Valdosta, Georgia

Valdosta is the county seat of Lowndes County Georgia, United States. It is the principal city of the Valdosta 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. The 2007 estimate showed a population of 130,170 in the Valdosta metropolitan area. Valdosta is the home of Valdosta State University, a regional university in the University System of Georgia with over 12,000 students, and Valdosta High School, home to the winningest football program in the United States.

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

Moody Air Force Base is located about 9 miles north of Valdosta in northern Lowndes County.

History
Valdosta was incorporated on December 7, 1860, at which time the county government was moved from nearby Troupville. Citizens of Troupville relocated when the Gulf and Atlantic Railroad was built four miles (about 6 km) away. In 1860, the engine known as Satilla Number Three pulled the first train into Valdosta on the Gulf and Atlantic Railway.

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. The name Aosta (Latin: Augusta), refers to Emperor Augustus. Thus, Valdosta can be interpreted literally as meaning "Valley of Augustus' City". Originally, a long standing rumor held that the city's nomenclature stood for "vale of beauty."

After the American Civil War, 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 former courthouse was built around 1905 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In August and September 2010, the county government moved to a brand new judicial complex. The History of the courthouse of Lowndes started in the 1830s and also the 7th courthouse in Lowndes County. In 1834 a new courthouse was built and named Troupville, which burned in 1858. After railroad surveyors came, the city was moved four miles for working habits to help out others. Over the years, more courthouses were built and more burned down. The structure evolved from log buildings to red-brick buildings. Sadly, after thirty years, the new and improved Lowndes County Courthouse was torn down due to another courthouse that was built a year later, which is the 7th courthouse of Lowndes County. The Lowndes County Courthouse is widely acknowledged as one of the most beautiful county courthouses in Georgia. It is a historical sight for many to visit and view. The courthouse is also useful for meeting, public display, and other attractions. Today it is used for many events, meetings and political purposes.

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.

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 2010 Valdosta was named one of the "Best Small Places For Business And Careers" by Forbes. In 1910, Fortune magazine named Valdosta the richest city in America by per capita income.

Geography
Valdosta is located at °N, °W (30.846661, -83.283101).

It is located in the coastal plain of Georgia and thus has a virtually flat landscape. Valdosta lies 230 miles south of the state capital of Atlanta, and almost the same distance north of Orlando, FL. Valdosta is approximately fifteen miles north of the state's border with Florida. Highways stretch for miles with hardly a curve, rise, or fall. The sixty miles (97 km) of railway between Valdosta and Waycross were 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.

Climate
Valdosta has a humid subtropical climate (Koppen climate classification Cfa), with mild, wet winters and hot, humid summers.

MSA
According to the Bureau of Census, the Valdosta, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) had an estimated population of 135,804 and ranked #281 in the U.S. in 2009. (The MSA consisists of Lowndes, Brooks, Lanier, and Echols Counties.)

City
As of the census 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 per square mile (243.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 48.49% African American, 47.71% White, 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.

Economy
Located in the far southern portion of the state, near the Florida line along the Interstate 75 corridor, it is a commercial center of South Georgia with numerous manufacturing plants. The surrounding area produces tobacco, naval stores, particularly turpentine, as well as pine lumber, and pulpwood. According to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Valdosta is called the "Naval Stores Capital of the World" because it supplies 80% of the world demand for naval stores.

In the retailing field, Valdosta has one major regional mall, Valdosta Mall, which features national chain anchor stores like JCPenney, Sears, Office Depot, PetSmart, Belk, Old Navy, and Ross Stores. Several large stores surround the mall or are near the mall including Best Buy, Home Depot, Kohl's, Lowe's, Office Max and Target. Valdosta has other notable shopping areas such as the Historic Downtown area with many local businesses, and the Five Points area which has a Big Lots, Winn-Dixie, and numerous national franchise and local restaurants.

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-75.svg|20px]] Interstate 75 (State Route 8) runs north to south through a western section of Valdosta.
 * [[Image:US 84.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 84 (Wiregrass Georgia Parkway) is colocated with State Route 38 and runs west to east bisecting the city and is known as Hill Avenue through the city limits.
 * [[Image:Georgia 7.svg|20px]] State Route 7 runs north to south entering the city at the Withlacoochee River being known as North Valdosta Road, it continues south on North Ashley Street. It branches into two sections at Five Points, SR 7 Business travelling south down North Ashlety Street, SR 7 Alternate travelling south down Patterson Street. At the overpass over the CSX railroad, they join together to become SR 7 Business following South Patterson Street. It joins up with U.S. Route 41 just outside the city limits.

