The Dothan Landmarks Foundation and Beers & Associates would like to express our gratitude to the following companies and organizations for their leadership in the development of this book to celebrate Dothan’s first 125 years.
1885-2010
We would also like to express our gratitude to the following companies and organizations that took time to meet with us and tell us their individual stories. The stories of the companies and organizations in blue type are included in Part Two.
Pre-World War II 1879 Forrester Farms • 1885 City of Dothan • 1908 Couch Ready Mix • 1910 Stephenson-Smith IGA Foodliner • 1912 MidSouth Bank • 1914 Coleman Worldwide • 1919 Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce • 1928 Slingluff United Insurance • 1929 Shute Pecan Co., Inc. • 1931 Coca-Cola Bottling Co. • 1931 Dothan Glass Company • 1933 Davis Theatres • 1933 Headland National Bank • 1939 Ted’s Jewelers • 1939 Wiregrass Electric Cooperative • 1940 McDaniel & Associates, P.C. • 1940 Dothan Regional Airport
World War II – 1969 1943 Dothan Animal Hospital • 1943 Solomon Motor Company • 1945 Denney Vision Technologies • 1946 Baxley Blowpipe • 1946 Dothan Awning Co. • 1946 King Church Furniture • 1948 WOOF Radio • 1949 Chapman Corporation • 1949 Emfinger Steel • 1949 First United Methodist Church • 1949 Southeast Alabama Medical Center • 1949 George C. Wallace Community College • 1950 Adams Beverages • 1950 Dothan Powersports • 1950 Evergreen Presbyterian Church • 1950 Flowers Hospital • 1950 Hollis & Spann • 1952 Lee & McInish • 1952 Southeastern Oil • 1953 Alabama Electric Company • 1953 Calvary Baptist Church • 1953 Flower’s Insurance • 1953 Ridgecrest Baptist Church • 1955 Hall’s Dothan Wholesale Florist • 1955 Cobb, Shealey Crumm & Derrick • 1955 Fort Rucker (MW&R) • 1955 Fort Rucker (Public Affairs Office) • 1955 WTVY-TV • 1956 Alabama Peanut Producers Association • 1956 Alfred Saliba Corp. • 1956 Davis Oil Company • 1956 Well’s Tractor Company • 1956 West Main Medical Center • 1958 Dobbs Bar-B-Q • 1958 Kirkland Jewelry • 1958 Wiregrass Federal Credit Union • 1958 Wiregrass Rehabilitation Center • 1959 Alabama Asthma & Allergy Clinic • 1959 Dr. LaBruce Hanahan • 1960 Richard Saliba Construction •
1961 Bell Supply Co., Inc. • 1961 Dothan Printing and Litho • 1961 Jeffers • 1962 Air Conditioning Associates • 1962 Dothan Pediatric Clinic • 1963 Dothan Houston County Airport Authority • 1963 Ward Bell Communications • 1964 Five Star Credit Union • 1965 Polyengineering • 1966 Army Aviation Federal Credit Union • 1966 Home Oil Company, Inc. • 1966 Smith’s Inc. of Dothan • 1967 Emmanuel Christian School • 1968 Dr. Wayne Prim • 1968 Durden Outdoor Displays, Inc. • 1968 Ramsey, Baxley & McDougle • 1969 Ashford Academy • 1969 Radiology Associates • 1969 Tom West Company
1970 – Today 1970 Fort Rucker Aviation Museum • 1970 Houston Academy • 1971 Eye Doctor’s Office • 1972 Harley Davidson of Dothan • 1973 Burt Williams Construction • 1973 Globe Motors • 1973 Larry Blumberg & Associates • 1973 Ricky Starling Masonry • 1974 Circle Pharmacy • 1974 Dothan Hardware & Supply • 1974 Dunbarton Corp. • 1974 Lewis Smith Supply Corporation • 1975 Brian Holloway Floor Covering • 1975 Espy Financial • 1975 Marty Robbins Roofing • 1975 Northside Methodist Church & Academy • 1976 Dothan Landmarks Foundation • 1976 James Bowman Realty, Inc. • 1976 Southeastern Oral Maxillofacial & Cosmetic Surgery • 1977 Ansley’s Building Materials • 1977 Conestoga Steak House • 1977 H. & H. Doors and Hardware, Inc. • 1977 Huskey Law Firm • 1977 Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant • 1977 Martin Dental Lab • 1978 20/20 Eyecare • 1978 Dothan Specialty Clinic • 1979 Dr. Brent McFarland • 1979 Canvas Products Dothan • 1979 Extendicare Health and Rehabilitation Center • 1979 Gencon Associates • 1979 Lumber Group, Inc. • 1979 Michelin USA • 1980 Eye Center South • 1980 Dothan Warehouse • 1980 James Grant Realty • 1980 Merrill Lynch • 1981 Bethany Divinity College & Seminary • 1981 Goldco • 1981 Ronnie’s Men’s & Boy’s Wear • 1981 Wiregrass Community Pharmacy • 1982 Dixie Fence • 1982 Farmer Price Hornsby Weatherford • 1982 Women’s Medical Center • 1983 Consolidated Electrical Contractors • 1983 Dothan Inn, Inc. • 1984 Westgate Christian School • 1985 Circle City Transport • 1985 Dothan Tubular Products • 1985 Southeastern Cardiovascular Associates, P.C. • 1985 Wish Forklift • 1986 Davis Oil Company • 1986 E & H Steel • 1986 Wiregrass Commons Mall • 1987 Personnel Resources • 1988 Alabama Motor Express • 1988 Care Animal Center • 1988 Higgins Electric • 1988 Scenic Cable • 1988 Wiregrass Truss • 1989 Basketcase Café • 1989 Danco Industrial Constructors, Inc. • 1989 Qualico Steel Company • 1989 The Image Agency • 1989 Whiterock Construction Co., Inc. • 1990 Troy University Dothan Campus • 1991 First Baptist Church • 1991 Scott Cook Pharmacy • 1992 Dothan- Houston County Substance Abuse Partnership • 1993 Dothan Area CVB • 1993 Healthsouth • 1993 The Gamble Law Firm • 1993 Women’s Healthcare of Dothan • 1994 Edward Jones Investments of Dothan • 1994 Swedish Match • 1994 Westside Terrace & Rehab • 1995 Creek Services, Inc. • 1995 K.C Construction and Roofing • 1995 Kenworth of Dothan • 1995 Providence Christian School • 1995 Southern Bone & Joint • 1996 Dothan Magazine • 1996 Harvest Church • 1996 Swiss Cleaners • 1997 Zack’s Family Restaurants • 1998 84 West • 1998 Computer Printing, Inc. • 1998 Dixie Egg Co. • 1998 Kaye M. Barbaree • 1998 Northstar Engineering Services, Inc. • 1998 The Terrace at Grove Park • 1998 Twitchell Corp. • 1999 Eye Center South • 1999 Kent Consolidated Construction & Roofing • 1999 McLane Company • 1999 Schmitz Automotive Group • 2000 Laurel Oaks Behavioral Center • 2000 Southeast Eye Clinic • 2001 Whatley & Darty Commercial Real Estate • 2001 CapSouth Partners • 2003 Don McLeod CPA • 2003 The Therapy & Wellness Group • 2005 Wiregrass Foundation • 2006 KFH Industries • 2006 Schnitzer Steel • 2006 Schwinco • 2007 La Quinta Inn & Suites • 2007 Remax Southern Properties • 2008 Knology ( Graceba ) • 2008 Servisfirst Bank • 2008 Wiregrass Rehabilitation Center • 2009 APAXX, Inc. • 2009 Friend Bank • 2009 Tyndall Federal Credit Union • 2009 Window World • 2010 Plush MedSpa
4 C DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
