Valdosta, Georgia

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Coordinates: 30°50′48″N 83°16′59″W / 30.84667, -83.28306
Valdosta, Georgia, USA
Nickname: Azalea City
Location in Lowndes County and the state of Georgia
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	Lowndes
Government
- Mayor	John J. Fretti
Area
- Total	30.3 sq mi (78.4 km²)
- Land	29.9 sq mi (77.5 km²)
- Water	0.3 sq mi (0.9 km²)
Elevation	220 ft (67 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	43,724
- Density	1,460.3/sq mi (563.9/km²)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	31600-31699
Area code(s)	229
FIPS code	13-78800^[1]
GNIS feature ID	0324649^[2]
Website: http://www.valdostacity.com/

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 2007 estimate showed a population of 130,170 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.

1 History
2 Geography
3 Demographics
4 Schools
- 4.1 High School Football
- 4.2 College Football
5 Transportation
6 Media
- 6.1 Newspaper
- 6.2 Radio
7 Notable residents and natives
8 Valdosta in fiction
9 References
10 External links
- 10.1 Higher Education

[edit] History

Lowndes County Courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is located in the heart of downtown Valdosta.

Valdosta was incorporated on 7 December 1860, at which time the county government was moved from nearby Troupville. Troupville was a steamboat landing on the Withlacoochee River, but when the Gulf and Atlantic Railroad was built four miles (about 6 km) away, the inhabitants simply picked up the town and moved it to the railroad. There are still buildings in Valdosta that made the move.^{[citation needed]}

Troupville, now virtually abandoned, had been named after Governor George Troup, for whom Troup County, Georgia was also named. Valdosta was named after Troup's estate, Val d'Osta, which itself was named after the Valle d'Aosta in Italy. Recipes such as Fonduta alla Valdostana and Pollo alla Valdostana refer to the Italian region and use Fontina cheese made there, and not to the south Georgia city. The city is located on the Atlantic Coastal Plain and has no valley.

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.^[5]

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.^[6]^[7]

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.^{[citation needed]}

The First Baptist Church was built in 1899

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.^[10]

Valdosta was named one of 2003's "Top 100 U.S. Small Towns" by Site Selection magazine.^[11] In 1910, Fortune magazine named Valdosta the richest city in America by per capita income.^[12]

[edit] Geography

Valdosta is located at 30°50′48″N, 83°16′59″W (30.846661, -83.283101)^[13].

It is located in the coastal plain of Georgia and thus has a virtually flat landscape. Valdosta lies 240 miles south of the Georgia State Capital at Atlanta. 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.^{[citation needed]}

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.

[edit] Demographics

Valdosta water tower on W. Savannah Ave.

[edit] 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.)

[edit] 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.

[edit] Past populations

1900 5613

1910 7656

1920 10,783

1940 15,595

[edit] Schools

The city of Valdosta houses 2 school systems: Valdosta (the city school system) and Lowndes (the county school system). There are also numerous private 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.

[edit] 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.^{[citation needed]}

The present record as stands at the end of the 2007 Season is 838-191-33^{[citation needed]}

[edit] College Football

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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.

[edit] Transportation

The major transportation route is provided mainly by Interstate 75. U.S. Highway 41 and U.S. Highway 84 both bisect the city. The Valdosta Regional Airport is serviced by DayJet to Savannah, Montgomery, Tallahassee, Pensacola, Lakeland/Tampa and other cities nonstop and by Delta Air Lines to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. There is also a Greyhound bus station.

[edit] Media

[edit] Newspaper

The Valdosta Daily Times

[edit] Radio

WAY 88.1 FM
WVVS 90.9 FM
WWET 91.7 FM
WAAC 92.9 FM
WQPW 95.7 FM
WLYX 96.7 FM

[edit] 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.

[edit] Valdosta in fiction

Parts of Fannie Flagg's novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe 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.