Valdosta, Georgia

Early History of Lowndes County and Valdosta , Georgia

The Seminole and Creek Indians were the first settlers in what would later become Lowndes County. The county's first "visitors" were Hernando de Soto and his band of explorers, who passed through the area in 1540. In 1821, Lowndes County was created by dividing Irwin County into two parts. A state land lottery in 1820 opened the area for settlers, and five years later, on December 23, 1825, Lowndes County was officially created by legislative act.

First Settlers - Creation of Lowndes County

In 1821 four settlers moved to that section of Georgia which is now known as Lowndes County. Sections to the north had been settled and several counties had been laid off. The country into which these four settlers moved their families was a wilderness and Indians were numerous.

The first settlers found a region of gently rolling uplands with extensive forests of pine and oak, flatwoods of longleaf pine and wire grass, and an undulating southern section dotted with lakes and lime sinks. The fine sandy loam of the northern part promised good crops, and a soil recognized as productive for farming and stock raising stretched from the Withlacoochee along the south side of Cherry Creek to Skipper Bridge and beyond to Cat Creek. The newcomers marveled at the expanse of yellow pine.

The first settlers were James Rountree, Lawrence Folsom, Drew Vickers and Alfred Belote. They each brought their families and made the journey in covered wagons. Each man selected his lot of land and proceeded to erect modest homes. Lawrence Folsom and Drew Vickers located in the northern section of the county. They chose the high ground which was good for general farming and excellent for raising stock.

The Coffee Road was the first major thoroughfare for settlers into south Georgia. Commissioned by the state in 1822, General John Coffee and the militia cut the road from Jacksonville in Telfair County to Duncansville in Thomas County. One man who realized the opportunity opened up by the Coffee Road was Sion Hall. He lived in Irwin County at the time of the 1820 census. Hall and his sixteen-year-old son Enoch had come into the new region to select a homeplace on the route. They "rambled around a while looking for a good spot to settle to build a house and a store," eventually deciding upon a site, Lot No. 271 in the northeast section of District 12, about two miles north of present Morven in Brooks County. Sion Hall brought in a sawmill that he had, along with a "good many" slaves and his horses, and cleared the land and with the dressed lumber build a home on the west side of the Coffee Road. He then brought in his family and household goods. After other settlers began to arrive, Sion Hall build a store in a pine thicket across the road from his house thus establishing the first commercial enterprise in the county, and he provided for the needs of newcomers and travelers. The first session of court in Lowndes County was held at the home of Sion Hall, where the judge, jurors and the spectators sat upon logs arranged in the yard. Hamilton W. Sharpe, who clerked in Sion Hall's store for several years, eventually purchased Mr. Hall's interest in the store. Hamilton W. Sharpe was very active in establishing the first post office in Lowndes County in 1827 and became the first post master. The post office was known as Sharpe's Store.

Soon after the opening of the Coffee Road, other settlers rapidly moved into the area. This section of Georgia was very fertile, as it is now, and it was easy to make a prosperous home in the new and undeveloped land. In the space of three or four years the country had become thickly settled. About 1823 John Bryan homesteaded upon land in the fork of the Okapilco and Mule creeks, and Washington Joyce farmed east of the Little River where he put into operation a ferry at Miller's Bridge.

In 1825 it was decided to petition the legislature to create a new county. The name selected for the new county was Lowndes, and at the meeting of the General Assembly that year the act creating Lowndes County was passed.

In deciding upon a name for their county, these early settlers went outside of their own State and elected to choose Lowndes, in honor of William Jones Lowndes, one of the distinguished sons of South Carolina. William Jones Lowndes was the son of Rawlings Lowndes, who was a leader in the affairs of South Carolina during and after the Revolutionary War. The man for whom Lowndes County was named was noted as a learned scholar and for his mildness of disposition. He was not vigorous in health and was forced to decline the honor of having his name placed before the people as a candidate for the presidency of the United States at the time of the election of James Monroe for the second term.

