Included in the act to create Lowndes County, Lawrence Folsom, Sion Hall,
William Blair, John J. Underwood, and Daniel McCauly were appointed
commissioners for selecting a public site in the new county. Eventually the
commissioners decided on a permanent site and in 1827 the Assembly declared
Franklinville, Lot No. 20, District 11, to be the county seat. The
commissioners had chosen a place adjacent to a good spring on the
Withlacoochee River near Skipper Bridge and close to the homes of Elias
Skipper, Francis Rountree, and a number of Parrishes, a few miles east of
what is now Hahira. William Smith, who later opened the first hotel at
Troupville, was the first settler of Franklinville. Mr. Smith was appointed
postmaster at Franklinville in 1828 and served there until he became
postmaster at Troupville in 1837. John J. Underwood, attorney-at-law, John
and James Matthis, Martin Shaw, who was sheriff of Lowndes in 1836-1837, and
Aaron Smith were also Franklinville residents. Franklinville was made up of
only a few houses and three log buildings, the court house, the post office
and a store. Residents of the area still did most of their trading in
Tallahassee, St. Marks, and Newport, Florida. Court convened for the first
time in the new log public building at Franklinville for the May term 1829.
Franklinville proved unsatisfactory both as a business location and as the
public site, and by 1833 a new county site was decided upon.
Lowndesville - Troupville
By 1833 the appointed commissioners had all resigned or refused to act, and
the justices of the inferior court appointed new commissioners to fix upon a
new county site. First selected was Lowndesville in Lot No. 109, District 12
near Ousley, south of U. S. Route 84. Lowndesville proved to be no more
satisfactory than Franklinville, so once more the citizens of Lowndes
shifted the county seat. A new commission composed of Samuel M. Clyatt,
William Folsom, William Henry, Jarrel Johnson, John Knight, John Lindsey and
Henry Strickland favored a location at the junction of the Withlacoochee and
Little Rivers, and in 1837 Troupville became the county site.
Troupville was named in honor of Governor George M. Troup, one of Georgia's
most noted governors. Governor Troup was a passionate defender of States
Rights, and thought nothing of telling the United States to mind its own
business when there was trouble in the State with the Creek Indians and the
Federal Agents wanted to come in and take part in settling the difficulties.
During this time many new settlers were coming in and the entire county was
being rapidly developed. There were several splendid farms near Troupville
as well as in other parts of the county, and the residents of Lowndes County
were becoming known for their wealth and progress.
There are many names still common in Lowndes and other counties of Georgia
which were well known among the first settlers. When Troupville was settled
among the first to move in were William Knight, Benjamin Sirmans, Henry
Hightower, Levin Green, Henry Underwood, Thomas and Joshua Griffin and T.O.
Townsend.
Among the prosperous planters living near Troupville and making that town
their trading headquarters were Ivy Simmons, Matthew Young, Minchen
Bradford, Berry Jones, I. H. Tillman, Frank Jones, C. H. Dasher, James
Shanks, Jonothan Studstill, Granville Bevil, Beni Boyd, Israel Walthauer,
General DeLoach, the Wisenbakers, Knights, Carters, McCalls, Spains, Belotes,
Rountrees, and Folsoms.
The new town of Troupville became the major access to the new state of
Florida, therefore, it thrived. The settlement soon became the leading town
in this section of the state and new families moved in rapidly. Among those
coming in were Dr. William Ashley, Dr. Henry Briggs, Albert Converse, Willis
Allen, William Bradford, Thomas B. and Joshua Griffin, William Smith,
William Newborn, Tom Holton, Duncan Smith, Hiram Hall, Morgan Swain, John
Towls, Col. Enoch Hall, Ludwick Miller, John Tison, James McCardel, Moses
Smith, Chas. C. Morgan, Chas. S. Rockwell, H. W. Sharpe, Love Green, Frank
Rountree, and the Sirmans.
Among the first lawyers in Troupville were Charles S. Rockwell, T.O.
Townsend, J. J. Underwood, Charles C. Morgan, James W. Patterson, and
Powhatan B. Whittle.
Dr. William Ashley and Dr. Henry Briggs were the first doctors. Mr. William
Smith kept the first hotel and was the first postmaster. Mr. Mose Smith had
the first store; Mr. Duncan Smith was the first county clerk; Rev. H. W.
Sharpe was the first preacher and Morgan Campbell was the first tax
collector.
Creek Indian War
The Indians had given the early settlers some trouble, but there were not
very many Indians in this immediate section, and as a result, the settlers
did not have much trouble with them as was had in some other sections of the
state. However, from time to time there would be fighting.
One battle of consequence between the Indians and settlers occurred at
Brushy Creek in 1836. The scene of the battle was in that section of the
state now included in Berrien County. A number of residents of Lowndes
County took part in the battle.
The Indians had been giving more than the usual amount of trouble for some
time. General Scott was in charge of a force of men in that section of the
state about the Chattahoochee River, and he was making a determined effort
to drive the Indians out. Accordingly, they were passing through the north
end of Lowndes County in large numbers on their way to Florida to join the
Seminoles. After several attacks by these passing Indians the call was sent
out for volunteers and a number of well known residents of Lowndes County
responded. A company of militia was organized under Colonel Henry Blair,
Captains Enoch Hall, Levi J. Knight and Hamilton W. Sharpe.
