby town of Copperopolis experiencing a boom. The bricks from the destroyed buildings in Columbia were sold for new construction in Copperopolis.

In 1862, just days after the Battle of Puebla in Mexico, Columbia was the site of the first official Cinco de Mayo celebrations. According to a paper published by the UCLA Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture about the origin of the observance of Cinco de Mayo in the United States, the modern American focus on that day first started in Columbia in response to the resistance to French rule in Mexico.Southern California Quarterly "Cinco de Mayo's First Seventy-Five Years in Alta California: From Spontaneous Behavior to Sedimented Memory, 1862 to 1937" Spring 2007 (see [http://www.newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/Cinco-de-Mayo-Observance-Is-Important-7891.aspx?RelNum=7891 American observation of Cinco de Mayo started in California]) Retrieved October 30, 2007. "Far up in the gold country town of Columbia, California, Mexican miners were so overjoyed at the news that they spontaneously fired off rifle shots and fireworks, sang patriotic songs and made impromptu speeches."{{cite web |url=http://egpnews.com/2009/04/cinco-de-mayo-the-real-story/ |title=Cinco de Mayo: The Real Story |last1=Hayes-Bautista |first1=David E. |date=April 2009 |website=EGP News |publisher=Eastern Group Publications |access-date=June 2, 2016 |quote=Far up in the gold country town of Columbia (now Columbia State Park) Mexican miners were so overjoyed at the news that they spontaneously fired off rifles shots and fireworks, sang patriotic songs and made impromptu speeches. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160612081116/http://egpnews.com/2009/04/cinco-de-mayo-the-real-story/ |archive-date=June 12, 2016 |url-status=dead }}

Columbia, in its heyday, was California's fifth-largest city, boasting a population of about 25,000 people{{Citation needed|date=October 2014}} although only about 2,000 people now live in this region. Unlike many gold rush boomtowns, Columbia never became a ghost town. In 1934 under a state sponsored New Deal program of archaeological research, the SERA (State Emergency Relief Administration) hired 65 research workers at U.C. Berkeley's Bancroft Library and 56 additional workers in the field to gather the necessary information to provide for the restoration of the old town.Mariposa Gazette December 9, 1934 In 1945, California created Columbia State Historic Park from the remains of the historical buildings of the city.

File:Stagecoach Ride.jpg

File:Douglass Saloon.jpg

File:Columbia Muster.jpg, in May]]

Columbia's main street in the historic district, part of the Columbia State Historic Park, is closed to automobile traffic, but horses, carriages, bicycles and pedestrians are welcomed. Known for the huge rock gardens left over from the hydro mining efforts in the 1800s, the area is very popular with families for picnicking and leisurely walks. The antique buildings are leased to era-themed businesses such as gold-panning, candle-dipping, iron-mongering, and crafts. There are several eating establishments. A chicken coop with beautiful Dominique hens lends a sweet background sound to Main Street. A horse-drawn stagecoach ride for a fee is the main attraction. There are numerous events throughout the year; some of the notable occasions are the Fourth of July parade and Columbia Diggins 1852. Occasionally local crafters set up booths along Main Street. Costumed State Park employees and shopkeepers lend to the era-theme of the park. Picnic tables are situated throughout the downtown. There is a short hiking trail from the School House, which is located a couple of blocks from the town. The school is open with static exhibits. Two campgrounds nearby accommodate tenting and motorhomes, as well as a small general store for supplies.

Other points of interest in the area include Columbia Community College, a two-year, community college; and the Columbia Airport (FAA designator: O22), which has one {{convert|4670|ft|m|adj=on}} runway and is busy with firefighting aircraft during summer.

The annual Columbia Fire Muster here is often the earliest of California's summer musters.

