Tag Archives: Valdosta State Prison

Little River upstream 2014-06-28

Thanks to Chris Graham for leading this one, and to Edwin Brunot for the pictures.

[Little River Upstream 2014-06-28, Troupville Boat Ramp, GA 133]
Little River Upstream 2014-06-28, Troupville Boat Ramp, GA 133

We got maybe a mile and a half upstream from Troupville Boat Ramp, on GA 133, St. Augustine Road, west of I-75 Exit 18, at Val Tech Road.

We saw shoals, an island, high banks, narrow, and wide, sandy bottom, and of course the prison, just upstream from Troup Bridge.

Troupville Boat Ramp was then known as Little River Boat Ramp, before we got Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority (VLPRA) to rename it.

It is still often known as the Prison Boat Ramp, due to Valdosta State Prison just upstream. Continue reading →

Troupville Cemetery Number 2: the black cemetery 2024-06-06

Looks like we’ve finally found the second cemetery of old Troupville, the African-American cemetery.

[Troupville Cemetery #2, the black cemetery, Inside Valdosta State Prison, Southwest corner, Tower 5]
Troupville Cemetery #2, the black cemetery, Inside Valdosta State Prison, Southwest corner, Tower 5

John Horton, retired law enforcement, remembers watching when the state prison was built back in the 1980s.

He says he was told they wanted to build a gymnasium at the southwest corner, where Tower 5 is. But they dug up human bones instead.

So the old cemetery is visible on satellite maps as a quadrangle inside the main fence, with the interior drive path curving inwards to go around it. Continue reading →

Lowndes County admits causing sinkhole; is fixing it 2019-06-24

On the Lowndes County Commission agenda for discussion this morning and voting tomorrow evening, is a rare case where the county admits to having caused a sinkhole, and is fixing the cause: KOA Lift Station Emergency Repair

The 8″ line between the manhole and lift station wet well has collapsed. This has created a sink hole effect with sand filling the wet well. A new manhole will be set and 40′ of 8″ pipe will be jack and bored to connect the new manhole to the wet well. RPI, Inc. has provided a quote for $49,400.00 to provide the materials and perform the work.

Lowndes County Utilities Director Steve Stalvey
Lowndes County Utilities Director Steve Stalvey, 8 May 2018.

The other item is not obvious: Continue reading →

WWALS clean sweep at site of old Troupville, GA 2018-04-21

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hahira, GA, April 23, 2018 — Fifty children and adults helped WWALS clean up the site of old Troupville Saturday, with permission and thanks from the landowner where that former Lowndes County seat goes down to the Little River Confluence with the Withlacoochee River, just west of Valdosta.

Cleanup leader WWALS member Bobby McKenzie said:

We met at the signs for safety/execution briefing. I was able to talk about the signs and water trail to 50 folks and when I asked who knew about the Little and Withlacoochee Rivers and being able to kayak them, only 2 folks were aware. Now 50 more folks are aware…and half were kids…but some of the best kind of kids…Boy and Girl Scouts!

Scouts and all, Sign
Photo: Bobby McKenzie for WWALS 2018-04-21, at Troupville Boat Ramp, by the WWALS signs for the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT) that Phil Hubbard planted 2018-04-20.

Landowner Helen Tapp, whose family LLC gave permission for this cleanup, added:

What a fabulous turn-out of Earth Day workers! Thank you so much for Continue reading →

Pictures, Troupville Cleanup 2018-04-21

Update 2018-04-23: More detail from cleanup leader Bobby McKenzie, a word from property owner Helen Tapp, about sponsors of the water trail, a press release, where WWALS was at three other events that same day, and how you can find upcoming WWALS outings and events.

Cleanup leader Bobby McKenzie reported from the Troupville cleanup this morning:

We had about 50 folks come out this morning. Thanks to the Boy Scouts Troop 429 and 454 as well as Girl Scout Troop 40267 for coming to help out. We also had a couple folks from Moody.

Scouts and all, Sign
At Troupville Boat Ramp, by the signs for the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT) that Phil Hubbard planted yesterday.

Continue reading →

Troupville Cleanup, Little River, 2018-04-21

By permission of the landowners, WWALS will be cleaning up the site of Troupville, the previous county seat of Lowndes County, Georgia. Its nineteenth-century residents picked up everything and moved it when Valdosta was founded, so there’s not much to see but beautiful riverfront, in Between the Rivers LLC, down to the confluence of the Little River with the Withlacoochee River. Unfortunately, there is trash, which we will clean up. We hope to have some history experts explaining what used to be there.

This cleanup is in conjunction with Keep Lowndes Valdosta Beautiful (KLVB) The Great American Cleanup, and is part of Waterkeeper® Alliance Cleanup Week.

When: 8:30 AM – Noon, Saturday, April 21, 2018

Gather at: Troupville Boat Ramp, 19664 Valdosta Hwy, Valdosta, GA 31602: on GA 133 off I-75 exit 18.
Park here to walk to the cleanup site.
No boat required, but if you want to bring a boat, you can put in here and paddle back.

GPS: 30.85131, -83.34743

Bring: Cleanup materials will be provided, but if you’ve got a trash picker, bring it along.

Free: This outing is free to everyone. We recommend you support the work of WWALS by becoming a WWALS member today!

Event: facebook, meetup

Lowndes County parcel 0057 003, Between the Rivers LLC
Site of Troupville at the confluence of the Little and Withlacoochee Rivers, Lowndes County parcel 0057 003, Between the Rivers LLC

Continue reading →

Lowndes County Sewage Pump Station 2017-06-26

This morning the Lowndes County Commission discusses and tomorrow evening they vote on relocating some facilities at a sewage pump station, which appears to be the nearest lift station to the county’s 2013 sewage main brak near the Withlacoochee River.

5.g. Relocation of Gate, Utility Pole, and Light Pole at Val-Tech Pump Station, and Quit -Claim Deed to GDOT
Approval of transaction and quit- claim deed

Documents:Relocation of gate, utility pole, and light pole at Val-Tech pump station, and Quit -Claim Deed to GDOT.pdf

Across from Valdosta State Prison
Across from Valdosta State Prison

They bought a new pump for the Val-Tech lift station back on Continue reading →