Columbus is the seat of Polk County, which was founded in 1855. Actually, the county has the odd history of being organized twice. On the first attempt, people couldn't settle upon a location for a county seat.More structure was given the second time around, and the seat was established in the center of the county and named in honor of Dr. Columbus Mills to recognize his efforts to form the county. Today, Columbus has remained a small community, retaining several interesting buildings from its past.