About Town 2/24/19

This week's photos from around and about Columbia

(Click/tap on photos for larger, clearer images)

Dressed for the weather

 LED creeping in the historic district

There it is, creeping.

 Reflections on Columbia

 Brickwork at the Market House

 Hubcaps

 Missing plate

 Shop there

 Service center

 Peeling and flaking paint.

The Codes Department needs to cite the Public Works Department.

 Scarf bombing

 Hats hangin'

 More so

 Violators will be persecuted. Henchmen do the dirty work.

 Big hole in the ground. Now what?

 New Knox in town

 OUT OF SERVICE overtakes 17 COLUMBIA for the lead.

 Why do people do this?

 Vigilant vulture

 Code violation

 Goose tracks - evidence of a wild goose chase?

 Heroes temporarily under snow

 Door to Door Service

 So ya wanna be a rural carrier?

 The bank financed the Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge that was burned in the Civil War, the piers of which still remain at Columbia River Park. The Federal Government owes $170 million dollars (in today's money) for the destruction of the bridge, but don't count on getting it any time soon - or ever. Congressman Joe Pitts tried it in 2003.

According to https://yorkblog.com/ 

In 2003, Rep. Joe Pitts took up the cause. By then, with interest, the claim had grown to $170 million dollars. According to the Star News, August 31, 2003, he joked that he would push Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to include payment for Columbia’s lost bridge in reparations to rebuild war-damaged bridges in Iraq “just for fun.” However, White House Office of Management and Budget spokesman Trent Duffy replied that the claim had expired and added, “The bridge might have to be counted, with bravery, as Columbia’s contribution to liberty.”

Stephen Smith, once an indentured servant, eventually earned enough to buy his freedom and then established a lumber and coal business, making him one of the wealthiest African-Americans in Columbia. Smith invested $9,000 into the Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge that was burned in the Civil War. A claim was filed with the Federal Government, but the money was never repaid, as noted in the previous caption.

 Stephen Smith was ordained as a minister in the Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church on South 5th Street, shown above.

 Smith was ordained in 1831, but this church building was not built until 1872.

 And rebuilt in 1921

 Front view of the church

 The memorial plaque for Stephen Smith is in the lower left.

Just in time for Christmas - next Christmas