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73-432: (14th largest) Valdosta is a city in and the county seat of Lowndes County in the U.S. state of Georgia . As the principal city of the Valdosta metropolitan statistical area , which in 2023 had a metropolitan population of 151,118, according to the US Census Bureau its metropolitan area includes Brooks County to the west. With a city population of 55,378 in 2020, Valdosta is the home of Valdosta State University ,

146-526: A Superior Court and Sheriff (as an officer of the court ), both located in a designated "shire town". Bennington County, Vermont has two shire towns; the court for "North Shire" is in the shire town Manchester , and the Sheriff for the county and court for "South Shire" are in the shire town Bennington. In 2024, Connecticut , which had not defined their counties for anything but statistical, historical and weather warning purposes since 1960, along with ending

219-575: A humid subtropical climate ( Köppen climate classification : Cfa ), with mild, dry/wet winters and hot, humid summers. Temperatures frequently go over 90 °F (32.2 °C), but in extreme heatwaves, temperatures occasionally go over 100 °F (37.8 °C). Snowfall is rare but not unknown. Snow fell in Valdosta most recently on January 3, 2018, but the last significant snowfall happened in 1989. However, light frosts regularly occur between December and February. Valdosta can experience Indian summers in

292-410: A county seat may be an independent city surrounded by, but not part of, the county of which it is the administrative center; for example, Fairfax City is both the county seat of Fairfax County, Virginia and completely surrounded by Fairfax County, but the city is politically independent of the county. When the county seat is in the independent city, government offices such as the courthouse may be in

365-537: A dry city or county may face is the loss of tax revenue because drinkers are willing to drive across city, county or state lines to obtain alcohol. Counties in Texas have experienced this problem, which led to some of its residents to vote towards going wet to see their towns come back to life commercially. Although the idea of bringing more revenue and possibly new jobs to a town may be appealing from an economic standpoint, moral opposition remains present. One study finds that

438-413: A playground, entertainment venue and a collection of animals. An amusement park was added, and in 1996 Liberty Farms Animal Park was renamed Wild Adventures . Wild Adventures expanded with Splash Island Water Park in 2002. The Buescher family purchased a botanical garden and theme park called Cypress Gardens in 2004. Due to damage from three hurricanes and a financial struggle in repairing Cypress Gardens,

511-556: A posse. Gypsy was shot and killed and buried on site. James O'Rourke was buried in Sunset Hill Cemetery in Valdosta. On July 28, 1907, Valdosta voted to become a dry city ; a record $ 10,000 worth of whiskey was sold on the last day. The city had been wet since its founding. In 1910, cotton was still important to the economy, and Fortune magazine ranked Valdosta as the richest city in America by per capita income. Soon after that,

584-651: A proclamation to South Georgia Pride, the only one he has refused. 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 as the Valdosta Stars. From 1946 to 1958, the Valdosta Tigers were a "Class-D" minor league team. Valdosta was also home to the Valdosta Trojans which

657-692: A regional university in the University System of Georgia with over 12,000 students as of 2021. The city of Valdosta had been named after Governor George Troup , for whom Troup County, Georgia , was also named. Valdosta was named after Troup's plantation , Valdosta (occasionally the "Val d'Osta" spelling was used for the plantation); Troup had named it after the Aosta Valley ( Piedmontese : Val d'Osta ) in Italy . The name Aosta ( Latin : Augusta ) refers to Emperor Augustus . A long-standing rumor held that

730-418: A similar proportion of crashes in wet and dry counties are alcohol-related. Other researchers have pointed to the same phenomenon. Winn and Giacopassi observed that residents of wet counties most likely have "shorter distances (to travel) between home and drinking establishments". From their study, Schulte and colleagues postulate that "it may be counter productive in that individuals are driving farther under

803-605: A total area of 36.4 square miles (94.3 km), of which 35.9 square miles (93.1 km) are land and 0.46 square miles (1.2 km), or 1.26%, are water. The Withlacoochee River , a tributary of the Suwannee River , runs along part of the western edge of the city, while the eastern side of the city drains to Mud Creek, flowing southeast to the Alapahoochee River , also part of the Suwannee River watershed. Valdosta has

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876-550: Is held every third Saturday in September. The first festival was held in 2008 on the front lawn of Valdosta State University. In 2009, the festival became South Georgia Pride and held its festival at the John W. Saunders Park in Valdosta in 2010. Valdosta Mayor John J. Fretti proclaimed September 17, 2011, as South Georgia Pride Day. Since 2010, the festival has grown to over 3,000 people attending. In July 2012, Mayor John Gayle refused to give