Other Transportation
The Valdosta Regional Airport, three miles south of Valdosta, is serviced by Delta Air Lines to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Atlantic Southeast Airlines as a Delta Connection. There is also a Greyhound bus station.

Streetcar
In 1898, the Valdosta Street Railway Company secured the right to operate street cars on Patterson, Ashley, Toombs, Lee, Hill, Central, Crane and Gordon Streets. Valdosta was one of the smallest cities in America to have a street railway system. The streetcar operated in the downtown area between 1899 and 1924. The abandoned tracks were removed in the 1940s to be used as scrap metal for the war effort.

Lowndes County School District
The Lowndes County School District holds grades pre-school to grade twelve, that consists of seven elementary schools, three middle schools, and a high school. The district has 592 full-time teachers and over 9,245 students.

Valdosta City School District
The Valdosta City School District holds grades pre-school to grade twelve, that consists of five elementary schools, two middle schools, and a high school. The district has 447 full-time teachers and over 7,178 students.

Private Education
Valwood School is an independent college preparatory school enrolling students in Pre-Kindergarten through twelfth grade. Several Christian Schools offering classes K-12 also operate in and near Valdosta including Georgia Christian School, Lighthouse Christian School, Open Bible Christian School, Southland Christian School, and St. John Catholic School.



Higher Education
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 as Valdosta State College. Valdosta State College achieved university status and became VSU in 1993 and is one of two regional universities in Georgia. VSU has seen substantial growth in the past decade and currently has an enrollment of over 12,000 students. VSU is also the site of the Georgia Governor's Honors Program (GHP), a yearly six-week gathering of meritorious high school students in subjects ranging from standard academic subjects (i.e. math, languages, social studies, etc.) to broader intellectual enterprises (i.e. dance, theater, agricultural sciences.)

An extension of Georgia Military College is in the city limits, and Wiregrass Georgia Technical College is located a mile outside of the city limits off of Interstate 75.

Museum
The Lowndes County Historical Society & Museum is located at the Valdosta Carnegie library building, one of only 24 Carnegie Libraries in Georgia.

High school football
Valdosta has a strong high school football tradition. The Valdosta High School Wildcats have one of the most successful high school football programs in the country with 829 wins, six national championships (1962, 1969, 1971, 1984, 1986, 1992), 23 Georgia state championships between 1940 and 1998, and 41 region titles.

Cross-town rival Lowndes High School have also built a strong program, winning five state titles since 1980 (including 1999, 2004, 2005 and 2007). Local private school, Valwood School has won three GISA state football titles in Class A (1985, 1986, and 1999).

The annual matchup between the two public high schools, Lowndes and Valdosta High, is known as the Winnersville Classic. Valdosta leads the overall series 33-16 and 18-12 since 1981 when the annual match was named the Winnersville Classic. Lowndes has won the past seven consecutive meetings and eleven of the past fourteen

Football
Valdosta State University began fielding an NCAA Division II football program in 1982. The Blazers won their second NCAA Division II National Championship on December 15, 2007 with a victory over NW Missouri State, 25-20. Their first was 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 6 Gulf South Conference football championships (1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2010).

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 coach of the Georgia Southern Eagles from 2007-2009. 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.

Tennis
Valdosta State University's Men's Tennis team won the 2006 and 2011 NCAA Division II national championships. The team has also appeared in the national title game in 2004, 2007, and 2010.

Valdosta State's Mens Tennis team leads the Gulf South Conference with nine conference championships (1996, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011). In 2011 the men's team became the first to win five consecutive GSC Championships in tennis.

Baseball
The first baseball team at Valdosta State was formed in 1954 and had its first official season of intercollegiate competition in 1955. Tommy Thomas, became coach in 1967 and served as coach until 2007. Under Thomas the blazers saw 34 winning seasons, two conference titles, three Divisional titles, eight trips to the national tournament, and a Division II national championship in 1979. Thomas is the all-time wins leader in NCAA Division II baseball with 1302 wins. Greg Guilliams became VSU's head baseball coach in 2008 and won a Gulf South Conference East Division title in his first year and led Valdosta State to its first postseason appearance in seven years.

Minor League Baseball
Valdosta hosted several different minor league baseball teams during the twentieth century, and was one of six cities in the Georgia State League which began play in 1906, with the team known known as the Valdosta Stars. From 1946-1958, the Valdosta Tigers were a "Class-D" minor league team. Valdosta was also home to the Valdosta Trojans which was a “farm” team for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

ESPN's Titletown, USA
TitleTown USA was a month-long segment on ESPN that started in the Spring of 2008 and continued through July. Fans nominated towns and cities across the country based on their championship pedigree. A panel reviewed the nominees and fan voting in May determined the 20th finalist. SportsCenter visited each city in July, and fan voting July 23–27 determined the winner.