Lowndes County was created by cutting Irwin County into two parts. The northern portion remained Irwin, while most of the southern portion was called Lowndes. The new county, when originally marked out, was sixty-two miles from north to south and forty miles from east to west. It contained 2,080 square miles. It was bounded on the north by Irwin County, on the east by Ware County, on the south by the State of Florida, and on the west by Thomas County.

Settlers continued to move into the newly formed Lowndes County. Many came from South Carolina; for example, the Howells loaded their household goods in wagons, gathered together their children and their children's children, their slaves, and their stock, left the Carolina Barnwell District, and located in the southeast section of the county around Howell. Jesse Carter settled on Lot No. 375. District 11, to the east; James McMullen on Lot No. 142, District 15, in the southwest; and Thomas M. Dees in Lots No. 26 and 27, District 11, near Mud Swamp. A. B. Shehee and Samuel Swilley lived in the Mud Swamp area which also proved to be good farm land. Samuel Swilley had a substantial log house on the edge of the woods and log cabins for his slaves in the midst of his corn field. He possessed a pond with a mill whose water power he used to grind corn, to saw logs and to gin cotton.

James Edmondson was born in Warren County, Georgia, and grew up in Bulloch County. During the winter of 1827-1828 he came to Lowndes with his wife and two children, living first on Lot No. 362, District. He later moved to a new homeplace about four miles east of Hahira.

Franklinville

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. Mindful of the threat, Colonel Blair reported the approach of 2,000 Indians on their way toward Lowndes County and requested a hundred muskets, cartridge boxes, and ammunition to protect the county's exposed position. Before the governor could respond with arms or men, Lowndes countians fought the battle of Brushy Creek, which took place July 10, 1836. Levi J. Knight described the fight to the governor, who later commended Knight and his comrades for their bravery. Knight wrote that both Enoch Hall and Hamilton Sharpe were in charge of companies of militia. In the course of tracking the Indians through Lowndes, fifteen men commanded by Captain Sharpe formed a battalion with thirty-one men from Thomas County after they discovered Indians in the fork of the Little River and Big Warrior Creek. Following the trail for three miles down the east side of the river, Sharpe and his soldiers encountered about sixty warriors and their families. In the ensuing fight, Captain Sharpe lost one man, Mr. P. Folsom, and one wounded, when he was forced to retreat. Reinforced by the remainder of the battalion, the Lowndes men pursued the Indians for another three miles and found them on a pine ridge, their rear protected by a cypress pond, and in their front a wide, open, boggy meadow. A general engagement commended about 9 o'clock a. m. and after a severe fight for two hours, the Indians were completely routed, with a loss of twenty-two Indians and two Negroes killed, that were seen, and many wounded. Of the militia, Bartow Ferrell of Thomas County and Edwin D. Shanks of Lowndes County were killed and nine wounded.

Norman Campbell, John McDermott, Robert N. Parrish, Pennywell Folsom, Ashley Lawson, Edwin D. Shanks, West Roundtree and others were among those going to the battle from around Troupville.

The successful result of this fight soon became known far and wide, and the Indians never gave the settlers of South Georgia any more trouble. An occasional party was seen, but none of them proved troublesome and the country was soon entirely free of Indians.