949-409: Is known as the seat of its county. Generally, the county legislature, county courthouse, sheriff's department headquarters, hall of records, jail and correctional facility are located in the county seat, though some functions (such as highway maintenance, which usually requires a large garage for vehicles, along with asphalt and salt storage facilities) may also be located or conducted in other parts of

1022-533: Is located a mile outside of the city limits off Interstate 75 . Also located in Valdosta is Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide: Moody Campus. AM: FM: Valdosta and Lowndes County is part of the Tallahassee, Florida television market and receives most channels from that city; it also receives some channels from the neighboring Albany market. For several decades the Atlantic Coast Line and

1095-587: Is located at the Carnegie Library of Valdosta , a National Register of Historic Places listed building and Carnegie library , one of 24 Carnegie libraries in Georgia . The Lowndes County Civic Center is a 120-seat multi-purpose arena that can be rented by the public and is often used to host community sporting events. The arena was also an occasional venue for Southern Championship Wrestling and Spinebusters Championship Wrestling. The South Georgia Pride Festival

1168-607: Is owned by Herschend Family Entertainment . The South Georgia Regional Library operates two libraries in Valdosta: Valdosta Lowndes County Library and Mae Wisenbaker McMullen Memorial Southside Library. Valdosta Lowndes County Library, with over 32,000 square feet (3,000 m) of space, houses the administrative offices of the library system. Built for $ 450,000, it first opened in 1968. The Mae Wisenbaker McMullen Memorial Southside Library opened on May 31, 1992. An area businessperson, J.C. McMullen, donated

1241-418: Is 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. It achieved university status and became VSU in 1993 and is one of two regional universities in Georgia. An extension of Georgia Military College is in the city limits, and Wiregrass Georgia Technical College

1314-586: The Deep South . Moore County, Tennessee , the home county of Jack Daniel's , a major American producer of whiskey, is a dry county and so the product is not available at stores or restaurants within the county. The distillery , however, sells commemorative bottles of whiskey on site. A study in Kentucky suggested that residents of dry counties have to drive farther from their homes to consume alcohol, thus increasing impaired driving exposure, although it found that

1387-523: The Florida state line. It is about 230 miles (370 km) south of Atlanta , 138 miles (222 km) east of Dothan, Alabama , and 120 miles (190 km) northwest of Jacksonville, Florida . Regionally, Valdosta is considered part of Southeast Georgia , a region bordering Coastal Georgia , South Georgia , and Southwest Georgia . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has

1460-753: The Southern Railway ran regular passenger trains on a Chicago to Florida circuit, making stops in Valdosta, albeit at different stations. The Atlantic Coast Line ran the South Wind through Valdosta, and the Southern operated the Ponce de Leon and the Royal Palm through the town. County seat In Canada , the provinces of Ontario , Quebec , New Brunswick , Prince Edward Island , and Nova Scotia have counties as an administrative division of government below

1533-706: The anti-liquor campaigns of the Baptists (both Southern and Missionary ) and Methodists . Although the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution repealed nationwide Prohibition in the United States , prohibition under state or local laws is permitted. Prior to and after repeal of nationwide Prohibition, some states passed local option laws granting counties and municipalities, either by popular referendum or local ordinance ,

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1606-554: The boll weevil invaded the South, moving east through the states and killing much of the cotton crop in this area in 1917. Agriculture in this area turned to tobacco and pine timber . In January 1913, the South Georgia State Normal College opened in Valdosta on the edge of town. Over the course of the following century, it evolved into Valdosta State University . On May 16, 1918, a white planter named Hampton Smith

1679-515: The 21st Amendment repealed nationwide Prohibition in the United States, alcohol prohibition legislation has been left to the discretion of each state, but that authority is not absolute. States within the United States and other sovereign territories were once assumed to have the authority to regulate commerce with respect to alcohol traveling to, from, or through their jurisdictions. However, one state's ban on alcohol may not impede interstate commerce between states who permit it. The Supreme Court of

1752-482: The 82 counties in Mississippi were dry or moist by the time that state repealed its alcoholic prohibition on January 1, 2021, the date it came into force, making all its counties "wet" by default and allowing alcohol sales unless they vote to become dry again through a referendum. In Florida , three of its 67 counties are dry, all of which are located in the northern part of the state, an area that has cultural ties to