Due to the Valdosta High School football team's record as well as multiple championships in many sports by Valdosta State University, Lowndes High School, Valwood School, Georgia Christian School, and other academic institutions in the town, Valdosta was nominated as a finalist in 2008 for ESPN's "Titletown USA" contest. On July 28, 2008, with 29.2% of fan votes on ESPN's website poll, Valdosta was named TitleTown USA.

Newspaper

 * The Valdosta Daily Times

Radio
AM:
 * WJEM 1150 AM; 5 kW Gospel
 * WVLD 1450 AM; 1 kW Sports Radio
 * WGOV 950 AM; 4 kW Adult Urban Contemporary
 * WFVR 910 AM; 50 kW

FM:
 * WDDQ TALK 92.1 FM Talk radio
 * WAY 88.1 FM Christian Contemporary
 * WVVS 90.9 FM VSU station
 * WWET 91.7 FM
 * WAAC 92.9 FM Country
 * WJYF 95.3 FM Christian Contemporary
 * WQPW 95.7 FM Adult Contemporary
 * WLYX 96.7 FM Urban
 * WAFT 101.1 FM Christian
 * WXHT 102.7 FM Pop Hits (Broadcast from Valdosta but licensed to Madison, FL)
 * WSTI 105.3 FM Classic Soul and R&B (Broadcast from Valdosta but licensed to Quitman, GA)
 * WWRQ 107.9 FM Rock

Notable residents and natives

 * James Lord Pierpont, the author of "Jingle Bells", lived many years in Valdosta, where he taught music.
 * Doc Holliday, Western dentist/gunfighter/gambler spent his youth in Valdosta
 * Noah Langdale, President of Georgia State University from 1957 to 1988.
 * Louis Lomax, African-American journalist, and the son of a leading local educator
 * Alex W. Bealer, Atlanta blacksmith and author, was born in Valdosta in 1921.
 * Father Divine, was arrested in Valdosta in 1914 and charged with lunacy in Valdosta under the name John Doe (alias God). He was acquitted.
 * Mary Turner, African-American lynching victim
 * Major Carroll S. Woods, flew in 107 combat missions in World War II as a Tuskegee Airman in the 99th Fighter Squadron, 332 Fighter Group.

Entertainment

 * Sonny Shroyer, actor best known for role as Enos Strate on The Dukes of Hazzard, born in Valdosta on August 28, 1935.
 * Demond Wilson, Minister and TV actor best known for playing Lamont on Sanford and Son
 * Bill Hicks, comedian
 * Domonique Simone, Adult film star
 * Rhett Akins, Country music artist.
 * Billy Joe Royal, Country music artist.
 * NewSong, Christian music band
 * From First To Last, Matt Good, Derek Bloom and Travis Richer, Alternative music artists.

Sports

 * 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
 * Jay Ratliff, NFL nose tackle, Dallas Cowboys
 * Brice Hunter, NFL wide receiver, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
 * Todd Peterson, former NFL player
 * Coleman Rudolph, American football player, former Georgia Tech college player, NFL, New York Giants and New York Jets
 * Dana Brinson, former NFL player
 * Stan Rome, former NFL player, Kansas City Chiefs (1979-1982)
 * Willie Gary, NFL, St. Louis Rams, played in Super Bowl XXXVI
 * Dusty Bonner, VSU quarterback, later played for Kentucky and eventually NFL for the Atlanta Falcons and arena football league
 * William "Red" Dawson Only surviving Coach of the 1970 Marshall Tragedy, Chronicled in the movie We Are Marshall
 * Ellis Clary, former Major League Baseball player, coach, and scout
 * Desmond (Desi) Relaford, Major League Baseball infielder
 * Briny Baird, professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and Nationwide Tour.

Politics

 * Melvin E. Thompson, the 71st Governor of Georgia, retired and died in Valdosta.
 * Allen Boyd, served as a Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives for Florida from 1997 to 2011.
 * Charlie Norwood, served as a Republican U.S. Representative of Georgia from 1995 to 2007.

Valdosta in fiction

 * Parts of Fannie Flagg's novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe are set in Valdosta.
 * 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.
 * Scenes from the film Zombieland, starring Woody Harrelson, were shot on Valdosta streets and nearby Wild Adventures theme park.