Columbia County

Columbia County was formed December 1852, from parts of Lafayette, Hempstead, Union, and Ouachita counties. Columbia was named from the time of the American Revolution and refers to the new American nation, derived from Christopher Columbus. The county seat is Magnolia. Each year Columbia County holds a Magnolia Festival. Columbia County is rolling hills with good land for farming and forests for timbering and cotton as a cash crop. Cattle and poultry are raised throughout the county along with pine tree harvesting. Industry provides most jobs in the county. Southern Arkansas University is located in the county and Logoly State Park is situated on 345 acres of forested coastal plain with 11 natural springs, a visitor center and amphitheater. Lake Columbia, the newest reservoir, is separated into zones, some for fishing, some for pleasure boating, and some with multiple facilities available for recreation. As of the 2000 census, Columbia County had a population of 25,603 residents.