Growth of Troupville - Lowndes County

Troupville continued to grow rapidly and soon became a town with stores, residences, mechanic shops and churches. And after a time a court house was built. In a short while the town became the trading center of this section. In the 1840 census Lowndes County was recorded as having 4,475 white people and 1,662 Negroes. Several saw mills, grist mills, rice mills, a good many stores and other industries were recorded. The taxable property of the county was well over two million. By the year 1842 there were about five hundred inhabitants in Troupville. The court house stood in the center of the big square, and the jail, a "grocery" and Smith's stables were on the back of the lot. The court house was a two story building, court being held in the lower floor, while several lawyers had offices in the upper story. There were three hotels and four stores, several mechanic shops and grist mills, and homes for twenty families. Among the storekeepers were Aaron and Moses Smith. William Smith operated a hotel across the street from the courthouse called that he called "Tranquil Hall," and he and his wife were famous for their hospitality. Morgan Swain operated another hotel. Dr. Henry Briggs, an admired physician with a large practice, had a drug store in Troupville. Also among the buildings in Troupville were the separate law offices of Captain Platt, M. B. Bennett and William L. Morgan. Among the residences in the town were those of Dr. Briggs, Dr. Thomas W. Ellis, Joshua W. Griffin, Powhatan Whittle, Moses Smith, Jr., Henry Smith, Isaac DeLyon and Colonel Leonoren DeLyon.

There were two churches in the village at this time--a Baptist and Methodist. Just across the Withlacoochee River stood a Primitive Baptist church. The only newspaper published in this section of the state was edited and printed at Troupville by Colonel Leonoren DeLyon. The paper was called "The South Georgia Watchman." It was ably edited and was a power in this section.

Just across the river from the town was a clear, cool spring, known as Morgan's Spring, as the Morgan family lived nearest to it. The spring was famed far and wide for its purity and refreshing qualities. The stage coach always stopped at Morgan's Spring, which was only a short distance from the public road and near the bridge where the stage crossed in going over the Withlacoochee River. The passengers always wanted to get out and see the noted spring and many of them refreshed themselves with its cool waters.

Lowndes County was represented in the General Assembly by one Representative and one Senator from 1825 until 1845. Lowndes was in the Fifth Senatorial District when the old district system for senators went into force. This lasted until 1853, when the new system went into effect and Lowndes was placed in the Sixth Senatorial District.

Valdosta

Lowndes Countians had long anticipated the coming of a railroad and many had invested in railroad stock believing that their investment assured the construction of a rail line through Mill Town and Troupville. However, when the new Atlantic and Gulf Railroad did extend its right of way from Savannah toward Pensacola, it was on a line which ran four miles south of Troupville. In the Georgia of 1859 location on a rail line was vital to the progress of a town, and Lowndes Countians determined to benefit from the trade that a railroad would bring. Therefore they had the legislature appoint commissioners William H. Goldwire, James Harrell, John B. Stapler and Dennis Worthington to choose a location on the rail line and in the center of the county for the place of county business and to call it Valdosta.

In choosing a name for their county seat, the citizens of Lowndes did not wish to transfer the name of Troupville to the new town; yet, they wished to retain the association with the admired Governor Troup. Several names were suggested, but it remained for Col. Leonoren DeLyon, editor of the "South Georgia Watchman," to have the honor of suggesting the name finally selected. Col. DeLyon suggested that the place be named for one of Governor Troup's plantations, Val de Osta, in Laurens County. The source of the name was a town, valley and district in northwestern Italy. De Lyon modified the spelling to Valdosta. Throughout the years, Valdostans have maintained that the phrase meant Vale of Beauty.

Commissioners Worthington, Stapler, Harrell, and Goldwire procured the property for the new town. On the 12th of December 1859, for $1,250, they purchased 140 acres in the northeast corner of Lot No. 62, District 11, from William Wisenbaker, who did not like the railroad coming so near his farm. Mr. Wisenbaker later moved to the Lake Park section of the county. William Wisenbaker reserved fifteen acres of the parcel of land as a donation to the Atlantic and Gulf Railroad Company for a right of way and for depot purposes. If the Railroad Company did not require the entire fifteen acres, the County Commissioners were to acquire the un-needed property at a cost of $10.00 per acre. William Wisenbaker's home was the only residence when Valdosta became the county seat. The one-story frame house stood on what came to be Wells Street and faced the new Central Avenue. John T. Roberts later purchased the home for his large family, and he added a second floor.

