There were five men, who settled south of present-day Columbia on 2,789 acres (1,129 ha) of land with 65 enslaved people.

North of present-day Columbia, on what was the earliest attempt at a town, was Timothy Terrell on 3,151 acres (1,275 ha) with 32 slaves.

In that year, a special session of the legislature met in Columbia, inaugurating Governor Walter Leake, and selecting LeFleur's Bluff (now Jackson) as the permanent capital.

The county courthouse, with its records dating back to pre-statehood, has managed to survive war, floods, tornadoes and hurricanes.

[8] During the Civil War, Union troops under the command of General John Wynn Davidson camped outside Columbia, taking provisions from the local population.

During the civil rights movement, Columbia and Marion County were the site of peaceful demonstrations, due to the diligent insistence of non-violence by Sheriff John Homer Willoughby.

Individuals immediately began helping their neighbors clear roads and escape being trapped in debris.

The day after Hurricane Katrina struck, several inmates took advantage of the storm damage and escaped from the Marion County Jail (some of whom had been charged with murder).

Marion County deputies along with the help of the Mississippi National Guard and Kentucky State Police, captured all but one escapee, who was later apprehended in Texas just before he could get to the Mexican border.

In 2014, a tornado measuring EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita scale struck Columbia, causing widespread damage.

East Marion High school is located just outside of the Columbia city limits on the East side of the Pearl River, and it has a Columbia postal address, while West Marion is located on the West side of the Pearl River next to Foxworth.