{{US Census population

|1860= 1125

|1870= 2062

|1990= 1799

|2000= 2405

|2010= 2297

|2020= 2577

|align-fn=center

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.html|title=Decennial Census by Decade|website=United States Census Bureau|access-date=}}
1850–1870{{Cite web|title= 1870 Census of Population - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties - California - Almeda County to Sutter County |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1870/population/1870a-12.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}}{{Cite web|title= 1870 Census of Population - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties - California - Tehama County to Yuba County |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1870/population/1870a-13.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}} 1880-1890{{Cite web|title= 1890 Census of Population - Population of California by Minor Civil Divisions |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1890/bulletins/demographics/134-population-of-ca.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}}
1900{{Cite web|title= 1900 Census of Population - Population of California by Counties and Minor Civil Divisions |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1900/bulletins/demographic/10-population-ca.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}} 1910{{Cite web|title= 1910 Census of Population - Supplement for California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1910/abstract/supplement-ca.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}} 1920{{Cite web|title= 1920 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1920/bulletins/demographics/population-ca-number-of-inhabitants.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}}
1930{{Cite web|title= 1930 Census of Population - Number and Distribution of Inhabitants - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1930/population-volume-1/03815512v1ch03.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}} 1940{{Cite web|title= 1940 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1940/population-volume-1/33973538v1ch03.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}} 1950{{Cite web|title= 1950 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1950/population-volume-1/vol-01-08.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}}
1960{{Cite web|title= 1960 Census of Population - General population Characteristics - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1960/population-volume-1/vol-01-06-d.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}} 1970{{Cite web|title= 1970 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1970a_ca1-01.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}} 1980{{Cite web|title= 1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1980a_caAB-01.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}}
1990{{Cite web|title= 1990 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/cen1990/cph2/cph-2-6.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}}

2000{{Cite web|title= 2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2003/dec/phc-3-6.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}} 2010{{Cite web|title= 2010 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/2010/cph-2/cph-2-6.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}}

}}

The 2020 United States census reported that Columbia had a population of 2,577. The population density was {{convert|432.3|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of Columbia was 81.2% White, 0.3% African American, 1.7% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 4.1% from other races, and 10.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.0% of the population.{{cite web |title=Columbia CDP, California; DP1: Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics - 2020 Census of Population and Housing |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDP2020.DP1?g=1600000US0614904 |website=US Census Bureau |access-date=June 11, 2025}}

The census reported that 96.2% of the population lived in households, 3.5% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.2% were institutionalized.

There were 1,150 households, out of which 20.5% included children under the age of 18, 39.4% were married-couple households, 7.7% were cohabiting couple households, 32.7% had a female householder with no partner present, and 20.3% had a male householder with no partner present. 36.6% of households were one person, and 22.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.16. There were 624 families (54.3% of all households).{{cite web |title=Columbia CDP, California; P16: Household Type - 2020 Census of Population and Housing |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDHC2020.P16?g=1600000US0614904 |website=US Census Bureau |access-date=June 11, 2025}}

The age distribution was 17.2% under the age of 18, 10.4% aged 18 to 24, 17.6% aged 25 to 44, 24.9% aged 45 to 64, and 30.0% who were 65{{nbsp}}years of age or older. The median age was 50.3{{nbsp}}years. For every 100 females, there were 89.2 males.

There were 1,293 housing units at an average density of {{convert|216.9|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units |units|}}, of which 1,150 (88.9%) were occupied. Of these, 65.0% were owner-occupied, and 35.0% were occupied by renters.

In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $57,647, and the per capita income was $32,651. About 7.8% of families and 14.6% of the population were below the poverty line.{{cite web |title=Columbia CDP, California; DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics - 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates Comparison Profiles |url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDP5Y2023.DP03?g=1600000US0614904 |website=US Census Bureau |access-date=June 11, 2025}}

The 2010 United States Census{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=06:0614904|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140715024224/http://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=06:0614904|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 15, 2014|title=2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA - Columbia CDP|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=July 12, 2014}} reported that Columbia had a population of 2,297. The population density was {{convert|384.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of Columbia was 2,064 (89.9%) White, 27 (1.2%) African American, 26 (1.1%) Native American, 29 (1.3%) Asian, 1 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 27 (1.2%) from other races, and 123 (5.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 171 persons (7.4%).

The Census reported that 2,226 people (96.9% of the population) lived in households, 71 (3.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.

There were 1,002 households, out of which 243 (24.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 432 (43.1%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 125 (12.5%) had a female householder with no husband present, 51 (5.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 53 (5.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 4 (0.4%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 330 households (32.9%) were made up of individuals, and 142 (14.2%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22. There were 608 families (60.7% of all households); the average family size was 2.80.

The population was spread out, with 470 people (20.5%) under the age of 18, 201 people (8.8%) aged 18 to 24, 406 people (17.7%) aged 25 to 44, 735 people (32.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 485 people (21.1%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.9 males.

There were 1,117 housing units at an average density of {{convert|186.8|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}, of which 661 (66.0%) were owner-occupied, and 341 (34.0%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 8.1%. 1,389 people (60.5% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 837 people (36.4%) lived in rental housing units.