The commissioners set aside one acre, Block No. 15, for the court house, and the town included the land within one mile of Block 15. They made the blocks of the business district one acre in size and divided them into small lots. For the residential area they marked off lots of either two acres with two home sites or four acres with four lots each. On January 19, 1860, the commissioners sold at public auction each lot to the highest bidder. For example, Charles H. M. and William D. Howell bought Lot No. 1, Block 32, for $100. The lot, which was the southeast corner of Crane Avenue and Stephens Street, came into possession of the M. M. Caswell family. In the business district, Dr. William Ashley secured Lot No. 7, Block 9, 45 x 90 for $175. His was the first lot south of the alley on the west side of Patterson Street between Hill and Central avenues. Powhatten B. Whittle and Henrietta Goldwire bought property in the business section, James W. Patterson purchased for $170 Lot No. 20, Block 20, which was the property across from the court house bounded by Patterson, Valley and Ashley streets. Subsequently Patterson sold two acres outside the downtown area to Albert Converse for $100 and ten acres to Richard A. Peeples for $300.

The day the deed was signed by William Wisenbaker granting the railroad six acres of land south of Hill Avenue on which to build the first station, "Uncle Billy" Smith tore off the wing of his hotel in Troupville and moved it to Valdosta, where he operated a small hostelry for several years. In a few weeks Troupville, as a town, was no more. A few families, however, remained in Troupville for some time.

At the time of the June 1860 census approximately 120 whites and 46 blacks lived in Valdosta. James Goldwire served as postmaster, and Rufus Phillips was a lawyer. Richard Peeples was both a lawyer and a farmer and James Patterson also was a lawyer and a planter. Editor L. D. DeLyon emphasized politics in his weekly Watchman, which had a circulation of 1,300. The Pattersons and DeLyon's resided with John May, who was a merchant. R. T. Roberds was one of the nine other merchants in Valdosta, as was George Roberts. Living in town was farmer Albert Converse and family. Other inhabitants of Valdosta were physician John F. Trippe, clerk of superior court John Goldwire, and Daguerrian Wilson Boyd. Armistead Hewitt was a mason, and Thomas Conner was a blacksmith who lived with hotel keeper Nelson Connor. David McCall was also a hotel keeper. Two laborers and twelve carpenters had households in Valdosta. Among them were Christopher Grace, John Woods, William J. Knight and Jacob Ezell whose brother Thomas resided with him.

According to tradition, on July 4, 1860, the first train came over the new road to Valdosta. The event had been announced for weeks in advance and extravagant preparations had been made to make the day a gala occasion. A barbecue dinner had been prepared and crowds gathered from the entire section to take part in the demonstration. As the crowds watched and waited the train came puffing down the track and many a spectator felt his or her knees give way and an almost irresistible desire to run seized them, for this was the first train most of them had ever seen. The engine was called Satilla No. 3, and it was the wonder of the hundreds who had gathered for the occasion. After the Satilla had served its full number of years of usefulness as an engine on the railroad it was purchased by the Wall Mill, which was located about two miles east of Valdosta. It was used to pull a logging train and many a load was hauled by the faithful old engine. For a few years the Satilla worked faithfully when something went wrong inside and the old engine blew up. Report of the explosion was heard for some distance away.

On December 7, 1860, the city of Valdosta was incorporated by the Legislature for the election of mayor, marshal and councilmen. The citizens chose Reuben Thomason Roberds to be the first mayor.

Willis Allen was one of those moving to Valdosta from Troupville and he was appointed the first agent of the railroad, which was first called Savannah, Florida & Western, but later became part of the Atlantic Coast Line. Mr. Allen later built the hotel which was leased to Mr. Charlie Stuart and was known as the Stuart House. This hotel was very popular with the traveling public until it burned in 1885. The hotel was located south of the railroad, between Ashley and Patterson Street.

Valdosta quickly became the largest community in Lowndes County. With the coming of the railroad the town soon grew into prominence as a business and trading center. It was largely an agricultural section and the majority of the farmers brought their cotton and other produce to Valdosta to be marketed. In time Valdosta became the largest inland market for sea island cotton in the world, and it grew in wealth and population very rapidly.

