Valdosta, Georgia
Encyclopedia : V : VA : VAL : Valdosta, Georgia
Valdosta is a city in, and the county seat of Lowndes County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 43,724.
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, and transport is provided mainly by Interstate 75.
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 Technical College is also located in the city.
Parts of Fannie Flagg's novel Fried Green Tomatoes are set in Valdosta, although it is incorrectly referred to as the seat of "Loundes County."
History
Valdosta was incorporated on 7 December, 1860, at which time the county government was moved from nearby Troupville. Valdosta was founded in 1860 by residents of Troupville, Georgia. Troupville was a steamboat landing on the Withlacoochee River, but when the Gulf and Atlantic Railroad was built four miles (about 6km) away, the inhabitants simply picked up the town and moved it to the railroad. There are still buildings in Valdosta that made the move.The county's courthouse was built around 1905, and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The now virtually abandoned Troupville 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 Aosta Valley (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.
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 trees.
The world's second Coca-Cola bottling plant is in Valdosta.
One of the most important boosts to the Valdosta economy was when Interstate 75 was routed and built near Valdosta. Many vacationing Americans on their way to Florida make Valdosta a convenient "last stop" on their way to Disney World and the Orlando area, especially those coming from the Midwest and Ontario, Canada.
Notable natives include Western dentist/gunfighter/gambler Doc Holliday, comedian Bill Hicks, James Lord Pierpoint, composer of "Jingle Bells" and Major League baseball player J.D. Drew.
According to some (but not all) sources, the first ATM machine was installed in Valdosta in 1970, at the Five Points Branch of the Citizen's and Southern Bank (C&S), now part of Bank of America.
College Football
Valdosta State University has run a football program since 1982. The team, nicknamed the Blazers, won the NCAA Division II National Championship in 2004. Two notable alumni are Jesse Tuggle, National Football League linebacker from 1987-2000 playing his entire career with the Atlanta Falcons, and Chris Hatcher, current head coach of Valdosta State.Valdosta High School Football
Valdosta has a strong high school football tradition. Valdosta High School is the winningest high school football program in the country. Its record from 1913 through 2004 includes six national championships, 23 state championships, and 41 region championships.
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.
Geography
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 78.4 km² (30.3 mi²). 77.5 km² (29.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.9 km² (0.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.09% water.
Demographics
As of the census[Geographic references#2GR2] of 2000, there were 43,724 people, 16,692 households, and 10,232 families residing in the city. The population density was 563.9/km² (1,460.3/mi²). There were 18,907 housing units at an average density of 243.8/km² (631.5/mi²). 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%are 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.
External links
- #redirect [[Template:Wikitravel]]
- [Valdosta Wildcats football team]
- [ATM machine]
- [ATM]
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