Dothan, Alabama facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dothan
City
City of Dothan
Downtown Dothan
Location of Dothan in Dale, Henry, and Houston Counties, Alabama
Country	United States
State	Alabama
Counties	Houston, Dale, Henry
Government
• Type	Mayor - Council
Area
• Total	90.16 sq mi (233.53 km2)
• Land	89.84 sq mi (232.68 km2)
• Water	0.33 sq mi (0.84 km2)
Population  (2020)
• Total	71,072
• Density	791.10/sq mi (305.45/km2)
• CSA	248,947
ZIP Code	36301-36305, 36345, 36350
FIPS code	01-21184

Dothan () is a city in Dale, Henry, and Houston counties and the Houston county seat in the U.S. state of Alabama. It is Alabama's eighth-largest city, with a population of 71,072 at the 2020 census. It is near the state's southeastern corner, about 20 miles (32 km) west of Georgia and 16 miles (26 km) north of Florida. It is named after the biblical city where Joseph's brothers threw him into a cistern and sold him into slavery in Egypt.

Dothan is the principal city of the Dothan, Alabama metropolitan area, which encompasses all of Geneva, Henry, and Houston counties; the small portion in Dale County is part of the Ozark Micropolitan Statistical Area. Together they form the Dothan-Ozark Combined Statistical Area. Coffee County and its Enterprise micropolitan area was originally combined as a statistical area with both Dothan and Ozark as well, but is now split off as its own statistical area by the US Census Bureau. Together they form the Wiregrass region, of which Dothan is the Alabama portion's largest city. The combined population of the entire Dothan metropolitan area in 2010 was 145,639. The city is the main transportation and commercial hub for a significant part of southeastern Alabama, southwest Georgia, and nearby portions of the Florida Panhandle. Since approximately one-fourth of the U.S. peanut crop is produced nearby, much of it processed in the city, Dothan is known as "The Peanut Capital of the World". It also hosts the annual National Peanut Festival at the Peanut Festival Fairgrounds.

History

Earliest years

The area that is now Dothan was inhabited for thousands of years by successive cultures of indigenous peoples. In historic times it was occupied by the Alabama and Creek Native American tribes who were hunters and gatherers in the vast forests of pine that covered this region. These tribes had developed complex cultures, and often used to meet and camp for trading near a large spring at the crossroads of two trails.

Between 1763 and 1783, the region that is now Dothan was part of the colony of British West Florida. European-American settlers moving through the area during the late 18th and early 19th centuries discovered the Indian spring, naming it "Poplar Head". Most felt that the sandy soil common to this region would be unsuitable for farming, so they moved on. A crude stockade was constructed on the Barber Plantation, where settlers could take refuge whenever they felt threatened. This fort disappeared by the 1840s, after the end of the Indian Wars in Alabama and the removal of most members of the Five Civilized Tribes to Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River. Some Indians stayed in the region, becoming state and U.S. citizens by giving up their tribal membership.

The first permanent white (European-American) settlers consisted of nine families who moved into the area during the early 1830s to harvest the abundant timber. Their settlement, named "Poplar Head" after the spring, failed to thrive and was all but abandoned by the time of the Civil War.

After the war, a local Pony Express route was founded; together with other developments during the Reconstruction Era, the town began to grow. On November 11, 1885, the locals voted to incorporate, naming their new city "Dothan" after discovering that "Poplar Head" was already registered with the U.S. post office for a town in northern Alabama.

Expansion and growth

In 1893, Dothan secured a stop on the first railroad to be built in the region. This development brought new prosperity and growth, as local farmers had a means to market and transport their produce. The pine forests were harvested for turpentine and wood, which was transformed into ship masts, lumber and other wood products. As the pines were cut and land subsequently cleared, cotton was cultivated as a staple of the local economy. The crops were devastated by the boll weevil in the early 1900s.

Farmers turned to peanut production, which was successful and brought financial gain to the city. It became a hub for the production and transport of peanuts and peanut-related products. Today, one-quarter of the U.S. peanut crop is harvested within 75 miles (121 km) of Dothan. A two-week fall festival known as the National Peanut Festival celebrates this heritage.

Dothan also sought out industrial development, with textile and agricultural concerns being joined by manufacturing plants for the Sony, Michelin, and General Electric corporations in the 20th century. The city had an exhibit at the 1939 New York World's Fair.

Looking up Foster St. toward downtown Dothan

Originally part of Henry County, Dothan became the county seat of the newly formed Houston County on May 9, 1903. The city continued to flourish and grow throughout the twentieth century, with an airport being constructed in 1965 and Wallace Community College in 1969. Troy University Dothan Campus was established in 1961 and is located in the northwestern part of the city.