In 1863 Thannie Smith, a step-daughter of Mr. Benjamin Force, refugeed to Valdosta with her family from Rome, Georgia. She later married Emmett Balthorp "Ballie" Wisenbaker and wrote her memoirs of her early impressions of Valdosta in the years 1863-1865:

Valdosta was only three years old in 1863, and many of the men of the town and county had been called into service only a year after the town came into existence, hence the majority of the buildings were of a rather crude type. The court house was a rough unpainted frame building, unfinished on the inside but well lighted with windows, with a door leading into the court room and another into the small office of the clerk. It was situated on the corner of East Central Avenue and Ashley Streets. The building was also used as a school house at that time. Across Patterson Street from the court house, lawyers William Dasher and Richard Peeples had their two offices; the post office was in this block also. On the corner of Ashley and Valley streets, near where the first brick jail was later erected, was the jail constructed of hewed logs. Approximately a dozen one and two-story stores stood on Patterson Street from the court house to the railroad. Mr. S. Smith had the largest on the southwest corner of Patterson and Central. Doctors Briggs and Rambo had their offices and a small drugstore at the alley on the west side of the 100 block, and Tom Griffin operated a general store on the corner of Patterson and Hill. Across Patterson on the east side Wilson Boyd made photographs upstairs over a store; larger frame buildings were on Patterson on the north side of the alley. On Ashley Street there were three store buildings on the east side. Mr. Josh Griffin owned the store on the northeast corner of Ashley and Hill, the other two opened as barrooms just after the war. On the west side were two buildings. In one Mr. Tom Crawford opened a harness store in 1865 and the other was used by the Caldwell and Parsons families as a home. On the north side of Hill Avenue between Patterson and Ashley was another store. The Holton Hotel was around the corner on Central Avenue near McKey Place.

The various church denominations first met in the court house, using the building in rotation, and everybody attended church every Sunday. In 1865 the Baptists build a church on Valley Street in the middle of the block between Ashley and Patterson which was soon destroyed by a storm. In 1868 or 1869 they erected a church on East Central Avenue. Mr. William Goldwire was the pastor. Within a few years the Presbyterians converted a building on Hill Avenue between Lee Street and McKey Place into a meeting house. The Methodists first built on Valley Street behind the present First Methodist Church. Mr. H. W. Sharpe was the pastor.

Among the refugees who came to Lowndes County and Valdosta during those years were the Myddletons from Liberty County, Langs from Camden County, Bessants and DeLyons from Charleston, Ralstons, Dicksons, Charltons, Butlers, Conleys, O'Conners, Mays, Gays, and Jacksons from Savannah, Rileys, Barnwells, Pritchards from Barnwell and Beaufort, South Carolina, Stewarts and Downs from Darien, Archy Smiths from Marietta, the E. V. Johnsons from Kingston, Mitchels, Jarmons, Hicks, Hamiltons and Forces from Rome. The Parsons and Caldwell families came from Atlanta, the Peacocks came from Vicksburg, Mississippi, and the Wilsons came from Effingham County.

There were many names now well known in the county and this section of Georgia prominently connected with the growth and development of Valdosta. Some of these had lived in old Troupville in the earlier days and others came in after Valdosta was founded: Dr. William Ashley, Capt. Henry Briggs, Mr. Albert Converse, Sr., Col. Morgan, Capt. Moses Smith, Capt. Patterson, Mr. S. Smith, Messrs. Tom and Josh Griffin, Col. Richard Peeples, Thompson Peeples, Mr. James Goldwire, Dr. Ellis, Mr. Fred Ellis, Tompey Roberts, Col. William Dasher, Col. Baker, Messrs. Henry and William Smith, George Roberts, Dr. John Walker, Dr. Pritchard, Judge R.W. Phillips, Tobe Zipperer, Jordan Tucker, William Proser, Aldine D. Boone, the Parramores, Pendletons, Varnedoes, McKeys, Burtons, Langs, Dashers, Lanes, Rawlstons, Carmichaels and Allens.