1825-734: The Buescher family were forced to sell Wild Adventures to Herschend Family Entertainment in 2007. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics ' Monthly Labor Review , the first automated teller machine (ATM) was installed at a C&S Bank in Valdosta in 1971. That ATM was preceded by one installed in Rockville Centre, New York , in 1969. Valdosta is located in central Lowndes County at 30°50′48″N 83°16′59″W  /  30.84667°N 83.28306°W  / 30.84667; -83.28306 (30.846661, -83.283101), 15 miles (24 km) north of

1898-513: 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. Several large stores surround the mall or are near the mall. Valdosta has other notable shopping areas such as

1971-561: The Historic Downtown area with many local businesses, and the Five Points area which has large retailers and numerous national franchise and local restaurants. Moody Air Force Base is located about 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Valdosta in northern Lowndes County. Wild Adventures , a 166-acre (67 ha) theme and water park , is located 10 miles (16 km) south of the center of Valdosta in rural Lowndes County. Wild Adventures

2044-505: The United States held in Granholm v. Heald (2005) that states do not have the power to regulate interstate shipments of alcoholic beverages . Therefore, it may be likely that municipal, county, or state legislation banning possession of alcoholic beverages by passengers of vehicles operating in interstate commerce (such as trains and interstate bus lines) would be unconstitutional if passengers on such vehicles were simply passing through

2117-879: The United States, followed by Towson , the county seat of Baltimore County, Maryland . Likewise, some county seats may not be incorporated in their own right, but are located within incorporated municipalities. For example, Cape May Court House, New Jersey , though unincorporated, is a section of Middle Township , an incorporated municipality. In some states, often those that were among the original Thirteen Colonies , county seats include or formerly included "Court House" as part of their name, such as Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia . Most counties have only one county seat. However, some counties in Alabama , Arkansas , Georgia , Iowa , Kentucky , Massachusetts , Mississippi , Missouri , New Hampshire , New York , and Vermont have two or more county seats, usually located on opposite sides of

2190-787: The Valdosta city limits). The District has a total of 10,728 students and nearly 600 teachers and staff. Scintilla Charter Academy is a free public school of choice open to any student who resides in Lowndes County or the city of Valdosta. SCA holds grades kindergarten to ninth grade. Valwood School is an independent college preparatory school north of Valdosta enrolling students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. Several Christian schools offering grades K–12 also operate in and near Valdosta, including Crossroads Baptist School, Georgia Christian School, Lighthouse Christian School, Open Bible Christian School, Highland Christian Academy, St. John Catholic School, and Victory Christian School. Valdosta

2263-466: The ability to decide for themselves whether to allow alcoholic beverages within their jurisdiction. Many dry communities do not prohibit the consumption of alcohol, which could potentially cause a loss of profits and taxes from the sale of alcohol to their residents in wet (non-prohibition) areas. The reason for maintaining prohibition at the local level is often religious in nature, as many evangelical Protestant Christian denominations discourage

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2336-631: The area. Following two 1972 raids on Amtrak trains in Kansas and Oklahoma , dry states at the time, the bars on trains passing through the two states closed for the duration of the transit, but the alcohol stayed on board. A 2004 survey by the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association found that more than 500 municipalities in the United States are dry, including 83 in Alaska . Of Arkansas 's 75 counties, 34 are dry. 36 of

2409-722: The city after the refusal of Confederate dollars as legal tender. During the Reconstruction era , more than 100 freedmen , families of farmers, craftsmen, and laborers, emigrated from Lowndes County to Arthington, Liberia , in 1871 and 1872, looking for a better life. Since before the war, the American Colonization Society had supported the relocation of free blacks to Liberia, an American colony in West Africa established for this purpose. The first group from Lowndes County left in 1871, and were led by Jefferson Bracewell;

2482-418: The city limits of Valdosta. As of 2022 the district has 482 full-time teachers and over 8,294 students. The Lowndes County School District serves communities of Lowndes County outside of the Valdosta city limits. The Lowndes County School District, which has its administration building located in the city limits, has seven elementary schools, three middle schools, and one high school ( Lowndes High School in

2555-460: The city's name meant "vale of beauty." Valdosta was incorporated on December 7, 1860, when it was designated by the state legislature as the new county seat, formerly at nearby Troupville . The railroad was built to Valdosta that year, rather than Troupville, stimulating development in the new county seat. Many citizens of Troupville had already relocated to Valdosta when the Atlantic and Gulf Railroad

