INDUSTRIAL COLUMBUS
An Exhibit by Historic Columbus
September 19, 2023, 5:30 PM – March 2024
Textile production had its roots planted in Georgia soon after the American Revolution, when Eli Whitney, in collaboration with Catharine Green, invented the cotton gin in Chatham County in 1793. The cotton gin transformed cotton into a marketable commodity and became a familiar feature across the cotton fields of Georgia in the 19th century. Georgians began to invest in building textile mills by the 1810s. These were small, water powered cotton factories established along the fall line, a strip of land across the piedmont from Columbus to Augusta where rapids provided sufficient waterpower to operate the mills.
The Georgia Legislature established Columbus in 1828 specifically as a “trading town” at the head of navigation of the Chattahoochee River. Crossing the Fall Line at Columbus, the river drops 125 feet within 2 1/2 miles and produces a potential energy of at least 66,000 horsepower. This hydropower attracted entrepreneurs, investment capital, and laborers to Columbus.
The exhibit will take you on the economic journey of Columbus from its earliest days in 1828 through the realities of the Civil War and Reconstruction to the middle of the twentieth century when industries such as bricks, soft drinks, and peanuts began their rise to success. It includes the important stories of those who built the industries in our town and those who labored to make them happen.
This exhibit will be on display through March, 2024.