Some of the county pioneers were: Christian Herman Dasher, John Wisenbaker, James Wisenbaker, James Burgsteiner, Bird Hightower, Frank Jones, Joseph Harelsteiner, J. A. Dasher, Sr., Andrew Jackson Dasher and William Wisenbaker.

Many of Valdosta's early pioneers are buried in Cat Creek Cemetery on the outskirts of modern Valdosta. Common surnames are etched on the fading tombstones that dot the landscape of this ancient burial ground.

After the American Civil War, well over one hundred African Americans, families of farmers, craftsmen, and laborers, emigrated from Lowndes County to Arithington, Liberia, Africa in 1871 and 1872, looking for a better life. This was made possible with the support of the American Colonization Society. The first group, which left in 1871, was led by Jefferson Bracewell, and the second group was led by Aaron Miller.

In November 1902, the Harris Nickel-Plate Circus' prize elephant, Gypsy, went on a rampage and killed her trainer James O'Rourke. After terrorizing the town for a couple of hours, she ran off to Cherry Creek, north of Valdosta. Gypsy was chased by Police Chief Calvin Dampier and a posse. Gypsy was killed by a shot from a Krag-Jørgensen rifle and buried on-site; James O'Rourke was buried in Sunset Hill Cemetery in Valdosta.

The county's courthouse was built around 1905 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Valdosta was once the center of long-staple cotton growing in the United States until the boll weevil finally killed the crop in 1917 and agriculture turned to tobacco and pine timber.

The Valdosta Daily Times has twice reported that the world's second Coca-Cola bottling plant was at one time located in Valdosta.^[8][9]

The local economy received an important boost when Interstate 75 was routed and built through the area. Many vacationers on their way to Florida found Valdosta a convenient "last stop" on their way to Walt Disney World and the Orlando area, especially those coming from the Midwest and Ontario, Canada.

A high school oratory contest once held in Valdosta was notable for the second place winner, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

President George W. Bush received his National Guard flight training at Valdosta's Moody Air Force Base in November 1968.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Monthly Labor Review, the first automated teller machine (ATM) was installed at C&S Bank in Valdosta.

Valdosta was named one of 2003's "Top 100 U.S. Small Towns" by Site Selection magazine. In 1910, Fortune magazine named Valdosta the richest city in America by per capita income.