2628-512: The city, up from 54,518 at the 2010 U.S. census . The racial and ethnic makeup of the city in 2020 was 34.06% non-Hispanic white , 54.28% African American , 0.2% Native American , 1.56% Asian , 0.06% Pacific Islander American , 3.78% multiracial or another race, and 6.06% Hispanic or Latino of any race. At the 2022 American Community Survey , its population was 55% African American, 35% White, 1% Asian, 2% multiracial, and 5% Hispanic or Latino of any race. Among its racially diverse population,

2701-505: The consumption of alcohol by their followers ( see Christianity and alcohol , sumptuary law , and Bootleggers and Baptists ). A 2018 study of wet and dry counties in the U.S. found that "Even controlling for current religious affiliations , religious composition following the end of national Prohibition strongly predicts current alcohol restrictions." In rural Alaska , restrictions on alcohol sales are motivated by problems with alcohol use disorder and alcohol-related crime . Since

2774-517: The counties after his unification, there were about 1,000. Under the Eastern Han dynasty , the number of counties increased to above 1,000. About 1400 existed when the Sui dynasty abolished the commandery level (郡 jùn), which was the level just above counties, and demoted some commanderies to counties. In Imperial China, the county was a significant administrative unit because it marked the lowest level of

2847-418: The county, especially if it is geographically large. A county seat is usually an incorporated municipality . The exceptions include the county seats of counties that have no incorporated municipalities within their borders, such as Arlington County, Virginia , where the county seat is the entire county. Ellicott City , the county seat of Howard County, Maryland , is the largest unincorporated county seat in

2920-420: The county. Examples include Harrison County, Mississippi , which has both Biloxi and Gulfport as county seats, and Hinds County, Mississippi , which has both Raymond and the state capital of Jackson . The practice of multiple county seat towns dates from the days when travel was difficult. There have been few efforts to eliminate the two-seat arrangement, since a county seat is a source of civic pride for

2993-401: The courthouse unaware of the explosives the five men decided to stop the explosives but some still managed to go off. The explosion was small and no injuries occurred. The five men were arrested and were going to go on trial, but federal soldiers took them to Savannah for trial, which was seen by residents as an overreach of authority and an endangerment for self-government. As mechanization

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3066-533: The highest number of lynchings in the state of Georgia. By 1922 local chapters of the Ku Klux Klan , which had been revived starting in 1915, were holding rallies openly in Valdosta. On June 26, 1941, Moody Army Airfield opened 10 miles (16 km) northeast of town as part of the United States' preparation for the country's potential involvement in World War II . The local economy received an important boost in

3139-424: The imperial bureaucratic structure; in other words, it was the lowest level that the government reached. Government below the county level was often undertaken through informal non-bureaucratic means, varying between dynasties. The head of a county was the magistrate , who oversaw both the day-to-day operations of the county as well as civil and criminal cases. The current number of counties mostly resembled that of

3212-572: The increase of Han Chinese population in Taiwan, the number of counties also grew by time. By the end of Qing era, there were 11 counties in Taiwan. Protestant missionaries in China first romanized the term as hien . When Taiwan became a Japanese colony in 1895, the hierarchy of divisions also incorporated into the Japanese system in the period when Taiwan was under Japanese rule. By September 1945, Taiwan

3285-611: The independent city under an agreement, such as in Albemarle , or may in be enclaves of the county surrounded by the independent city, such as in Fairfax . Others, such as Prince William , have the courthouse in an enclave surrounded by the independent city and have the county government, the Board of Supervisors, in a different part of the county, far from the county seat. The following counties have their county seat in an independent city: Bedford

3358-806: The influence of alcohol, thus, increasing their exposure to crashes in dry counties". Data from the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) showed that in Texas , the fatality rate in alcohol-related accidents in dry counties was 6.8 per 10,000 people over a five-year period. That was three times the rate in wet counties: 1.9 per 10,000. A study in Arkansas came to a similar conclusion - that accident rates were higher in dry counties than in wet. Another study in Arkansas noted that wet and dry counties are often adjacent and that alcoholic beverage sales outlets are often located immediately across county or even on state lines. Another issue

3431-634: The land used for the Southside Library, which was built as part of a larger library construction program; it was named after Mae Wisenbaker McMullen, the mother of J.C. McMullen. The first library for African-Americans in Lowndes County began operations in the Walton Building on January 21, 1935, closed in February 1939, and reopened in 1955. In 1963, all libraries became available to patrons of all races. The Lowndes County Historical Society & Museum