Dothan & Houston County Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow By Scotty E. Kirkland Featuring the photography of Frank Gaines, III Corporate profiles by Laura Stakelum Sponsored by Dothan Landmarks Foundation Ronald P. Beers, Publisher Editor: Jennifer S. Kornegay Designer: Scott Fuller Associate Designer: Kevin Criswell Managing Editor: Erin R. Mohajerin Marketing Coordinator: Catherine Goodwin
Ronald P. Beers, President Terry A. Beers, Vice President Š2011 Beers & Associates, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved Published 2011 First Edition ISBN: 9780979660139 Library of Congress Control Number 2011910641 Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information herein. However, the authors and Beers & Associates are not responsible for any errors or omissions that might have occurred. Printed in the USA
6 C DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
As it did for so many innovations we now take for granted, the 1893 Columbian Exhibition in Chicago, Illinois, introduced the “Postcard” to Americans. Success spawned a postcard industry that expanded after 1907 postal regulations allowed one side to be available for printing. This postcard is typical of the genre and captures an idyllic downtown scene near Main Street and Foster. Note the well-dressed couple underneath the streetlight beside the bank. [Courtesy of the Birmingham Public Library Archives, Cat. # 1081.4.169A]
Table of Contents Part One . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10
Yesterday and Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
14
Tomorrow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
90
Part Two . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
96
Pre-World War II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
98
World War II to 1969 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
110
1970 to Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
136
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 7
It would be difficult to capture the same sense of charm and elegance in the contemporary image. However, this section of Main Street does highlight some of the best examples of the city’s historic preservation efforts.
Acknowledgements Special thanks to the following individuals and organizations that provided information, materials, assistance, photos and encouragement to create this book. William Holman, Executive Director, Dothan Landmarks Foundation Dr. Martin T. Olliff, Director, Archives of Wiregrass History and Culture Ron Thomas, Dothan Landmarks Foundation Frank Gaines, Dothan Historic Preservation Commission, Gaines Photography T. Larry Smith, Historian and Consultant, Henry County, Alabama Charles E. Metzger, P.E., Assistant Public Works Director, Traffic Engineering Services Chief Larry Williams, Dothan Fire Department Clara Woodall, Circuit Clerk, Houston County Courts David Rivenbark, Columbia, Alabama Laura Stakelum, Public Relations Director, Dothan Landmarks Foundation Scotty E. Kirkland, Curator of History, Museum of Mobile Todd McDonald, Director, Dothan Planning & Development Archives of Wiregrass History and Culture, Troy University Dothan Campus Dothan Landmarks Foundation Houston-Love Memorial Library Special Collections and Archives Department, Birmingham Public Library And to the many community members who provided information and images for use or consideration.
8 C DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
Foreword hen Dothan Landmarks Foundation was asked to participate in the creation of this book, we jumped at the opportunity to celebrate Dothan’s recent 125th anniversary. Within the pages of Dothan and Houston County: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow, you will find images that reflect the ebb and flow of change in our city and county.
W
As you will discover when you browse these pages, many of the buildings pictured here still remain. These structures may look different now or maybe have been modified through the years, but they are still here, serving as visual reminders of our proud past. Sadly, for many other buildings featured here, these images are all that remain. And while many beautiful structures have been lost to progress, it is my hope that the current property owners will continue to preserve those that remain. As with any project of this nature, it was difficult to decide which pictures to include. Our goal was to seek pictures that have not been published before, and we found several I think you will enjoy. I firmly believe that Dothan and Houston County is a great place to live, work and raise a family. Since the early settlers first came into our area, Houston County has provided the right ingredients for a variety of hard-working business owners to prosper. And many have. You have the opportunity to learn about some of these in the business profile section of this book. A special thanks goes to Dr. Marty Olliff, Director of the Archives of Wiregrass History and Culture at the Troy University Dothan campus. His help and guidance were invaluable in putting together the images and coordinating the effort necessary to produce this book. Also, I want to thank Frank Gaines for his photography skills and willingness to share his large collection of modern and historic images. And last but not least, a heartfelt thanks to Scotty Kirkland and Laura Stakelum for helping make this project a success. I am confident that the next 125 years will be just as good as the first. Enjoy! William Holman Executive Director Dothan Landmarks Foundation, Inc. LEFT: A typical scene from the bustling Dothan intersection of West Main and Oates streets in the 1950s.
10 C DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
Part One LEFT: This
1955 aerial photograph captures several buildings in Dothan that are no longer standing, chief among them the stately old courthouse seen in the center of the photograph. FOLLOWING PAGES: Despite many changes, there are quite a number of familiar buildings in this contemporary image. Taken together, these two photos capture the theme of historic preservation that runs throughout this entire project. While the beautiful original courthouse, with its grand cupola and elegant construction has long been torn down, the architecture of the new courthouse combines traditional elements with the necessary modern functions. Better examples lie to the east in the Federal Courthouse and the old Houston Hotel, both of which have quite a rich history of their own.