Interesting Facts Connected With Early Valdosta

The first store was owned by Thomas B. Griffin, located at Patterson and Hill Avenue, and Pease & Sauls the second, followed by Mr. Mose Smith, who had kept a store in Troupville. Mr. Albert Converse II was the first white child born in Valdosta. Dr. Thomas W. Ellis had the first drug store on Ashley, near Hill Avenue. Dr. Ellis was the first person buried in Sunset Hill Cemetery. Dr. William Ashley and Dr. Ellis were the first physicians in Valdosta. Mr. R.Y. Lane was the first banker in Valdosta. In 1861 I. H. Tillman and C. H. M. Howell, Lowndes County delegates to Georgia's secession convention, voted with the majority for withdrawal from the Union. In 1863 several families, refugees from the fighting in north Georgia, came to Valdosta on the railroad and settled in the new town. Lt. Reuben T. Roberds, who had been the first mayor of Valdosta, died at Knoxville Tennessee, as an officer of the "Valdosta Guards" in 1863. In 1864 refugees from Liberty County, hard hit by Sherman's march to the sea, organized what came to be the First Presbyterian Church in Valdosta. In 1865 the first regularly assigned full-time Methodist minister arrived in Valdosta. He was the Rev. George Smith, a wounded and partially paralyzed Civil War veteran who sat while preaching. James H. Pierpoint taught music in Valdosta. He was later to compose "Jingle Bells." In 1865 Federal troops of Company "G," 103rd U. S. Colored Troops, were stationed in Valdosta. In 1866 Samuel McWhir Varnedoe founded the county's first real school, the Valdosta Institute. In 1867 the South Georgia Times predecessor to the Valdosta Daily Times started publication. In 1869 fire in the office of the Ordinary, W. H. Dasher, destroyed the records of the county. In 1869/ 1870 two fire companies were established in Valdosta, the Patterson Fire Company (white) and the Osceola Hook and Ladder Company (black). In 1875 a brick court house was built on the Court House Block and was used until the present court house was constructed in 1904-05. The Lowndes Volunteers, a home guard militia group, was organized with uniforms modeled after West Point in 1875. In 1885 a group of Episcopalians bought a lot and erected a chapel on East Central Avenue. The town purchased the private Valdosta Institute, thereby establishing a public school system in 1885. In 1889 The Georgia Southern and Florida Railroad arrived in Valdosta from the north, expanding trade and business greatly. In 1890 the Valdosta Videttes, a voluntary military company commanded by James O. Varnedoe, drilled on the public square between Ashley and Lee Streets. In 1895 The Valdosta City Council authorized the erection of poles, wiring and other equipment by the Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company and the Valdosta Telegraph Company. The Valdosta Street Railway Company secured the right to operate street cars on Toombs, Patterson, Ashley, Lee, Troup, Hill Central, Crane and Gordon Streets in 1898. In 1899 the Valdosta Primitive Baptist Church was organized. B. F. Strickland incorporated a cotton mill in August of 1899, opening with 5,000 spindles and 125 looms.

Valdosta, Georgia Today

The city of Valdosta is the county seat of Lowndes County, Georgia, United States. It is the principal city of the Valdosta, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 Census, the city had a total population of 43,724; by the 2006 census estimate, it had grown slightly to 45,529^[3] The same estimate showed a population of 126,305 in the Valdosta metropolitan area.^[4]

It is called the Azalea City as the plant grows in profusion there. The city hosts an annual Azalea Festival in March.

Located in the far southern portion of the state, near the Florida line, it is a commercial center of South Georgia with numerous manufacturing plants. The surrounding area produces tobacco, turpentine, pine lumber, and pulpwood. Moody Air Force Base is located nearby.

Valdosta has a number of picturesque historic districts including the beautifully maintained Fairview Historic District and its crown jewel the Roberts House, the oldest home in Lowndes County.

The city has a vibrant art scene supported actively by Valdosta State University, the Southern Artists League, the Turner Art Center, and the Snake Nation Press.

Geography

Valdosta is located at 30°50′48″N, 83°16′59″W (30.846661, -83.283101).

It is located in the coastal plain of Georgia and thus has a virtually flat landscape. Highways stretch for miles with hardly a curve, rise, or fall. The 60 miles (97km) of railway between Valdosta and Waycross was once the longest straight stretch of railroad in the world.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 30.3 square miles (78.4 km²). 29.9 square miles (77.5 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.9 km²) of it is water. The total area is 1.09% water.

Demographics

MSA

According to the Bureau of Census, the Valdosta, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) had an estimated population of 124,838 and ranked #294 in the U.S. in 2005. (The MSA consisists of Lowndes, Brooks, Lanier, and Echols Counties.)

City

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 43,724 people, 16,692 households, and 10,232 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,460.3 people per square mile (563.9/km²). There were 18,907 housing units at an average density of 631.5/sq mi (243.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 47.71% White, 48.49% African American, 0.23% Native American, 1.40% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.90% from other races, and 1.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.18% of the population.

There were 16,692 households out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.1% were married couples living together, 19.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.7% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 18.4% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 86.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,046, and the median income for a family was $38,174. Males had a median income of $27,281 versus $20,807 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,472. About 18.8% of families and 24.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.1% of those under age 18 and 18.9% of those age 65 or over.

