Wednesday afternoon, despite the blustery wind, I decided to take a historical walk of downtown Columbia. The Marion County Museum offers free walking tour pamphlets for individuals to enjoy their own tours. One Saturday afternoon, I walked into the museum to view the Smithsonian’s exhibit “Crossroads,” and I decided to pick-up a walking tour pamphlet that described everything.
I am glad that I did. It was very interesting. For those like me, I have only been here since 2008. I did not see Columbia in its more “roaring” days when Main Street was full of open stores, and people could purchase anything and everything a person ever needed right on Main Street. Whether you were in the market for a new stove or a new car, our Main Street was once a hopping place where you could get it all.
Don’t get me wrong, our current Main Street is still a pretty hopping place today, but doing the walking tour made me realize how much things have changed.
At one point in time, Columbia had three movie theaters. We only have one now, and it continues to operate in the same location. Downtown previously had the McKinley Hotel, Williams Hotel, Baylis Hotel and the Pearl River/Leading Hotel. Maybe not all at one time, but it still showed there was a steady need for a hotel downtown. While there are hotels in Columbia, there aren’t any downtown.
Some of the places on the tour will make you stand in awe as you imagine how the buildings appeared “back in the day.” It was such a busy place that justified regular stops by the trains and buses. There were various stores where a person could buy their groceries, their clothes and get a haircut, all while staying downtown.
The tour allows you to stand in front of empty businesses and imagine what those buildings used to be. Some places, where there were once thriving businesses are now empty or nearly empty buildings, some with broken windows. Those buildings serve as a reminder of the former glory days of Columbia.
What happened in Columbia is likely the same thing that has happened all across rural America. If you are really interested in learning how this came to be, you can find the answer at the Marion County Museum with the “Crossroads” exhibit. The exhibit displays how little communities have been swallowed whole by big cities, and how rural America is fighting back to be thriving once again.
Somewhere along the line, people have decided that bigger is better, making the smaller communities seem no longer important. The notion that we need to have more choices regarding clothes, food and entertainment is something many have fallen for. People think they no longer need to shop for clothes downtown when there is a have the mall and all those stores in Hattiesburg. No one shops for appliances here because the perception there is a better selection elsewhere, and then there is the internet that offers everything under the sun. If you don’t believe me, just check out the cereal aisle at a grocery store. How many different options do we now have? We love having all those choices.
The saying is “shop local”, but I wonder if we changed our mindset to only live local? While the larger cities may have a better selection, it doesn’t necessarily mean it really is better. Larger areas may have a great selection of restaurants to choose from, but we can enjoy life and food right here.
Are there things I would love to see on Main Street? Yes, there are. Unfortunately, I have a dream and vision, but a total lack of knowledge on how to execute things. I would love to see a hotel with a restaurant downtown.
I have been thinking about the benefits of having another restaurant downtown for quite a while. We could use another men’s store to offer variety and maybe even a general store similar to when the Lampton Company, Watts Company and the Rankins were all in business.
Nothing against any of the local businesses that are already here and established, but the walking tour showed me this community could continue to grow and blossom if we are willing to live local. It also showed that competing businesses could each be successful in their own unique ways.
I would love to hear your opinion on this as well, especially after you see the wonderful “Crossroads” exhibit at the museum and take the historic walking tour, tell me what you think.
Susan Amundson is
news/features editor of The Columbian-Progress. She may be reached at (601) 736-2611 or
samundson@columbianprogress.com.