The Southern Company constructed the Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Generating Station near the city between 1970 and 1981; this 1,776-megawatt facility currently generates approximately 13,000 GW-h per year. In the late 1970s, factories were constructed in the city by Sony and Michelin corporations. In 2010 Sony announced its closure of its Dothan plant. Pemco Aviation declared bankruptcy in March 2012 and in May that year announced the closing of its Dothan facility.

Culturally, an art museum, several theaters, symphony orchestra, dance troupe and other artistic amenities have been established.

Geography

Dothan is located in northwestern Houston County in southeastern Alabama. The city limits extend north into Henry County and northwest into Dale County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 89.7 square miles (232.4 km²), of which 89.4 square miles (231.5 km²) is land and 0.31 square miles (0.8 km²), or 0.36%, is water.

Ross Clark Circle on Dothan's east side

In addition to styling itself "The Peanut Capital of the World", Dothan is the self-proclaimed "Hub of the Wiregrass". It is also commonly referred to as "The Circle City", because it is encircled by Alabama State Route 210, a four-lane highway also known as the Ross Clark Circle. In recent decades, the city has expanded in several directions beyond the confines of this highway.

Fort Rucker, the "Home of Army Aviation", is located about 25 miles (40 km) northwest of the city, just north of the city of Daleville. It is the second-largest city in the Wiregrass Region after Tallahassee, Florida.

Climate

Dothan has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). This produces hot, humid summers and generally mild winters, with average high temperatures ranging from 92 °F (33 °C) in the summer to 59 °F (15 °C) high during winter. Snowfall is an extremely rare event – a two-inch snowfall occurs about once every ten years, which results in a yearly average of 0.2 inches (5.1 mm). Tornadoes are a frequent risk during the spring, summer and fall; the city's tornado activity is slightly below the Alabama state average, but 79% above the U.S. average.

Demographics

According to the 2000 census, there were 57,737 people, 23,685 households and 17,108 families residing in the city. The population density was 667.7 per square mile (257.4/km²). There were 27,908 housing units at an average density of 299.3 per square mile (115.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 67.33% White, 30.11% Black or African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.85% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander American, 0.46% from other races, and 0.96% from two or more races. 1.32% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 27,908 households, of which 31.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were married couples living together, 15.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 28.4% of all households are made up of individuals, and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39, and the average family size was 2.94. 70% of women with school-age children work.

Age distribution was 25.4% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who are 65 or older. The median age is 37 years. For every 100 females, there are 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males. 22% of adults have never married. 55% are currently married. 3% are separated. 12% are divorced. 9% are widowed.

The median household income was $35,000, and the median family income was $45,025. Males had a median income of $34,475 versus $22,572 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,539. About 12.7% of families and 15.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.2% of those under age 18 and 15.0% of those age 65 or over.

Approximately 79% of residents completed high school, while 23% have college degrees. 8% of the population has a graduate or professional degree; 6% are unemployed. Average commute-to-work time is 18 minutes.

The state-recognized Cher-O-Creek Intra Tribal Indians are located in Dothan. They are descended from members of the Cherokee and Creek peoples who occupied this area and resisted removal to Indian Territory in the 1830s.

2010 census

According to the 2010 census, there were 65,496 people, 26,845 households and 17,835 families residing in the city. The population density was 754.6 per square mile (291.4/km²). There were 29,274 housing units at an average density of 337.3 per square mile (130.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 63.1% White, 32.5% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander American, 1.1% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. 2.9% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 26,845 households, of which 28.8% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples living together, 17.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.6% were non-families. 28.8% of all households are made up of individuals, and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39, and the average family size was 2.93.

Age distribution was 24.5% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who are 65 or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females, there are 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males.

The median household income was $42,124, and the median family income was $52,855. Males had a median income of $43,892 versus $28,921 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,306. About 13.4% of families and 17.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.7% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.

Religion

The largest Christian denomination in Dothan is the Southern Baptist church. There are also Churches of Christ, Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, AME, Freewill Baptist, Episcopal, United Pentecostal, Assemblies of God, Seventh-day Adventist and various Evangelical churches serving Dothan's Protestant community. St. Columba Catholic Church serves Dothan's Roman Catholics. Dothan hosts a Reform Judaism synagogue, Temple Emanu-El, which became nationally famous in 2008 when the congregation offered Jewish families as much as $50,000 to relocate to Dothan to build up the community. The city is also home to two mosques, an LDS church, a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, and an Antiochian Eastern Orthodox church.

Culture

Festivals

The Downtown Christmas Festival occurs annually on the first Saturday in December. Some of the most popular activities and attractions include the Snow Zone, sledding, cookie decorations, marshmallow roasting, local artisans, a pet parade, various food vendors and of course, Santa! The festival takes place downtown on Foster and Troy streets.

