Today, we’re turning the page on year eight of COLAtoday — and what better way to celebrate than by diving into the past?

To mark the milestone, City Editor David rounded up eight favorite local history stories we've shared over the years, from presidential visits and hidden muses to beloved shops and submerged towns.

A historic marker honoring Hettie Anderson was installed in April, 2023 near her birthplace in Columbia, SC. | Photo by COLAtoday

What “Famously Hot” looked like in 1956 | From sleeping porches to Vienna sausage-pineapple waffles, this story dives into how Soda Citizens stayed cool before A/C.

Columbia’s first planned suburb | Laid out in 1893 and shaped by streetcars, wide porches, and shifting social tides, Old Shandon tells a story of early suburban life in Soda City.

A history lesson on Columbia’s first public high school | From the one-room schoolhouse era to producing award-winning journalists and Olympic coaches, this story traces how education in Columbia evolved over the last 150 years.

Meet the muse behind Gilded Age masterpieces | A historical marker on Arsenal Hill honors Gilded Age muse Hettie Anderson, a Columbian who helped shape some of America’s most iconic artworks.

High-profile visits over the past 250 years | From George Washington’s critique in 1791 to Oprah’s stadium-filling rally in 2007, Columbia has hosted its share of iconic visitors over the centuries.

Remembering the Joyful Alternative | Over two decades since its closing, The Joyful Alternative’s legacy as Columbia’s counter-culture hub for candles, Kerouac, and community still lingers on Saluda Avenue.

Columbia’s historical markers: Lake Murray | More than 20 years after its centennial, Lake Murray remains a Midlands favorite — but beneath its waters lies a century-old story of power, displacement, and WWII bomb runs.

The history of COLAtoday | Why not start with our own history? COLAtoday was born on April 3, 2017 — well, the newsletter anyways. For those of you who’ve been following along since 2017, thank you. For all others, allow us to (re)introduce ourselves with this story.