When French settlers first arrived in the mid-17th century in the Columbia area, they named it “L’Aigle” (French for “The Eagle”), which is where the mascot later originated. In the mid-18th century, the British took over the territory until the Revolutionary War forced them out of the area by Colonial American settlers. Eventually, the American landowners in the Columbia area began to hire the German immigrants who were not landowners as farmhands. Money was short, so they were given land as payment. Soon, most of the land belonged to the Germans. Today, Columbia is a city in Monroe and St. Clair counties in Illinois. Located 12 miles from St. Louis, the city has a population of 9,707, mostly of German descent (2010 Census).
You can visit the City of Columbia’s website here: www.columbiaillinois.com
Find out more about our Public School System here: www.columbia4.org
Find out more about our Private School System here: www.icscolumbia.org
You can visit the Monroe County, Illinois’ website here: www.monroecountyil.org