3504-732: The later years of the Qing dynasty . Changes of location and names of counties in Chinese history have been a major field of research in Chinese historical geography, especially from the 1960s to the 1980s. There are 1,355 counties in Mainland China out of a total of 2,851 county-level divisions. In Taiwan , the first counties were first established in 1661 by the Kingdom of Tungning . The later ruler Qing empire inherited this type of administrative divisions. With

3577-445: The median age was 29.2. In 2022, there were 24,837 housing units in Valdosta. Approximately 87% were occupied and 60% were renter-occupied. The majority of its units were single unit family homes and the median value of an owner-occupied housing unit was $ 152,100. Among its population, 16.8% of the city has moved since 2021; of its movers, 7% relocated from the same county, 6% from a different county, and 3% from another state. In 2000,

3650-600: The median household income was $ 41,365 with a per capita income of $ 24,946. An estimated 28.4% of the city's population lived at or below the poverty line, and 38% of children under age 18 were considered in poverty. 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

3723-433: The median income for a household in the city was $ 31,940, and the median income for a family was $ 39,295. Males had a median income of $ 33,230 versus $ 25,689 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 19,003. About 20.3% of families and 28.2% of the population were below the poverty line , including 34.3% of those under age 18 and 13.1% of those age 65 or over. As of the 2022 American Community Survey's estimates,

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3796-506: The mid-20th century 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. The Interstate's route to the west of the city has contributed to its commercial district shifting from the historic downtown area to near the Interstate. Valdosta State College

3869-752: The provincial level, and thus county seats. In the provinces of Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia the term "shire town" is used in place of county seat. County seats in China are the administrative centers of the counties in the People's Republic of China . Xian have existed since the Warring States period and were set up nationwide by the Qin dynasty . The number of counties in China proper gradually increased from dynasty to dynasty. As Qin Shi Huang reorganized

3942-477: The sale of alcoholic beverages and are known as dry cities , dry towns , or dry townships . Dry jurisdictions can be contrasted with "wet" (in which alcohol sales are allowed and regulated) and " moist " (in which some sales of alcohol are permitted, or a dry county containing wet cities). In 1906, just over half of U.S. counties were dry. The proportion was larger in some states; for example, in 1906, 54 of Arkansas's 75 counties were completely dry, influenced by

4015-529: The sale of any kind of alcoholic beverages . Some prohibit off-premises sale, some prohibit on-premises sale, and some prohibit both. The vast majority of counties now permit the sale of alcohol in at least some circumstances, but some dry counties remain, mostly in the Southern United States ; the largest number are in Arkansas , where 34 counties are dry. A number of smaller jurisdictions also exist, such as cities, towns, and townships, which prohibit

4088-481: The second group was led in 1872 by Aaron Miller. One notable event during Reconstruction was at a political meeting in front of the courthouse. A carpetbagger named J. W. Clift was running for United States Congress and was looking for support from former slaves. During Clift's speech he verbally attacked whites of Valdosta. In response five men planted explosives at the courthouse, planning on setting them off at Clift's next political rally. When other whites arrived at

4161-473: The shift from bans on alcohol to legalization causes an increase in crime. The study finds that "a 10% increase in drinking establishments is associated with a 3 to 5% increase in violent crime. The estimated relationship between drinking establishments and property crime is also positive, although smaller in magnitude". Dry and moist counties in Kentucky had a higher rate of meth lab seizures than wet counties;

4234-521: The site of Smith's murder. There the body of Johnson was hanged and burned on a tree. That afternoon, Governor Hugh Dorsey ordered the state militia to be dispatched to Valdosta to halt the lynch mobs, but they arrived too late for many victims. Dorsey later denounced the lynchings, but none of the participants were ever prosecuted. Following the violence, more than 500 African Americans fled from Lowndes and Brooks counties to escape such oppressive conditions and violence. From 1880 to 1930, Brooks County had

4307-764: The state's area, has no borough government or borough seat. One borough, the Lake and Peninsula Borough , has its borough seat located in another borough, namely King Salmon in Bristol Bay Borough . In Louisiana , which is divided into parishes rather than counties, county seats are referred to as "parish seats". In New England , counties have served mainly as dividing lines for the states' judicial systems. Rhode Island has no county level of government and thus no county seats, and Massachusetts has dissolved many but not all of its county governments. In Vermont , Massachusetts , and Maine county government consists only of