• Delmer Berg, veteran of both the Spanish Civil War and World War II, lived in Columbia.[http://www.albavolunteer.org/2012/07/california-vets-del-berg-and-jim-benet/ California Vets: Del Berg and Jim Benét] July 2, 2012, retrieved 2019-02-27
• Jon Robert Cavaiani, Medal of Honor recipient who lived in Columbia.[https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/04/us/jon-cavaiani-medal-of-honor-recipient-in-1974-dies-at-70.html Jon Cavaiani, Medal of Honor Recipient in 1974, Dies at 70]
• Drew Gagnon, Major League and KBO pitcher, was born in Columbia.{{cite web |title=Drew Gagnon |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=gagnon001and |website=Baseball Reference.com |access-date=23 February 2021}}
• Red Kress, Major League Baseball player and coach, was born in Columbia.[https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kressre01.shtml Baseball Reference.com.-Red Kress]
• Peter Muldoon, Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Rockford, was born in Columbia.[http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bmuldoon.html Peter James Muldoon]
• Slim Pickens, actor, lived in Columbia and was a member of the Church of the 49er.Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211206/KVoHwnjNtdI Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20200905202623/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVoHwnjNtdI&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVoHwnjNtdI| title = How a rodeo and needing to lie to his father, gave SLIM PICKENS his Hollywood name! | website=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}

A few of the more than 100 movies and TV series filmed in Columbia include:

• Sierra Spirits, 2007
• Behind the Mask of Zorro, 2005
• Radio Flyer, 1992
• Blood Red, 1989
• Pale Rider, 1985
• The Shadow Riders, 1982
• Joe Dancer: The Big Trade, 1981
• The Last Ride of the Dalton Gang, 1979
• Law of the Land, 1976
• Little House on the Prairie, 1974
• Something for a Lonely Man, 1968
• Bullwhip, 1958
• Rage at Dawn, 1955
• Texas Lady, 1955
• The Cimarron Kid, 1952
• Death Valley Days, 1952
• High Noon, 1952
• The Lone Ranger, 1949
• The Red House, 1947
• Rustlers' Valley, 1937
• Wells Fargo, 1937
• The Best Bad Man, 1925
• Timber Stampede, 1939

In the California State Legislature, Columbia is in {{Representative|casd|8|fmt=sdistrict}}, and in {{Representative|caad|5|fmt=adistrict}}.{{Cite web |url=http://statewidedatabase.org/gis/gis2011/index_2011.html |title=Statewide Database |publisher=UC Regents |access-date=November 23, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150201113744/http://statewidedatabase.org/gis/gis2011/index_2011.html |archive-date=February 1, 2015 |url-status=dead }}

In the United States House of Representatives, Columbia is in {{Representative|cacd|4|fmt=district}}.{{Cite GovTrack|CA|4|accessdate=September 28, 2014}}

The Columbia Airport, a general aviation airfield located approximately one mile from the city, is home to an aerial firefighting air attack base operated by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) which bases fixed-wing turboprop aircraft as well as a helicopter there.

{{reflist}}

• {{cite book

| first = E. Lawrence

| last = Abel

| title = Singing the New Nation: How Music Shaped the Confederacy, 1861-1865

| publisher = Stackpole Books

| isbn = 0-8117-0228-6

| location = Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

| year = 2000

| url-access = registration

| url = https://archive.org/details/singingnewnation00abel

}}

• {{cite book|last=Hoover|first=Mildred B.|author2=Douglas E. Kyle|title=Historic Spots in California|publisher=Stanford University Press|year=2002|isbn=978-0-8047-4482-9|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/historicspotsinc0000unse}}

{{commons category|Columbia, California}}

• [https://www.visitcolumbiacalifornia.com/ Columbia Chamber of Commerce]
• [http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=552 Columbia State Historic Park]
• [https://westernmininghistory.com/towns/california/columbia/ Columbia mining history and historic photos] from Western Mining History
• [http://quarriesandbeyond.org/states/ca/quarry_photo/ca-tuolumne_bell_marble_qry_photo_tour.html Photographic Tour of the Bell Marble Quarry, Columbia, CA, on Stone Quarries and Beyond.]
• [http://quarriesandbeyond.org/states/ca/quarry_photo/ca-tuolumne_columbia_marble_tour.html Photographic Tour of One of the Historic Columbia Marble Quarries, Columbia, CA, on Stone Quarries and Beyond.]
• [http://www.mymotherlode.com/community/guide/tuolumne/3082/Columbia.html myMotherLode.com Community Guide]

{{Tuolumne County, California}}

{{California Gold Rush}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Census-designated places in Tuolumne County, California

Category:Mining communities of the California Gold Rush

Category:History of Tuolumne County, California

Category:Census-designated places in California