In the contemporary image, the domed roof of the Dothan Civic Center dwarfs the surrounding buildings. And yet, directly across the street stands the Dothan Opera House, one of the city’s most treasured buildings, and one of several structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places. From above, one catches glimpses of a few of the murals that grace Dothan’s downtown, a crucial component to the restoration and revival of the area.
12 C DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 13
14 C DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
Shortly after this photograph of Main and Foster streets was taken in early August 1902, residents of Henry, Dale and Geneva Counties voted on a referendum to create a new county. For more than two years, Dothan was the center of support for the new county. The city had grown from its early days into a commercial hub and Dothan’s boosters sought to expand the political role of their city. After several years of planning, the boosters were ultimately successful. The Alabama Legislature voted to create Houston County on February 9, 1903. Residents of the new county chose Dothan as the county seat on March 16, 1903. [Courtesy of Dothan Landmarks Foundation, Inc. (Landmark Park)]
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 15
Yesterday & Today enerations before the first Europeans arrived and settled in the Southeast, the area that would become Dothan and Houston County served as an important trading post between the Yamassee and Creek Indian tribes. It was a crucial crossroads, a distinction it has retained ever since. By 1815, many of these tribes had been driven away, a development that fed “Alabama Fever” and contributed to the rise in the white population of the territory as Americans from Georgia, the Carolinas and the East Coast flocked to the region. In 1819, the area that would become Dothan and Houston County was part of Henry County, a vast tract in the southeastern corner of our young state. It had little in common with the more prosperous and fertile Black Belt to the north. The soil was sandy and difficult to manage. It seemed that the only two things that grew well were yellow pine trees and wiregrass, a particularly obstinate plant that was good for cattle grazing but made farming all the more difficult. New settlers found this region of Alabama—the Wiregrass—far less accommodating, and, as a result, the area did not experience the same type of population gains as the rest of the state.
G
The corner of Main and Foster streets seems much less busy today than 100 years ago. In the 20th century, Dothan’s main intersection moved one block west, to Oates (U.S. Highway 231) and Main (U.S. Highway 84.) But the corner of Main and Foster is still one of the city’s busiest intersections and stands at the center of downtown. The First National Bank building is located on the left. Across the street to the right are the Houston Place condominiums. Further down Main Street is Porter’s Hardware, the oldest business in Dothan.
16 C DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
ABOVE: In 1884, E. R. Porter left his home in Troy, Alabama, and moved to the growing city of Dothan. With $1,000 in borrowed money, he and Joel Murphree opened a hardware store at 110 East Main Street, one door east of its present location. Murphree sold his share to Porter a few years later and returned to Troy. Porter Hardware thrived in those early years, providing much-needed supplies for the growing town, such as tools, building supplies and wholesale dry goods for merchants. The store also served the needs of farmers and settlers in the hinterland around Dothan. Porter himself became an early Dothan booster, serving as the first chief of the volunteer fire department. Porter, along with A. L. Williams and B. G. Farmer, underwrote the creation of the Houston Eagle, one of Dothan’s early 20th century newspapers. E. R. Porter died in 1944, but the hardware company he established remains in business today. It is the oldest business in the city and holds the distinction of being Alabama’s oldest continuously operating hardware store. [Courtesy of Dothan Landmarks Foundation, Inc.] LEFT:
E. R. Porter wanted his store to retain its old charm long after he was gone. His family has faithfully maintained the business for decades, honoring Porter’s request by preserving not only its charm, but also its original layout. The beautiful tin ceiling dates back to the original building. Pictured in this photograph, left to right, are Russ Barden, James Simmons and Reuben Whitehurst.
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 17
LEFT:
Soon after the Alabama Legislature created Houston County in February 1903, Governor William Dorsey Jelks appointed the county’s first slate of commissioners: G.H. Malone, Y.L. Brackin, N.S. Fellows and D.G. Hudspeth. In August 1903, these men approved plans to construct the first courthouse and jail. The courthouse was completed in 1905 at a cost of $45,000. It stood until 1962 when it was demolished. The new courthouse, completed in the 1960s, was a drab, unappealing, modern structure locally known as the “cheese grater.” (INSET, BELOW) BELOW : Wade,
By the 1830s, lumbermen from Georgia made their way into the region, enticed by the pine forests in lower Henry County. They were drawn to that same crossroads, near a freshwater spring, where Native Americans had traded years before. A few of these rough-hewed lumbermen settled there and named the place Poplar Head. Soon, it became a center of the timber and naval stores industries. Throughout the mid-19th century, growth in the region remained sluggish. After the Civil War, more families began to move into lower Henry County, mostly from neighboring parts
McNamara, & Parish, a local architectural design firm, completed work on the new courthouse in 2003. Although by no means as grand as the original building, the contemporary courthouse combines both the function of the “cheese grater” modern office complex with a more pleasing architectural design. A historic marker detailing the creation of Houston County stands in front of the building.
18 C DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
ABOVE: Cars line a busy section of Main Street, looking east, in this photograph. To the left is the First National Bank. Kress Department Store, the Harris Furniture Company and other stores occupy the right side of the street. [Courtesy of the Birmingham Public Library Archives, Cat. # 1551.5.97]
BELOW : The old bank building and some of the storefronts remain the same. Main Street has since been widened to accommodate increased traffic. Ornate lampposts and careful landscaping have restored a sense of dignity to this section of town. These finishing touches demonstrate the commitment of local preservationists.
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 19
LEFT: This
photograph of Dothan was taken from atop the 1905 courthouse, looking southeast. BELOW :
During the 1970s and 1980s, as businesses fled downtown in favor of new locations on the Ross Clark Circle or points farther west, Main Street was lined by many abandoned buildings. Now, thanks to preservation-minded businessmen, politicians and organizations like the Downtown Group, Main Street is once again a part of a vibrant downtown Dothan.
of the war-ravaged South. The small settlement was once again a crossroads community, situated along the main route to Florida. As the timber industry in the area expanded, the population increased. And as the trees were cleared, more farmers began to move into the area, eager to take advantage of the open land. In 1885, residents of Poplar Head met and
Profile in Leadership C Earl Durden of Durden Outdoor Displays showed his commitment to a better, more beautiful Alabama when he spearheaded a massive industry cleanup called “Clean Up Our Own Backyard.” – Full story on page 124
decided to incorporate their community. Since there was already a town named Poplar Head, a new name was in order. A local minister suggested they name the town Dothan, in honor of the biblical town located along the trade route between Syria and Egypt. Residents approved and incorporated Dothan, Alabama, on November 10, 1885.