4380-416: The towns involved, along with providing employment opportunities. There are 33 counties with multiple county seats in 11 states: Alaska is divided into boroughs rather than counties; the county seat in these case is referred to as the "borough seat"; this includes six consolidated city-borough governments (one of which is styled as a "municipality"). The Unorganized Borough, Alaska , which covers 49% of

4453-538: The use of county seats in particular, will fully transition with the permission of the United States Census Bureau to a system of councils of government for the purposes of boundary definition and as county equivalents. Two counties in South Dakota , Oglala Lakota and Todd , have their county seat and government services centered in a neighboring county. Their county-level services are provided by Fall River County and Tripp County , respectively. In Virginia ,

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4526-472: 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

4599-503: The winter, where temperatures can get quite warm. Very rarely do winter lows go below 25 °F (−3.9 °C). As of 2023, Valdosta is in the USDA hardiness zone 9a. At the 1860 United States census , Valdosta had a population of 166, which has increased since every decennial census. In 2000, the city's population grew to 43,724, and by the 2020 United States census , there were 55,378 people, 21,153 households, and 11,224 families residing in

4672-648: Was integrated in September 1963. In 1969, Valdosta High School (the formerly all-white school) and Pinevale High School (the formerly all-black school) were merged into one system; integration had begun at Valdosta High School about 1966. During the Vietnam War , future president George W. Bush entered the National Guard , receiving flight training at Valdosta's Moody Air Force Base in November 1968. In 1994, Kent and Dawn Buescher opened Liberty Farms Animal Park with

4745-560: Was a "farm" team for the Brooklyn Dodgers. 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

4818-425: Was an independent city from 1968 to 2013, while also being the county seat of Bedford County . Bedford reverted to an incorporated town, and remains the county seat, though is now part of the county. The state with the most counties is Texas, with 254, and the state with the fewest counties is Delaware, with 3. Dry county In the United States, a dry county is a county whose local government forbids

4891-524: Was built 4 miles (6 km) away. The engine known as Satilla No. 3 pulled the first train into Valdosta on the Atlantic and Gulf Railroad on either July 4, 1860, or on July 20, 1860. The American Civil War began the year after the establishment of Valdosta. During the war, many of its male residents served in the Confederate States Army . Three years after the beginning of the war, women rioted in

4964-474: Was cut from her body and murdered. Mary Turner's husband Hazel Turner was also lynched the day before. Sidney Johnson was turned in by an acquaintance, and on May 22 Police Chief Calvin Dampier led a shootout at the Valdosta house where he was hiding. Following his death, a crowd of more than 700 castrated Johnson's body, then dragged it behind a vehicle down Patterson Street and all the way to Morven, Georgia, near

5037-623: Was divided into 8 prefectures ( 州 and 廳 ), which remained after the Republic of China took over. There are 13 county seats in Taiwan, which function as county-administered cities , urban townships , or rural townships . In most of the United States , a county is an administrative or political subdivision of a state that consists of a geographic area with specific boundaries and usually some level of governmental authority. The city, town, or populated place that houses county government

5110-461: Was introduced, the number of agricultural jobs decreased and Valdosta became more industrialized by the 20th century. The world's second Coca-Cola bottling plant began bottling Coca-Cola in Valdosta in 1897. In 1899, the cotton mill town of Remerton was established 2 miles (3 km) from the center of Valdosta. A new courthouse was planned in 1900 to replace the smaller courthouse. Construction began in 1904 for around $ 75,000. The old courthouse

5183-407: Was named TitleTown USA. The football team at Valdosta High School has more wins than any other American high school, and is second in overall wins in the country after University of Michigan. The Valdosta City School District holds grades pre-school to grade twelve, consisting of five elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school ( Valdosta High School ). The school district serves

5256-501: Was shot and killed at his house near Morven, Georgia , by a black farm worker named Sidney Johnson who was routinely mistreated by Smith. Johnson also shot Smith's wife but she later recovered. Johnson hid for several days in Valdosta without discovery. Lynch mobs formed in Valdosta ransacking Lowndes and Brooks counties for a week looking for Johnson and his alleged accomplices. These mobs lynched at least 13 African Americans, among them Mary Turner and her unborn eight-month-old baby who

5329-553: Was torn down in March 1904. The new courthouse was completed in 1904, and on April 14, 1905, the first session of court took place in the new courthouse. 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

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