Columbia has a population of 33,058. Billing itself as the
Mule Capital of the World, Columbia welcomes thousands of visitors, both two-legged
and four-legged, to its annual Mule Day Celebration every April.
The rest of the year, Columbia offers up small-town friendliness and an
Old South charm, with its many antebellum mansions and historical districts.
And, it's just 50 miles south of Nashville.
Steeped in history, Columbia is home to President James K. Polk and the
celebrated Civil War foot soldier Sam Watkins, who penned his memoirs in
Company Aytch.
It is also the county seat of Maury County and home to Tennessee's first
community college. President and Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson came to Columbia
for the dedication of Columbia State Community College on March 15, 1967.
Lady Bird called Columbia State the ''new beat and rhythm of our land.''
The city is also a nature-lover's paradise, with 202 acres of recreational
green space at Maury County Park, and another green oasis, Woodland Park,
smack in the middle of town. Monsanto Ponds is one of the state's premier
wildlife observation areas, with three viewing blinds open to the public.
