Mayor, City of Columbus
January 15, 1927 - April 14, 1941
Oscar Abraham Zumwalt was born in Lavaca
County, Texas on July 9, 1870. He came to Columbus in 1899, when he and a
partner purchased a pharmacy that had been established well before the Civil
War. He lived in Columbus
and operated the pharmacy for the rest of his life. In
addition, he concerned himself with researching the history of Columbus, and published two
important articles, "Brief History of Columbus" and "The Columbus Opera House," in 1935. He
died in a small room over his pharmacy that served as his residence on May
29, 1951.
Mr. Zumwalt was the first mayor of Columbus after the town was re-incorporated on January 10, 1927. He was installed as mayor on January 15, 1927, and served until April 14, 1941. During his tenure, city government was organized, a city hall and fire station were built, the water system was enlarged and sewer installed, many city streets were paved, and the Gegenworth and Gregory Heights Addition was developed.
In addition to his service in city government, Mr. Zumwalt spent many years encouraging the construction of a canal across the north part of Columbus to provide water power. He served as the resident director of the Columbus Development and Power Company, which was established to build the canal, and as general manager of the Columbus Centennial Association. An avid amateur photographer, the hundreds of photographs he took of Columbus buildings, people, and events in the early years of the twentieth century are his most enduring legacy.