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Columbia
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University of Missouri Missouri, University of
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University of Missouri Memorial Union, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.

Columbia

Missouri, United States
Also known as: Smithton
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Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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•History

Columbia, city, seat of Boone county, near the Missouri River, central Missouri, U.S., midway between St. Louis and Kansas City. It was originally established (1819) as Smithton, but an inadequate water supply forced its move in 1821, when it was laid out and renamed Columbia. The rerouting of Boone’s Lick Trail (1822) stimulated its growth. In 1839 the town’s residents pledged $117,900 for the location in their city of a state university (now the University...

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