20 C DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
The origins of Dothan First Baptist Church date to 1887 when the Reverend J.C. Skipper began holding services in the homes of several local families. Later that year, the congregation built a modest wooden sanctuary on St. Andrews Street. A decade later, the congregation had more than 150 members and had outgrown its sanctuary.
The congregation voted to build a new brick sanctuary at the southeast corner of West Main and South Oates streets, across Main Street from the Houston County Courthouse. This photograph of the building was taken around 1908. [Courtesy of Dothan Landmarks Foundation, Inc.]
LEFT: Within
a few decades, the church had outgrown the building at West Main and South Oates streets. The church purchased land farther up Main Street, between North Lena and North Alice streets, and built an imposing new sanctuary. It seated an impressive 500 and featured an indoor baptistery, quite a novelty for its time. The new building provided ample room for Sunday School classes and other church functions. [Courtesy of Frank Gaines]
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 21
The law firm Cochran, Cherry, Givens, and Smith now sits on the original site of First Baptist Church. Directly across South Oates Street from the office sits the newly dedicated Justice Park, funded, in part, by the firm, which includes a modern clock tower and a replica of the Lady Justice statue.
Slowly but surely, the new town began to grow. In the first edition of the Dothan Light, the town’s first newspaper, editor T.E. Williams wrote: “Upon our arrival, we find a town of 400 people who are fully enthused over the boom. The streets are continually working alive with people....The town is incorporated with two policemen, four or five doctors, four lawyers, three barrooms, six stores of general mer-
cantile, one dry store, and one good barber.” With this growth came expansion of the town’s laws and services and the levying of new, and often unpopular, taxes. Establishing law and order in Dothan proved particularly challenging. Farmers who came into the town to sell produce, swap stories and purchase supplies were not accustomed to such rules and often refused to obey them. A succession of mayors and Since its early years, the church has been very active in social matters. During World War II, the church hosted hundreds of servicemen from nearby Camp Rucker and Napier Field. Although the church has undergone extensive renovations over the years, the exterior of the building remains largely unchanged, with the exception of the new wing seen to the right in this photograph.
22 C DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
Hyman Blumberg immigrated to America in the 1870s from Prussia. For many years, he drove a stagecoach in the Wiregrass on a route between Geneva and Columbia. Blumberg witnessed the impressive growth of the Poplar Head community, and after the residents incorporated the crossroads into the town of Dothan, Blumberg resolved to open a business in the growing town. Blumberg’s first store
in Dothan was housed in a tent. From these inauspicious beginnings, he founded a clothing store that stood at the corner of Foster and Main streets for more than half a century. This circa 1920 photograph shows Blumberg’s Department Store. The building’s exterior is festooned with advertisements for shoes, hats and a special “Easter” sale. [Courtesy of Frank Gaines]
Blumberg’s store underwent a major renovation in the mid-1950s. At the grand reopening, customers marveled at the city’s first escalator. But by the late 1970s, the store had fallen on hard times as customers flocked to newly built shopping malls away from the city center. Blumberg’s closed in 1977. Much has changed on this street corner over the last 80 years. The building Blumberg’s occupied for decades is now gone. A law office is located on the bottom floor of the contemporary structure. The Carriage House Condominiums occupy the upper floors.
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 23
This photograph of the corner of Foster and Main streets shows two of Dothan’s most popular downtown stores, Florsheim’s Shoes and the S.H. Kress department store. In the 1920s, when this photograph was taken, downtown Dothan was a vibrant business district and had already solidified its unofficial title as the “hub of the Wiregrass.” [Courtesy of the Birmingham Public Library Archives, Cat. # 1551.5.96] The building on the right remains largely unchanged. However, most of the buildings on the left aged badly and have been demolished. A parking lot now occupies this location.
lawmen attempted to curb the rowdy activity of residents and visitors to little effect. The growing divide between officials and farmers resulted in a gunfight October 14, 1889, known as the Dothan Riot, in which two farmers were killed. The violent event was unprecedented in the small town and became a turning point in the relationship between officials and local farmers. The same year of the bloody riot, the young town’s fortunes began to change as the Alabama Midland Railroad ran its new line through Dothan. The coming of the railroad transformed Dothan from a small
crossroads into the commercial hub of the Wiregrass. Dothan’s growth soon outpaced that of Columbia, an old town located on the Chattahoochee River in the southwest portion of the county, and Abbeville, the Henry County seat. As Dothan continued to grow in size and importance, town boosters began to call for an expanded role in county and state politics. In 1895, county officials constructed a branch courthouse in the growing town. Yet many felt that Dothan should hold an even more prominent position, one that reflected its heightening stature. Local bankers and
24 C DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
The old First National Bank building has stood at the corner of Main and Foster streets for over a century. Its imposing white columns and spacious two-story construction reflect the optimism of Dothan’s early investors. For years, a large clock adorned the corner of the building. The clock itself reflected another theme of Dothan’s history: deep ties to the surrounding agriculture of the Wiregrass. The words “If we lose the soil, we lose all” were emblazoned on the clock.
Like many banks during the Great Depression, the old First National fell on hard times, although it never closed. In 1894, George Y. Malone and his three sons purchased a Dothan mercantile business known as Malone-Collins & Company. The company included a small, private bank, which the Malones also continued. In January 1901, the Malones opened the First National Bank in a building on the southwest corner of Foster and Main streets. In 1907, George Malone purchased the Hammond-Young Drug Store building and built the new bank, which opened in 1910. In 1957, the building was renovated and expanded. When it reopened in January 1958, it featured the beautiful clock on the side
of the building. The clock hung until 1972. The following year, the bank merged with Birmingham Trust National Bank, changing its name to SouthTrust in 1981. The old First National served as the SouthTrust headquarters until 1991 when it relocated to a new facility on Ross Clark Circle. Since that time, the First National Bank has been vacant. Keith Givens, a lawyer with the firm of Cochran, Cherry, Givens, and Smith, recently purchased and renovated the building. Custom Glass Designs has restored the old clock, and it will be displayed in the lobby of the building. The renovation of the First National Bank Building is but one of the shining examples of historic preservation in downtown.
