Daily Archives: October 24, 2024

New Troupville town historic marker on GA 133 just west of the Withlacoochee River 2024-10-23

It’s back: the Georgia Historical Society marker for the town of Troupville.

It’s on the north side of GA-133 (St. Augustine Road), west of I-75 exit 18, just east of the Withlacoochee River.

[Troupville Town Site Historical Marker 2024, Georgia Historical Society, Plus UDC marker]
Troupville Town Site Historical Marker 2024, Georgia Historical Society, Plus UDC marker

TROUPVILLE

The settlement of Troupville once existed near here, about four miles northwest of present-day Valdosta. The town was named Troupville in honor of George M. Troup, governor of Georgia from 1823 to 1827. In 1833, the county seat of Lowndes County moved from Franklinville to Troupville, which was incorporated in 1837 and continued as county seat until 1860. When the Atlantic and Gulf Railroad, running from Savannah toward Pensacola, surveyed for right-of-way in the area, the proposed route bypassed Troupville. Lowndes County established the new town of Valdosta on the new railroad line. Shortly after train operations began in 1860 the county seat transferred to Valdosta. Early residents of the town include the Ayer, Briggs, Ellis, Griffin, Hall, Howell, Jones, Morgan, Smith, and Treadwell families, many of whom are buried at the nearby Troupville Cemetery.

092-2

Re-erected by the Georgia Historical Society in 2024

1961

Continue reading →

Langdale Park still closed, Withlacoochee River, Valdosta, GA 2024-10-23

The gate is open, but there is room for improvement on the access road.

[Deadfalls on entry road, 2024:10:23 17:52:25, 30.8860860, -83.3192000]
Deadfalls on entry road, 2024:10:23 17:52:25, 30.8860860, -83.3192000

Those deadfalls from Hurricane Helene are not even halfway down to Langdale Park Boat Ramp.

I will mention them to Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority (VLPRA) and Lowndes County Public Works, but I doubt this park is high on their priority list. Continue reading →

Navigable Streams: Georgia House Study Committee in Newnan, GA 2024-11-13

Update 2024-12-27: Final Report: Georgia House Study Committee on Navigable Streams 2024-12-01.

The Georgia House Navigable Streams Committee is meeting in Newnan on Wednesday morning, November 13, 2024, after the Nahunta meeting a few weeks ago was cancelled due to Hurricane Helene aftermath.

[Georgia House Study Committee on Navigable Streams in Newnan 2024-11-13: Law: Ownership, Property Rights; Passage: Recreation, Economy]
Georgia House Study Committee on Navigable Streams in Newnan 2024-11-13: Law: Ownership, Property Rights; Passage: Recreation, Economy

Instead of a whole meeting, we get this item:

  • South Georgia Waterways Perspective (45 min.; holdover from cancelled Waycross meeting)

And this subject of the entire meeting:

Meeting #3: Utilizing Mechanisms to Increase Public Access to Waterways

We don’t need fancy mechanisms. We just need a Georgia navigability law that matches what people actually use waterways for these days: paddling, motoring, fishing, and swimming. That’s a substantial part of the outdoor economy and recreation.

So if you want to continue to be able to paddle or motor on your favorite stream, you may want to show up and speak, or send written input to your state representative. You can ask them for a 21st-century update to the 1863 Georgia navigability law.

Here is the meeting notice and agenda (local copy): Continue reading →