Welcome to Vtext at Valdosta State University
Vtext is Valdosta State University's institutional repository, providing open access to the scholarly, creative, and administrative works of the University community. It also houses digitized materials from the VSU Archives and Special Collections.
Faculty, students, and staff can register and deposit their work directly into Vtext, ensuring that it is securely preserved, permanently accessible, and discoverable worldwide. Each item receives a stable, citable URL designed for long-term reliability—supporting both academic visibility and digital preservation for years to come. Please contact the VSU Archives and Special Collections for more information.
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Item type:Item, 1928 River Hill Cemetery Deed: River Hill Paulbearer Lodge #49(Valdosta State University Archives and Special Collections, 2026, 1928)This deed documents the legal transfer of land to River Hill Missionary Baptist Church, establishing formal ownership of the property on which the cemetery is located. The record provides critical evidence of the cemetery’s geographic permanence and institutional legitimacy and supports efforts to document and preserve historic Black religious burial spaces in Lowndes County.Item type:Item, 1962 River Hill Missionary Baptist Church Plat(Valdosta State University Archives and Special Collections, 2026, 1962)This plat records the surveyed boundaries of River Hill Baptist Church property in Land Lot 15, 12th Land District, Lowndes County, Georgia. It is significant for establishing the church’s land extent and supporting documentation of historic property use.Item type:Item, April 1967 River Hill Gets Out of Hole! Newspaper Clipping(Valdosta State University Archives and Special Collections, 2026, 1967-04)This newspaper article helped me locate the 1901 deed and the March 1967 deed. It mentioned T.S. McKey deeding property to the church at the turn of the century to build their first church. It is later mentioned that the church was moved by church trustees and J.D. McKey a month before the article was published. The church was moved to the current location because I-75, built six years prior, had left River Hill in an undesirable location. The church used the move as an opportunity to update its facilities with the help of J.D. McKey.Item type:Item, March 1967 River Hill Church Deed(Valdosta State University Archives and Special Collections, 2026, 1967-03)This deed transfers land to River Hill Missionary Baptist Church by its trustees, recorded in Lowndes County, Georgia. It establishes the church’s legal ownership of the new location and supports claims of the church’s move in the Valdosta Daily Times. This deed describes the church moving to its current location within Land Lot 15, Land District 12. This is the same Land Lot as the prior location owned by the McKey family. The church negotiated with J.D. McKey, T.S. McKey’s descendant, to purchase this land. The deed states that the land must be used for church use, and if it is not, the property will revert to the McKey heirs, emphasizing the importance of legal literacy among church trustees and the Black community.Item type:Item, 1920 River Hill Church School Deed(Valdosta State University Archives and Special Collections, 2026, 1920)The 1920 River Hill Church School Deed documents the purchase of land by the trustees of the River Hill School for the construction and operation of a school serving the local African American community. The deed conveys two adjoining parcels located beside the church, illustrating the close relationship between the church and education in the Jones community. By securing property specifically for a school building, the document demonstrates the community's commitment to providing educational opportunities during the era of segregation and highlights the church's role in fostering both spiritual and educational development.