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 25
Employees of the Dothan Baking Company stand in front of their fleet of delivery trucks advertising Bamby Bread. The company was popular through the United States for much of the 20th century. “Bamby” stood for “Best American-Made
Bread Yet.” The store in Dothan was located on North Foster Street. Other businesses in the photograph include the Harrison and Lisenby Drug Store and the Elite Café.
the editor of the Dothan Light led the push to create a new county, with Dothan as its seat of government. Area delegates to Alabama’s 1901 constitutional convention successfully amended the state’s laws on county size to allow for the new entity. The Alabama Legislature created Houston County, named
in honor of former governor George S. Houston, in February 1903. In a countywide election, voters selected Dothan as the new seat of government. The only other major competitor was Ashford, another town made prosperous by the Alabama Midland Railroad.
These storefronts remain largely unchanged, although the area is not as busy as it once was. Businesses along the street include Vintage Chic, a clothing store; the law firm of Jacoby and Myers; the Good News Shop, an Episcopal thrift shop; Foster Street Bakery; The Nature Gallery, a boutique gift shop; The District, a local nightclub; The Grand; and the PHD Studio, a hair salon. The Porter-Farmer Building anchors the street at the corner.
26 C DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
The Porter-Farmer building was constructed on the southeast corner of Foster and Troy streets in 1907. The Dothan Mortgage and Trust Company was the first tenant. A few years later, the company reorganized under the name Dothan Bank and Trust. In 1916, E.R. Porter, J.J. Flowers, Dr. E.F. Moody, J.J. Whiddon and Dr. Henry Green purchased the bank. Brown’s Clothing Store was a popular department store in downtown Dothan for many years. But, by the 1970s, when this photograph was taken, business had slowed as larger stores opened on the Ross Clark Circle and elsewhere, drawing customers (and businesses) from the downtown area.
Soon after the creation of Houston County, residents in the nearby hamlet of Cottonwood, some ten miles from Dothan, voted to incorporate on the county’s southernmost border near the Florida line. And so the young city was now the seat of Alabama’s During the 1940s and 1950s, the department store J.C. Penney Company kept this corner of downtown Dothan bustling with activity. The company still has a store in Dothan, although now it is located in Wiregrass Commons Mall, having long ago abandoned the downtown district.
youngest (and last) county. The new county officials established a school system, constructed a stately courthouse and presided over unprecedented growth. By 1910, Houston County had more than 32,000 residents. Yet, for all the rapid change, there was also
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 27
continuity. Agriculture, in its various forms from row crops and cattle to timber, remained the area’s chief employer, along with a growing slate of businesses that aided the area farmers. By the 1920s, Dothan’s boosters began to move the local economy in a fresh
direction by promoting new industrial expansion. Small factories, a textile mill and a coffin-manufacturing plant opened in the county, but none proved very successful. By the onset of the Great Depression, Dothan’s economic future was in jeopardy. ABOVE: The Porter-Farmer Building has been beautifully restored into a modern office complex. LEFT: The
Penney Building, as this structure has come to be known, currently houses offices for the juvenile court system and various merchandise stores and a local restaurant named Colby’s on the ground floor. Although the building’s interior has undergone many changes, the exterior remains much the same as it was decades ago, including the Penney’s sign, awnings and the large storefront windows.
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By the mid-1930s, businessmen and boosters renewed their search for new industries for the Wiregrass. They ran advertisements in Northern newspapers touting the advantages of Dothan and Houston County and made plans to establish a regional airport. These efforts met success in 1937 with the opening of the Dothan Hosiery Company, the first successful business in Dothan not directly linked to
agriculture. Yet the city remained deeply tied to the land and agriculture of the surrounding county, a fact that area businessmen knew all too well. Affixed to the First National Bank building on the corner of Foster and Main streets was an imposing clock. Below the clock, in large stained glass letters was a simple message that aptly described the area’s economic footing: “If we lose the soil, we lose all.” ABOVE: Workers
pose in front of the U.S. Courthouse and Post Office, located on the northwest corner of Troy and Foster streets, shortly before its completion in 1911. In 1964, the Post Office relocated to its current location on South Oates and Burdeshaw streets to make room for the expanding needs of the court. LEFT: The
façade of the Federal Building remains largely unchanged, and the building is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 29
RIGHT: Built in 1927 by Byrd G. Farmer, Allen K. Merrill and G.W. Jackson, all “Dothan men,” the Houston Hotel has served many purposes during its existence. When completed, it was the grandest hotel in Dothan and made an impressive addition to the city’s growing skyline. By the late 1950s, the hotel was in decline, and many city boosters worried that the building would fall into disrepair. By the late 1970s, the hotel was serving a new purpose as the home of the Dothan campus of Troy State University. The university had sponsored classes at Fort Rucker for a number of years, but by the mid-1970s, the extension campus administrator, Robert M. Paul, was actively searching for a way to expand the course offerings in Dothan. For several years, the school leased the top floors of the hotel. It was, by all accounts, an odd combination. The students shared frequently malfunctioning elevators with the remaining tenants living in the hotel. In 1979, Paul persuaded the trustees in Troy to purchase the hotel and make extensive renovations. [Courtesy of the Birmingham Public Library Archives, Cat. # 1551.26.88]
LEFT:
Troy State occupied the building until 1990 when it relocated to its current campus on U.S. Highway 231 North. Since then, the old hotel has been the home of WTVY, Dothan’s CBS affiliate and a local radio station. Some of the station’s weather equipment adorns the rooftop, and the exterior has been covered with stucco, but the basic architecture remains largely unchanged.
