Dothan Alabama

The local area around Panama City Beach is served by two local television stations. We do not have a CBS affiliate. We receive CBS from a station in Dothan, Alabama. For several winters I have seen their promos and have wanted to visit the area. I wanted to see a statue that is used in their lead in. I stopped at the Alabama visitor center and learned that that statue is actually in Montgomery. I knew about the many buildings with painted murals but not the content. It turned out to be a nice visit. Dothan is about 90 miles from our home. We discovered that the murals honor their culture, industry, history and favorite sons.


Dothan Riot



Dothan was the scene of a deadly altercation on October 12, 1889. The town fathers levied a fee on all wagons operating within city limits. Local farmers opposed this tax and formed a body named "Farmers Alliance" to dispute the levy. The arrest of some of the members led to a riot. The violence only lasted a few minutes but resulted in the death of two men and a number of seriously wounded. The local sheriff was arrested charged with murder and found guilty. His conviction was eventually over turned on appeal.

The following scenes depict the early industry of the local area.

Two favorite sons are honored. .

Sherman Rose

Tuskegee Airman

Johnny Mack Brown

Dothan is much larger than I envisioned. The traffic in and around Dothan was heavy. Dothan is home to the Dothan Opera House, Wiregrass Museum of Art, Botanical Gardens and George Washington Carver Interpretive Museum. Porter Hardware, the oldest operating hardware store in Alabama. The exterior and interior remain virtually unaltered since its opening 1889. The store still maintains a large inventory of hardware and hard to find items. Porter Hardware sign is on the side of the wagon in the Turpentine mural.

The ride from Panama City Beach to Dothan was a pleasant drive through rural countryside. Lunch was at the "Pig Out BBQ in Dothan. Carol had the pulled pork plate with cole slaw and potato salad. I had half a chicken with cole slaw and baked beans. We split a chocolate chip cookie for desert. Very nice. We will do this excursion again in the future.