Schools

The Valdosta School system serves the City of Valdosta with 3 high school, 4 middle schools and 6 elementary schools.

Valdosta is also the home of Valdosta State University (VSU), founded in 1906 as South Georgia State Normal College for Women. It became part of the University System of Georgia in 1950. Valdosta State College achieved university status and became VSU in 1993.

An extension of Georgia Military College is in the city limits, and Valdosta Technical College is located off of Interstate 75.

High School Football

Valdosta has a strong high school football tradition. The Valdosta High School Wildcats have the winningest high school football program in the country.^[14] Its record from 1913 through 2004 includes six national championships, 23 state championships, and 41 regional championships. Cross-town rival Lowndes High School has also built a strong program, winning four state titles since 1980 (including 2004, 2005 and 2007).[1]

In 2001, Valdosta High School's football coach, Mike O'Brien, told a national gathering of coaches:

Our program is 86 years old, and has been through 12 head coaches. We have only been below a .500 winning percentage five out of the 86 years. We have accumulated 39 region championships, 23 state championships, and six national championships. Here is a little fact to help you better understand how tough our region is. A team from our region has either won or played for a state championship 40 times in last 52 years. Valdosta is the winningest high school football team in America. Our record is 782-160-33. To put that into a better perspective for you, we could lose every game for the next 60 years and still have a winning percentage above .500. Of course if this were to occur I would no longer be the coach.^[

The present record as stands at the end of the 2007 Season is 838-191-33

College Football

Valdosta State University began fielding an NCAA Division II football program in 1982. The Blazers won the NCAA Division II National Championship on December 15, 2007 with a victory over NW Missouri State, 25-20. This was their second National Championship, having won their first in 2004 over Pittsburg State, 35-31. Their first appearance in the Division II National Championship Game was in 2002, when VSU fell to Grand Valley State, 31-24. The Blazers also have won 5 Gulf South Conference football championships (1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004). Two notable alumni are Jessie Tuggle, National Football League linebacker from 1987-2000 playing his entire career with the Atlanta Falcons, and Chris Hatcher, previous head coach of Valdosta State and current coach of the Georgia Southern Eagles. Hatcher amassed a 68-10 record with one national championship and four conference crowns during his six-year tenure at Valdosta State. David Dean, former VSU offensive coordinator, is the current football head coach at Valdosta State University. In 2007 the VSU Blazers won another National Title.

Notable residents and natives

• James Lord Pierpont, the author of "Jingle Bells," lived many years in Valdosta, where he taught music. He later moved to Quitman, Georgia, where he died.
• Buck Belue, former Valdosta High School standout and quarterback of the University of Georgia's 1980 national championship team, now a radio talk show host
• Vincent Burns, NFL defensive tackle Indianapolis Colts
• Randall Godfrey, NFL linebacker, Seattle Seahawks & San Diego Chargers
• Desmond (Desi) Relaford, Major League Baseball infielder, Texas Rangers
• Bill Hicks, comedian
• Doc Holliday, Western dentist/gunfighter/gambler
• George Baker (spiritual leader), known as Father Divine
• Jay Ratliff, NFL defensive end, Dallas Cowboys
• Sonny Shroyer, actor best known for role as Enos Strate on The Dukes of Hazzard, born in Valdosta on August 28, 1935.
• Demond Wilson, TV actor known for playing Lamont on Sanford and Son
• Ossie Davis, award-winning actor, playwright, director, and social activist.
• Rhett Akins, Country music artist.
• Billy Joe Royal, Country music artist.

Valdosta in Fiction

• Parts of Fannie Flagg's novel Fried Green Tomatoes are set in Valdosta, although in the novel it is incorrectly referred to as the seat of "Loundes County."
• In Allen Steele's science fiction novel Coyote Frontier, Valdosta in the year 2070 is the site of Camp Buchanan, an internment camp for dissident liberal intellectuals.
• Scenes from Ernest in the Army take place in Valdosta, even though the entire film was shot in South Africa.