The National Peanut Festival occurs annually in November. The festival hosts competitions in different areas for all ages. A large midway, entertainment by nationally known recording artists, and the largest parade in the area are featured attractions. Visitors can find many rides such as Speed, Starship 3000, Wild Mouse, etc. Many booths are set there to help advertise for their business. On the last day of the fair, there is a peanut festival parade. This includes bands from high schools around Dothan, pageant winners, and more. Many people line the downtown streets of Dothan to celebrate the parade.

Dothan is also home to two professional barbecue competitions. The Tri-State BBQ Festival is held the second weekend in April, and is sanctioned by the Florida Bar-B-Que Association. It was begun in 2006 and is currently put on at the Houston County Farm Center. PorktoberQue, an Oktoberfest and Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) sanctioned event, is held the last weekend of September in Dothan. It, too, is held at the Farm Center.

The Toadlick Music Festival is a three-day country music and southern rock festival held every April at the National Peanut Festival Fairgrounds. Started in 2012, the Toadlick Music Festival has featured many noted performers such as Luke Bryan, Lynyrd Skynyrd, 3 Doors Down, Merle Haggard, The Band Perry, Trace Adkins, Kellie Pickler, and many more.

Museums and monuments

The US Army Aviation Museum, located on nearby Fort Rucker, houses one of the largest helicopter collections in the world. The museum focuses on the role of fixed and rotary-wing flight in the U.S. Army. The exhibits depict over 50 years of Army aviation, and include a number of life size dioramas, films, and interpretive material. Several period aircraft are available for viewing.

The George Washington Carver Monument, located at the National Peanut Festival Fairgrounds, pays tribute to one of the nation's greatest educators and agricultural researchers, whose work resulted in the creation of 325 products from peanuts, more than 100 products from sweet potatoes and hundreds more from a dozen other plants native to the South. These products contributed to rural economic improvement, by offering alternative crops to cotton that were beneficial for the farmers and for the land.

The George Washington Carver Museum relates the story of the African-American genius and offers information on African cultures and their influences on the world, prominent African-American scientists, explorers and inventors, and the positive contributions made by African Americans in military affairs and the area of social development.

The Wiregrass Museum of Art, located in the city's original power and water plant (1913), features ongoing exhibitions of visual and decorative art. The museum's permanent collection includes works by contemporary Southeastern artists such as Dale Kennington, Frank Flemming, Dale Lewis and Cal Breed, as well as material by nationally recognized artists including Frank Stella and Jim Dine. The museum was organized in 1989 by private citizens and the City of Dothan; it is operated by the Wiregrass Museum of Art, Inc., a 501(c)3 organization.

Wiregrass Museum of Art

Landmark Park is a 135-acre (55 ha) park built to preserve the natural and cultural heritage of southeast Alabama's Wiregrass Region and serves as Alabama's official museum of agriculture. Visitors can experience history on an 1890s living history farm, complete with an old farmhouse, smokehouse, cane mill, and syrup shed, as well as sheep, mules, cows, chickens, goats and pigs. There is a Victorian gazebo, a one-room schoolhouse, a drugstore and soda fountain, a country store, and a turn-of-the-century church. Landmark Park also has an elevated boardwalk, nature trails, picnic areas, a playground and an interpretive center with a state-of-the-art "digitarium" (planetarium). Special events include folklife festivals, antique car shows, traveling exhibits, concerts and workshops year-round.

Art and theatre scene

Southeast Alabama Community Theater offers live entertainment and theatrical productions for the Dothan community.

Spark Theater Company is a non-profit theater company and performing-arts educational program. Spark Theater offers several public theater productions each year by Dothan-area youth and teens, an after-school theater program, as well as supplemental theater classes for the public school system.

Notable public art

The Joseph statue at Millennium Park is a ten-foot, cast bronze sculpture, located in the historic downtown area. It represents the Bible verse, "For I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan" (Genesis 37:17), on which the town based its name.

Peanuts Around Town is a public art project organized by The Downtown Group, consisting of 5-foot-tall (1.5 m) peanut sculptures decorated in various fashions and displayed around Dothan.

"Wiregrass Festival of Murals" is an ongoing project offering historic murals painted by nationally and internationally acclaimed muralists on walls of buildings in the downtown historic district. Guided tours are available upon request.

Local music

The Dothan Opera House, built in 1915, features theatre performances, concerts, symphonies, ballet performances, and other cultural events. Tours are available upon request.

Music South, formerly the Southern Alabama Symphony Association, offers a wide variety of musical performances, from classical symphony performances to jazz, African and other musical styles. "Music by Moonlight" offers four free concerts per year at Dothan's Landmark Park, featuring classical, jazz, Celtic and bluegrass musicians, among others.

