Columbia

1879 Located at the mouth of Elm River, Columbia has a notable history. Here was the wintering place of Waneta “Cuthead Band” of Yanctonaise Sioux. Here was the site of the scout’s camp from which in 1866, Sam J. Brown started his famous “ride in the blizzard” to Ft. Wadsworth. In 1877 Clarence D. Johnson came and built the first house in Brown County 2½ miles SE. Julia Lafrombois’ half-breed script, the first instrument filed of record in Brown County, was the basis for Byron M. Smith and Bottineau to locate a townsite here in 1879, long before Thomas M. Marshall surveyed the township in August and called the store thereon the Richmond Store.

John R. James, Columbia’s first postmaster on February 12, 1880 and Don McKenzie ran the “store” for Smith; who envisioned a dam and power site below the Elm, which some Iowa men took over without his leave and in August 1879, when Marshall surveyed, had a 10-foot dam to show for their industry. Governor Ordway appointed Johnson, James and McKenzie the first County Commissioners for Brown County, who promptly organized the county September 14, 1880, and named Columbia the county seat.

Columbia soon was a thriving town with a steamboat line to LaMoure and the “Nettie Baldwin”, hauled overland to Columbia, made regular river trips starting in June 1883. Aberdeen deeply craved the county seat and by legislative gerrymandering, frequent elections, several court actions, finally, after 7 years, won a legal action and got the coveted prize in July 1887.