Incorporated: 1797 |
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Origin: Columbia was first chartered in 1762, and named Preston for Richard Graham, Viscount Preston of Scotland. The original grantees were a group of members of the Society of Friends from Long Island. The town was regranted in 1770 due to grantees failing to meet the prescribed terms, and renamed Cockburntown, after Sir James Cockburn of Scotland, as was so incorporated in 1797. It kept that name until 1811, when Governor John Langdon renamed the town Columbia in the spirit of patriotism preceding the War of 1812. |
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Villages and Place Names: Bungy, Cones, Georges, Meriden Hill, Tinkerville |
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Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 34 residents in 1790 |
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Population Trends: Population change for Columbia totaled 177 over 50 years, from 467 in 1970 to 644 in 2020. The largest decennial percent change was a 44 percent increase from 1970 to 1980. The town's population decreased by 15 percent from 2010 to 2020, the third largest percent decline among the cities and towns. |
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Population Density and Land Area: 2023 (US Census Bureau): 10.9 persons per square mile of land area. Columbia contains 61.2 square miles of land area and 0.1 square miles of inland water area. |
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