Patti Rutland Jazz is a professional contemporary jazz and hip-hop dance company located in Dothan. This company produces two full-length jazz and hip-hop theatrical dance productions yearly (one in late February and one in early June) at their home in the Cultural Arts Center, as well as at Dothan's historical landmark Opera House. Patti Rutland Jazz operates as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization whose core mission is to offer its dancers to the Wiregrass Region to assist under-served youths with free dance classes. This mutually beneficial program hopes to make Dothan a destination for, and a source of, future professional dance talent in the United States.

Area attractions

Dothan Area Botanical Gardens

• The Dothan Area Botanical Gardens include 50 acres (20 ha) of cultivated gardens and undeveloped, wooded landscapes.
• Highland Oaks Golf Course is part of Alabama's Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.
• The "World's Smallest City Block" is located behind the Dothan City Civic Center between North Appletree Street, North College Street, and East Troy Street.

Sister cities

• Sakado, Japan, since 1988
• Alajuela, Costa Rica, since 1989

Economy

Dothan has a diverse economy. Agriculture is the largest industry, though retail sales and restaurants have experienced a rapid growth in recent years. Peanut production remains a mainstay of the agricultural sector, but cotton is gaining in importance. Tomato production is significant as well, especially in the nearby town of Slocomb, which styles itself "the Tomato Capital of the World".

Top employers

According to the city's 2011 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Sports

Dothan hosted minor league baseball teams from 1915 to 1917 (AL-FL-GA League and Dixie League) and from 1936 to 1962 (AL-FL League, GA-FL League and AL State League). Teams were known at varying times as the Boll Weevils, Browns, Rebels, Cardinals and Phillies. Major League affiliations were maintained in later years with the St. Louis Cardinals and the Philadelphia Phillies. All teams played at the "D" league level, a defunct minor-league classification that represented the entry or "rookie" level in the minors. Ballparks included Baker Field, City Park, Stadium Park, Jill Alexander Miracle Field and the Wiregrass Memorial Stadium.

The city served host to the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 7, 1997, at the Dothan Civic Center Arena.

Dothan was selected as one of 11 Alabama sites for a course on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.

In 2007–10, Dothan was recognized as part of the "Playful City USA" initiative by KaBOOM!, created to honor cities that ensure that their children have great places to play.

Education

Most K-12 students in Dothan and Houston County attend Dothan City Schools or Houston County Schools. Others attend local private schools, such as Houston Academy, Providence Christian School, Northside Methodist Academy, Emmanuel Christian School, and Westgate Christian School. Institutes of higher education include Fortis College, Troy University Dothan Campus, Wallace Community College, Bethany Divinity College & Seminary, and the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Infrastructure

Airport

Dothan Regional Airport is served by Delta Air Lines and Aero-One Aviation as of September 2017. The airport was established at the former Army airbase at Napier Field in 1965, after then-Mayor Richmond McClintock started a push to move the airport in the early 1950s. Jet services began in 1968 with Southern Airways' acquisition of DC-9 aircraft, and continue today using the CRJ-200 regional passenger jet.

Unlike many municipal airports in the U.S., the Dothan airport is entirely self-supporting, operating without tax-generated funding. All airport revenue is generated by rental and other user fees charged to patrons and tenants of the facility.

The airport serves as the local National Weather Service's weather observation station.

Ground transportation

Highway and bus

U.S. Routes 84, 231, and 431 run through Dothan along various parts of Ross Clark Circle (AL-210), the bypass encircling the city. U.S. 84 runs along the northern part of the bypass from west to east, leading east 55 mi (89 km) to Bainbridge, Georgia and west 30 mi (48 km) to Enterprise. U.S. 231 runs along the western part of the bypass from south to north, leading northwest 56 mi (90 km) to Troy and south 83 mi (134 km) to Panama City, Florida. U.S. 431 begins its path northward at the southern end of Ross Clark Circle, and runs along the eastern part of the bypass, leading north 51 mi (82 km) to Eufaula. Other highways that run through Dothan include Alabama State Routes 52 and 53.

Passenger trains no longer operate through Dothan, but Greyhound Bus Lines maintains a station in town. Dothan does not have regularly scheduled public transportation, but offers dial-a-ride service through its nonprofit Wiregrass Transit Authority.

Notable people

City officials from Dothan visiting Congressmember Martha Roby in 2019.

• John Rainey Adkins (1941-1989), self-taught guitarist and songwriter
• Robert Edwin Russ, founder of Ruston, Louisiana, lived near Dothan in his early years
• Haywood Sullivan (1930-2003), major league baseball catcher and owner
• Jamie Thomas (born 1974), professional skateboarder

Images for kids

• 

  Wiregrass Museum of Art

See also

In Spanish: Dothan (Alabama) para niños