Profile in Leadership C WTVY has been delivering the news and views that are important to the Wiregrass region for over 50 years. While Mike Smith, Vice President and General Manager, credits WTVY’s success to maintaining tradition, the station has never been afraid to evolve. – Full story page 120
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Harry Hall founded the Dothan Federal Savings and Loan Company in 1946. Hall was a tireless promoter of Dothan and led the efforts to attract new industries to the city for more than three decades. Hall built this building on the corner of Foster and Powell streets in 1952. Hall built a new headquarters across Foster Street and one block north in 1969, renaming his business United Federal Savings and Loan in 1972. In 1978, he completed an adjacent tower at Newton and Oates streets that became the corporate offices of National HealthCare. The tower now houses Houston County’s administrative offices. To many, this new building represented one of Hall’s crowning achievements. [Courtesy of the Auburn University Libraries Special Collections and Archives]
The rise of industry in Dothan was not the only major development to affect the future of the region. The emergence of widespread peanut farming transformed the county landscape and had a major impact on the economy. In the new agricultural age, commercial fertilizers helped transform the sandy soil of the Wiregrass into the perfect mixture to grow peanuts, which flourished in the Wiregrass and helped mitigate the devastating effects that the Boll Weevil had wrought on the area’s cotton crops. The peanut industry boomed in Houston County, a development that only further solidified Dothan’s connections to agriculture. Soon, the city touted itself the “Peanut Capital of the World” and in 1938, held a festival
to celebrate the end of the harvest season featuring George Washington Carver as the keynote speaker. The celebration evolved into the annual National Peanut Festival, which remains one of the area’s signature events. America’s rapid industrialization during World War II had a tremendous impact on the Wiregrass, propelled in part by a pilot training base at Napier Field and the nearby Camp Rucker, a U.S. Army facility that also served as a POW camp later in the war. After the war, the population of the area continued to increase, and even more businesses opened. As Dothan grew, businesses moved away from the city’s center, a trend that continued for several decades. The Dothan Chamber of Commerce occupied this building for a number of years after United Federal relocated. Peters Municipal Associates, a civil engineering firm started by Charles D. Peters in 1978, currently owns the building. The building looks very much the same as it did in the 1950s. In fact, the original heating and cooling system is still operational. You can even see the old night deposit boxes on the sides of the building.
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 31
ABOVE: Elias Thomas Saliba, a native of Lebanon, arrived in present-day Houston County at the turn of the 20th century. The growing community seemed to be the perfect place for his family, and the eldest brother began “sending for” his mother and younger siblings. The youngest Saliba brother, Michael Thomas, arrived in Dothan about 1902 at the age of ten. When Michael Saliba was of age, he returned to his native Lebanon in order to marry. On October 7, 1911, he married Satute Hareek, and the couple soon returned to Dothan where they lived for the rest of their lives. Mike Saliba ran a successful grocery store with his brother, Mose, and later operated a number of popular restaurants in Dothan, including the Elite Café and the Bluebird Café. During the 1920s, he moved his growing family into the former Grant Home at 303 North Foster Street. The stately, two-story colonial home was one of the finest in the city. The two women seated in the background of this photo are likely Mike Saliba’s mother and wife. [Courtesy of Angela Saad]
BELOW :
After the Saliba home burned, the lot was occupied by the downtown Greyhound Bus Station. The building was later rented by Troy State University Dothan during the time the school was housed in the old Houston Hotel and other outlying buildings. Since May 2005, the George Washington Carver Interpretive Center, an interactive museum, has occupied the building and highlighted the many contributions of African Americans such as Carver to modern science and technology. [Postcard courtesy of Frank Gaines]
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The Atlantic Coast Railroad Company constructed this depot near Powell Street in 1907. The depot was located near Dothan’s first railroad station, built in 1889 shortly before the arrival of the first trains to the young city. First the Atlantic
Coast Line, then the merged ACL-SAL Railway, then their business successor the Southern Railway used this twostory brick station until the late 1970s. [Courtesy of Dothan Landmarks Foundation, Inc.]
Since the 1990s, however, Dothan’s downtown has undergone a renaissance as the city commemorates its history through large-scale murals painted on downtown landmarks. Many of the murals demonstrate the city’s celebrated agricultural heritage. Landmark Park, a sprawling 130-acre park dedicated to preserving the area’s agricultural heritage, was established near the Henry County line in 1976. The park is but
one of the reminders of the area’s close connections to the land. Throughout their history, Dothan and Houston County have represented a crossroads. Before statehood, the area was a popular trading post for Native Americans. During the latter 19th century and after, Dothan became the urban center of a primarily agricultural area. There may be no better location in the In 1989, the City of Dothan purchased the building to save it from demolition. Recently, the Dothan Transit Authority relocated to the “Dixie Depot,” as it is locally known. The building is listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 33
The Columbia Baptist Association established a “mission Sunday School” on this site in the early 20th century. Residents of the area organized the Headland Avenue Baptist Church on this site in January 1909. Their first pastor was W.H. Falmer. This structure was completed the following year at a cost of $35,000. The church building remained until moving to Dothan’s west side in 1972 and changing its name to Heritage Baptist Church. [Courtesy of the Birmingham Public Library Archives, Cat. # 1551.5.83]
region that exemplifies the town-county relationship than Dothan and Houston County. The city remains largely dependent upon the surrounding agriculture, yet has branched into other industries to foster its continued economic prosperity. In many ways, this book highlights a crossroads of another sort. Over the last 15 years, many in Dothan and Houston County have fully embraced The site now serves as the location of the Greater Beulah Baptist Church. AfricanAmerican Baptists in the Lakeview area of Dothan organized the church in 1907. The church was relocated and renamed the Adams Street Baptist Church during the 1940s. In 1975, the church was reorganized under the present name. In 2000, the church completed its Christian Family Life Center, seen to the left in this photograph. The center serves as a meeting place for local events and as the location for Adult Education classes. The current pastor is the Reverend R. Paul Hollman.
historic preservation and have committed themselves to restoring Dothan’s downtown to its former glory. Some of the results can be seen in the contemporary photographs in this book. Yet the images also make it clear that much work remains to be done. And so as the city prepares to make the next step, to move forward with transforming downtown with new renovations, public spaces and even more murals, it is our
34 C DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
In 1898, a grammar school was constructed on East Newton Street. Shortly thereafter, the school was destroyed by fire. Dothan residents approved a $40,000 bond issue to fund the construction of a new school on the same location. In 1916, the school was renamed in honor of Dr. John Robertson
Graves Howell for his contributions to early education in the city. The cupola atop the school features a spiral slide fire escape. One wonders how many young boys were sent to the principal’s office for “testing” the slide over the years.
Howell School closed in 1942. In later years, the building housed the Dothan Manufacturing Company, a pajama factory. It is currently abandoned.
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 35
G. M. Lewis founded the Dothan Coca-Cola Bottling Company in 1906 on the site of the Dothan Opera House. In those early days, Lewis had very few employees and delivered the beverage to Dothanites in a one-mule wagon. A new plant, built in 1908 by J.W. Baughman and located
on North St. Andrews Street, soon expanded to cover an entire block. By the 1940s, when this photograph was taken, the facility had modern bottling equipment and a fleet of delivery trucks that delivered “the taste that refreshes” to thirsty residents throughout the area.
hope that this book will inspire others to lend their support to these worthy efforts and carry on this work for decades to come, ensuring that the history of the region, the stories of those early settlers and their struggles to create a vibrant community in a pine forest clearing, is told for generations.
