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Playbills, programs, and booklets from local productions from Valdosta and the surrounding area.

Scope and Contents This web archive preserves the Ray City History Blog, a community-based digital history project created by the Ray City Community Library, documenting the genealogical, local, and cultural history of Ray City, Georgia, and surrounding communities in Berrien County and south Georgia. The blog includes over 7,400 entries published across more than a decade, featuring biographical sketches, transcriptions of historical documents, photographs, and essays related to regional history from the...

Scope and Contents DVD-R. Ann Huxford interview and Carol Mikkelsen interviews, Fall 2013. UA/23/18/3/001. Written and developed by Eduardo Farias and Guy Frost, December 2013. Valdosta, Georgia. United States.Ann Huxford Interview, December 3, 2013: This video is an interview with Ann Huxford, conducted by Eduardo Farias on December 3, 2013, in Valdosta, Georgia. The interview is part of the John C. Huxford Papers Collection and was digitized from its original VHS format. Ann Huxford reflects on...

Scope and Contents The Macedonia Community Collection document the rich history and heritage of the Macedonia Community in Morven, Brooks County, Georgia. Developed in partnership with the Macedonia Community Foundation and Valdosta State University Archives and Special Collections, this collection brings together a variety of digitized materials—including photographs, family histories, memoirs, letters, folktales, books, and school reunion records—spanning from the 1880s to 2023. These resources capture the...

Abstract The Old Berrien Newsletters series consists of seventeen issues produced by the Berrien County Historical Foundation between 2007 and the present. The newsletters document a wide range of topics relating to the history, culture, and development of Berrien County, Georgia, and the surrounding Wiregrass region. Each issue focuses on a single historical subject, drawing on archival research, family papers, oral histories, newspaper accounts, and local...

Description This newsletter issue details the historical evolution and significance of the Berrien County courthouses, particularly emphasizing the challenges and symbolic importance of the clock in the second, most recognizable structure. The county's judicial proceedings initially convened in a log schoolhouse in 1856, followed by the construction of the first purpose-built, wood-framed courthouse in 1858, which later served as the New Hansell Hotel before its demolition in 1925. The current brick...

Description This document investigates the local legend of the Gator Children of Berrien County, Georgia, confirming their existence and shedding light on their challenging lives. These two siblings, Madison (Mattie/Matt) and Bettie (Betty) Cook, children of Jack and Melissa M. Cook, were afflicted with a severe form of ichthyosis, a genetic skin disorder characterized by dry, scaly skin, deafness, unusual teeth, and limited mobility, often requiring them to crawl. From at least 1905, their parents...

Description This issue compiles historical newspaper accounts and oral traditions documenting the persistent danger of snakes in Berrien County from the late 19th century through the mid-20th century. Drawing extensively from the Nashville Herald, Lanier County News, and Adel News, the article recounts encounters with rattlesnakes, moccasins, and other venomous species across farms, homes, sawmills, churches, and rural roads. Reports include near-misses, dramatic killings, and deadly strikes—such as the...

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 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...

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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.