Editing Lowndes County, Georgia (section)

===Establishment of Valdosta===
Many residents of Lowndes County were unhappy when the [[Atlantic and Gulf Railroad (1856–79)|Atlantic and Gulf Railroad]] announced June 17, 1858, that they had selected a planned route that would bypass Troupville. On June 22 at 3:00 AM, the Lowndes County courthouse at Troupville was set aflame by William B. Crawford, who fled to South Carolina after being released on bond.

On August 9, a meeting convened in the academy building in Troupville at which it was decided to create from the area of Lowndes County to the west of the Withlacoochee River a new county to be called [[Brooks County, Georgia|Brooks County]].<ref>Shelton, Jane (2001). ''Pines and Pioneers: A History of Lowndes County, Georgia 1825-1900.'' Lowndes County Historical Society. {{ISBN|9780877970347}}.</ref> Brooks was established on December 11. On December 13, 1858, the Georgia General Assembly passed a bill establishing [[Echols County, Georgia]].

In December 1859, the Lowndes County board of commissioners were instructed by an act of the Georgia legislature to purchase land for a new county seat; it was to be along the line of the Atlantic and Gulf Railroad and as close to the center of the county as possible. As part of the same act the Brooks-Lowndes County border was adjusted so that the east bank of the Little River formed the border.<ref>{{cite act |title= Acts of the General Assembly of the State of Georgia, Passed in Milledgville, at an Annual Session in November and December, 1859.|number= 370 |date= November 21, 1859|article= An Act to remove the county site of Lowndes county, to change the line between said county and the county of Brooks, and for other purposes. }}</ref>

Land belonging to William Wisenbaker was chosen as the site of the new county seat of [[Valdosta, Georgia|Valdosta]]. The arrival of the railroad led to the downfall of Troupville and the rise of Valdosta as a center for the economy of south Georgia. The shifting county boundary lines led to population loss for Lowndes County. The 1860 census showed the county having 2,850 free whites, no free persons of color, and 2,399 slaves.