Columbiana – in 1826, settlers in Shelby County used a small referendum margin to settle a controversial decision, as the area known than as Columbia, would serve as the new seat of Shelby County.
According to the historical legend, to celebrate the occasion, the people grabbed an old pine stump near the center of town and drilled holes in it, filled it full of gunpowder and cheered as it exploded. Now, exactly 200 years later, the residents of Columbiana will hold their own explosive celebration with live music and fireworks.
Liberty Day was created by business owners, church leaders, and a growing coalition of citizens. The event has grown into a two-day festival featuring live music, vendors, food trucks, a parade and more. Visitors crowd Columbiana Main Street and Old Mill Square Park to join in on the celebration.
This year, that’s Friday, June 26th and Saturday, June 27th. Included activities are sixth annual Liberty Day 5K, a car show, live performances, award presentations, and even a parade!
So, how did all come obout 200-plus years ago?
Between 1814 and 1820, the original Shelby County settlers moved into what are present-day Montevallo and Harpersville. Joseph Howard purchased the first piece of land in Columbia from the federal government in 1821 and moved his family from the Harpersville area. Others soon followed and the area grew.
Shelby County was officially created in February of 1818 by the Alabama Territorial Legislature, and the town of Shelbyville, modern-day Pelham, was designated as the county seat. But by 1825, most of the population in the county lived in the area of Harpersville, Wilsonville, Columbia area with Montevallo as an outlier that was beat out for the title of county seat by Columbia.
That started the clock on 200 years, though the Alabama Legislature changed the name of the city to Columbiana on January 13, 1832, and the city was officially incorporated a few years later on December 5, 1837.
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