The Wiregrass has a rich past that is worth preserving. It falls upon us to become this area’s boosters today, like the citizens who founded Dothan more than 125 years ago, men and women who believe in the supreme importance of the land and Dothan, the “Hub of the Wiregrass.” C As the city grew, the bottling company continued to expand, but this plant ceased production in 1986. In recent years, it has relocated to a new facility off Napier Field Road. The old building appears to be vacant.
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The Central Fire Station was designed in 1948 by architect H.L. Holman Jr. on the northeast corner of Burdeshaw and
Appletree streets. Behind the station was the chief’s house, which some firemen called “the White House.”
In recent years, a pitched roof was added to the building. The fire station closed in 1999 when the department relocated Station No. 1 to its current location adjacent to the old Bay Line Railroad Depot south of downtown. The old building is now used as a storage building for older equipment. Some of the old fire engines are now used to pull floats in local parades. The top floor houses some of the city’s permanent records and material from the Dothan Police Department.
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 37
Mayor Buck Baker moved the Dothan Municipal Light and Power Plant, Dothan’s electric plant, to this building in 1913 to make way for the new Opera House/City Hall. The new, larger power plant boasted a coal-fired water pump with a capacity of two million gallons per day and twin 3,000-kilowatt “Dynamos.” As demand grew, the city began
buying power to supplement the production at the plant and in 1930, added another 1,500-kilowatt machine. By 1949, with most of the equipment in a state of disrepair, city officials voted to close the facility and begin purchasing all of the city’s electricity from Alabama Power. [Courtesy of the Archives of Wiregrass History and Culture]
In 1988, the old electric company became the home of the Wiregrass Museum of Art. Located across from the Dothan Civic Center, the Museum of Art has five galleries that feature work by local and regional artists and interactive exhibits for children. The building is featured on the National Register of Historic Places. Next to the museum is Millennium Park. The park’s centerpiece is a ten-foot bronze sculpture of Joseph, built by Mobile-based artist Casey Downing. The statue pays homage to the biblical origins of Dothan’s name, found in Genesis 37:17, which reads, “For I heard them say, let us go to Dothan.” The biblical Dothan was located along a trade route between Egypt and Syria.
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Marvin Holman and Frank Pridgen opened the PridgenHolman Mule Company in 1917 on East Main Street just below the railroad tracks. Holman later bought out his partner and billed himself as a “tolerable fair dealer” and traveled throughout the country purchasing mules to be shipped by rail back to waiting Houston County farmers. When the shipment of mules arrived at the depot in Dixie,
Holman’s son Robert would corral them in a small pen and then lead them by horse down St. Andrews Street to the family business. In later years, Holman became one of the early tractor dealers in the area, selling the durable MasseyFerguson brand. He even gave local farmers the option to trade in their old mules for a down payment on a new tractor. [Courtesy Dothan Landmarks Foundation, Inc.]
In more recent times, Holman Tractor Company relocated to the Ross Clark Circle so that the company could continue to expand its business. The building that once housed the mule
company downtown has been demolished. Holman eventually sold his business, which still operates in the city today as Wells Tractor Company. The mule barn burned in the late 1970s.
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 39
ABOVE: This
photo of the combination firehouse and jail was taken during the 1920s. The building was adjacent to the Dothan Opera House. LEFT:
Nothing remains of the original buildings that occupied this site. The Booker Building’s side and rear are visible in this image. The building visible across the street is E. R. Porter Hardware.
40 C DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
Built in 1915 under the supervision of Mayor Buck Baker, the Opera House-City Hall remains one of Dothan’s most memorable landmarks. The building cost more than $45,000
to construct, almost $1 million today. It featured a 600-seat auditorium on the first floor. City offices occupied the top floors. [Courtesy Dothan Landmarks Foundation, Inc.] The Opera House has undergone extensive renovations. The city’s offices are now located across St. Andrews Street in the Dothan Civic Center. The Opera House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The auditorium is home to Dothan’s “hidden mural,” a painting by artist Wes Hardin, completed in 2003, featured on the stage curtain. The mural depicts some of the building’s rich history.
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 41
ABOVE: This early postcard shows a “bird’s eye view” of downtown Dothan, looking northwest, in the early years of the 20th century. This image was likely taken from atop the Hotel Martin, an oddly shaped, three-story hotel built on East Main Street by Dan and Buck Baker in 1906. One could usually find a lively poker game in the lobby of the Hotel Martin. J.L. “Tobe” Domingus, Dothan’s most notorious lawman, gained his burly reputation in part by breaking up these gatherings. Buck Baker was mayor of Dothan from
1908-1915. The protagonist in Douglas Fields Bailey’s novel, “Devil Make a Third” is based on his life. [Courtesy of Dothan Landmarks Foundation, Inc.] BELOW : Most of the original structures seen in the postcard are now gone, including the Hotel Martin. Liddon Furniture has replaced the Dothan Furniture Company in the bottom right. The majority of Dothan’s most recognizable downtown landmarks can be seen in the background.
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Workers stand in front of the Sanders & Co. Wagon Company on St. Andrews Street in this ca. 1910 photograph. The proprietor, John Sanders, is standing second from the right. The building also housed the Poplar Head Mule Company. Mules had an important
role in clearing, and later cultivating, the rugged land of present-day Houston County. Hundreds of mules were sold in Dothan every week during the late 1880s. [Courtesy of Dothan Landmarks Foundation, Inc. ]
A music store and a hair salon now occupy the building, although much of the architecture remains unchanged. In 1994, artist Mike Svob painted the “Mules of the Wiregrass” mural on the side of the building as a monument to the beast of burden.
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 43
Profile in Leadership C Current Board President Jon Lee, son of founding board member Carole Lee, often accompanied his mother to Landmark Park. He feels a great sense of responsibility and has a lot of pride in Landmark Park. “I feel it is my responsibility to my family and my community to help the Park survive and thrive so that my kids can take their kids there one day.” – Full story page 138
BELOW : The Young
Building has been beautifully preserved by its current owner, Michael Gamble, a local personal injury attorney and former vice-president of the Dothan Downtown Group. The Gamble firm moved into the Young Building in June 1994 and refurbished the building in 2008.
