Description This issue examines the planned development and eventual decline of Nashville’s “Grand Avenue,” the ambitious civic vision laid out in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Centered on West Avenue and anchored by the 1898 brick Berrien County Courthouse, the newsletter traces how early city planners intended a broad, impressive boulevard lined with banks, public buildings, and the Nashville Public School (completed in 1904). The issue charts the rise of significant structures along the...

Description This issue presents an overview of Georgia’s early land history and the processes that shaped the territory that would become Berrien County. It begins with the vast western land claims of pre-1795 Georgia and the infamous 1795 Yazoo land fraud, where millions of acres were illegally sold to land companies before the act was repealed under Senator James Jackson. The article then traces how federal intervention and the 1802 cession of western lands led to the formation of Alabama and...

Scope and Contents This issue examines the evolution of agriculture and cash-crop production in Berrien County from the 1800s through the late 20th century. It begins with early subsistence farms carved from the former Indian Territory, where families grew only what they needed and bartered small surpluses. By the mid-19th century, cotton had become the dominant cash crop, with both white and Black families contributing to its cultivation.After the Civil War, cotton production expanded rapidly but...

Scope and Contents This issue provides historical context for the honoring of Confederate soldiers from Berrien County, Georgia. It opens with a discussion of the author’s concerns about recent acts of vandalism toward monuments and outlines the intended purpose of these memorials as commemorations of military service rather than symbols of enslavement. Drawing on census and tax records, the newsletter notes that most Berrien County residents in 1860 did not own enslaved people, though slavery was a central...

Scope and Contents This issue provides an in-depth historical account of the Leonid meteor storm of November 13, 1833, a spectacular astronomical event witnessed across the Deep South, including the area that would later become Berrien County, Georgia. Drawing on scientific studies, regional historical accounts, and 19th-century eyewitness descriptions, the newsletter discusses the nature of meteor showers and explains how Earth’s orbit intersected with debris from the Tempel-Tuttle comet, producing thousands...

Scope and Contents This issue documents the history and cultural importance of dirt track racing in Berrien County and the surrounding South Georgia region, focusing on the rise of “Jalopy” and early stock-car racing from the 1940s through the 1960s. Much of the narrative centers on Thunderbowl Speedway in North Valdosta, a 3/8-mile oval dirt track that became a major weekend destination for racing fans from the 1950s through its final closure in 1999.Through interviews, photographs, and personal...

Scope and Contents This Fall 2025 issue of the Old Berrien Newsletter focuses on the history of early Berrien County through the lens of postcards dating from the late nineteenth century through the post–World War II era. Articles discuss the earliest known street scenes of Nashville, the development of downtown architecture, the impact of the naval stores industry, and the rise of postcard culture following the 1898 postal regulation changes. Topics covered include the 1909 view of Davis Street, the 1910...

Scope and Contents This issue centers on oral history as a vital method for preserving Berrien County heritage. It recounts the editor’s earliest interview experience and shares narratives drawn from family memories, rural life, and local traditions. The newsletter highlights interviews conducted with long-time residents, including recollections of education, farm work, and community events. It also provides practical guidance and tips for planning and conducting oral history interviews. Additional sections...

Scope and Contents The Ray City Community Library Collection is a collaborative digital project between the Ray City Community Library and Valdosta State University Archives and Special Collections to preserve and share the unique local history of Ray City, Berrien County, and the surrounding area in South Georgia. The collection draws upon the library’s holdings and the work of local historians, including the ...

Scope and Contents From the Record Group: Ray City Community News, Vol. 1, No. 2 — July–September, 1990 Ray City Community News, Vol. 1, No. 3 — October–December, 1990 Ray City Community News, Vol. 1, No. 4 — January–March, 1991 Ray City Community News, Vol. 2, No. 4 — October–December, 1991 The Beacon — Ray City First Baptist Church newsletter, January 2, 1992 (supplemental document inside Vol. 2, No. 4) Ray City Community News, Vol. 3, No. 1 —...

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Ray City Community News. Vol. 1, No. 2, July - September, 1990. From the Ray City Community Library at Valdosta State University Archives and Speical Collections.

This item covers a variety of topics pretaining to the community of Ray City. In particular, Vol. 1 No. 2 discusses how Ray City celebrates the 4th of July, the Ray City Voulenteer Fire Department, updates from the Commnity Development Council, and Housing Rennovations.

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Ray City Community News. Vol. 1, No. 3, October - December, 1990. From the Ray City Community Library at Valdosta State University Archives and Speical Collections.

This item covers a variety of topics pretaining to the community of Ray City. In particular, Vol. 1 No. 3 discusses an upcoming Fall Festival, the expirences of a lifelong local, advretises the Ray's Mill Pond Cafe and features a couple of essays by Ray City Elementary student Kristi Johnson.

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Ray City Community News. Vol. 1, No. 4, January - March, 1991. From the Ray City Community Library at Valdosta State University Archives and Speical Collections.

This item covers a variety of topics pretaining to the community of Ray City. In particular, Vol. 1 No. 4 discusses landscaping in the community, the development of Ray City School, the local Homecoming Commitee Report and the Gulf War.

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Ray City Community News. Vol. 2, No. 4, October - December, 1991. From the Ray City Community Library at Valdosta State University Archives and Speical Collections.

This item covers a variety of topics pretaining to the community of Ray City. In particular, Vol. 2 No. 4 discusses the Ray City Community Development Coucil, Octoberfest, an essay contest highlighting the work of Ray City Elementary students, and the local senior citizen's center.

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Ray City Community News. Vol. 3, No. 1, January - March, 1992. From the Ray City Community Library at Valdosta State University Archives and Speical Collections.

This item covers a variety of topics pretaining to the community of Ray City. In particular, Vol. 3 No. 1 discusses a caboose restoration project, the senior citizens center, a beauty pagent, and the Ray City Packers football team.

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Ray City Community News. Vol. 3, No. 2, April - June, 1992. From the Ray City Community Library at Valdosta State University Archives and Speical Collections.

This item covers a variety of topics pretaining to the community of Ray City. In particular, Vol. 3 No. 2 features an article by Daphinne Cooper on raising twins, a section congratulating the Ray City Elementary writing fair winners, discusses dirt-track car racing and highlights the school's basektball teams.

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Ray City Community News. Vol. 3, No. 3, July - August, 1992. From the Ray City Community Library at Valdosta State University Archives and Speical Collections.

This item covers a variety of topics pretaining to the community of Ray City. In particular, Vol. 3 No. 3 discusses a local Homecoming celebration for the 4th of July, updates on the caboose restoration project, and the origin of the city's logo and a look at the city's history.

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Ray City Community News. Vol. 3, No. 4, October - December, 1992. From the Ray City Community Library at Valdosta State University Archives and Speical Collections.

This item covers a variety of topics pretaining to the community of Ray City. In particular, Vol. 3 No. 4 discusses a piece of the city's history, the importance of voting, an arm wrestling competition, and Moody air Force Base's hurricane relief.

Scope and Contents The Family of Francis Marion Shaw is a non-profit newsletter published semi-annually, or more frequently, for the benefit of the descendants of Francis Marion Shaw and his wife, Rachel Moore Allen Shaw. These are the newsletters published for the Family of Francis Marion Shaw and Rachel Moore Allen. The first newsletter was published in 1993 and have been published semi-annually each year since. ...