ABOVE:
Jim Young was one of early Dothan’s most prosperous businessmen. In the 1890s, Young opened Dothan’s first drug store near the intersection of Main and St. Andrews streets, near the office of Dr. Howell, Young’s brother-inlaw. In 1914, Young built the city’s first “skyscraper.” The Young building housed a pharmacy on the lower floors and various offices on the upper floors. Shortly after he completed the building, Young sold his drug store to his nephew, Walter Brown, and accepted a position as president of a local bank, a job he held until his death in 1927. [Courtesy of Frank Gaines]
44 C DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 45
LEFT:
E.C. Cumbie moved his bicycle shop to East Main Street in 1922. In 1955, Cumbie sold the dealership, and the new owner expanded the business, selling bicycles, motorcycles and lawnmowers. In 1978, the business moved to a new location on Ross Clark Circle during a time when many businesses were relocating away from the downtown area. [Courtesy of Houston-Love Memorial Library]
ABOVE: The
Cumbie building is an excellent example of the improvements brought to Dothan by the Downtown Group and the mural project. Two murals adorn the building. On the left, is a mural dedicated to Dothan’s own Johnny Mack Brown. Brown graduated from Dothan High School in 1922. His considerable athletic ability earned him the nickname “The Dothan Antelope.” Brown excelled at the University of Alabama, where he was named an All-American halfback. Brown’s good looks and athleticism caught the attention of Hollywood, and the young man from Dothan went on to star in more than 160 films with Hollywood greats like Mae West, John Wayne, Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford. Each year Dothan pays tribute to one of its most well known sons with the YellaWood Johnny Mack Brown Western Festival. The second mural on the Cumbie building portrays Chief Eufaula, leader of the Creek Indians, who presided over the tribes during their relocation to a reservation in Oklahoma. In 1836, Eufaula addressed the Alabama Legislature. Quotes from Eufaula’s speech are included in the mural, which was painted by Bruce Rickett in 1993.
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ABOVE: This photograph of the corner of Crawford and St. Andrews shows a bustling Malone Motor Company to the right and an oil company on the left. The Houston Hotel and the Young Building are both visible in the background. [Courtesy of the Birmingham Public Library Archives, Cat. # 1551.5.98] LEFT: The
contemporary photograph shows a much dimmer scene as most of the businesses near this oncevibrant intersection have closed.
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 47
ABOVE: George Y. Malone founded the Dothan
Carriage Company in 1894. More than a dozen members of the Malone family owned the business during its long existence. In 1907, the company, then named Malone-Harrison Ford, sold the first automobile — a Ford Model R — in Dothan. The building shown in this photograph was built in 1923 at the corner of South St. Andrews and Crawford streets. Shortly thereafter, George Y. Malone II came to Dothan to help turn the 30-yearold auto dealership around. The young Malone had gained a reputation as a good businessman. Before
he moved to Dothan, he had taken over operations of a tobacco farm in Quincy, Florida, that was owned by his family’s bank. [Courtesy of Dothan Landmarks Foundation, Inc.] BELOW :
Aside from the removal of the brickwork atop the building and the removal of the awning, the building has changed remarkably little over the last 80 years and is still owned by the Malone family. In fact, you can still see where the old auto signs were hung on the brick exterior. The building is currently vacant.
48 C DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 49
OPPOSITE: The
corner of South Foster and Crawford streets was the location of a wagon yard operated by J.P. Folkes, one of the earliest settlers in Dothan. In 1913, William Singletary and A.D. Whiddon opened a farm supply store on the site. A decade later, they built this three-story brick storefront. The building featured a large mural depicting a rural scene and advertising Singletary and Whiddon’s “International Line of Farm Machinery.” The company dissolved in 1936. Singletary, along with his nephew Archie Carmichael, opened a new store in the building shortly thereafter. [Courtesy of Dothan Landmarks Foundation, Inc.]
RIGHT: The Carmichael Building, as it came to be known, now houses an electronic supply company. The building’s façade remains largely unaltered. The awning has been removed, as have half of the large storefront windows.
LEFT:
At the time of this photograph, the Frith building was the Dothan Buick dealership. Afterwards, T.R. Frith established his hardware company. T.R. Frith Seed and Hardware Company was one of many stores that catered to Dothan citizens in the early 20th century. As the area continued to grow, residents needed more lumber, cooking
and farm implements, and other necessities. Stores like Frith played a crucial role in the continued prosperity of the growing community. ABOVE:
Although the Frith Hardware sign remains, the building has been vacant for a number of years.
50 C DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
ABOVE: Dr. A.S. Frasier operated an infirmary on Headland Avenue during the early 20th century. In 1919, Dr. John T. Ellis joined Frasier’s practice, and the two men moved into a new facility on South St. Andrews Street. The FrasierEllis Hospital had more than 40 beds when it opened a year later. This postcard shows the impressive building in 1937. [Courtesy of Dothan Landmarks Foundation, Inc.] BELOW : The
hospital closed in 1960 after Dr. Frasier’s death. Shortly after the hospital closed, the Dothan Nursing Home occupied the building. It is now the home of Extendicare, a health and rehabilitation facility.
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 51
ABOVE: Southside Elementary School was completed on South St. Andrews Street in 1928 at a cost of $75,000. This photograph was likely taken shortly after the building was completed.
BELOW : The
school looks mostly the same today. Even the old chimney in the middle remains, although it is surely no longer used. The old school building now serves as The Cultural Arts Center.
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DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 53
LEFT: Opened on October 12, 1928, Wiregrass Memorial Stadium is the oldest continuously operating recreational facility in Dothan. Portions of the original stadium remain today. The same year it opened, the stadium hosted the first football game for Dothan High School. The Tigers defeated Hartford 20-0. In 1946, area residents were treated to an exhibition game between the Boston Red Sox and the Cincinnati Reds. Legendary hitter Ted Williams hit a home run out of Wiregrass Memorial Stadium. LEFT, BELOW : Over its long existence, the stadium has undergone several renovations. Over the last decade, it has been utilized mainly as a field for Dixie Youth League baseball for teenagers, as well as a practice field for girls softball. Note that the original concrete bleachers are still in use.
BELOW : The Dothan Browns played all of their home games in Wiregrass Memorial Stadium. Local boosters like Jim Waldington, Rip Hewes and Earl Pittman wanted Dothan to field a team for the new Class D minor league after World War II. The team had a contract with the St. Louis Browns, who sent them a few players to cultivate over the years. But mostly, the Browns were made up of locals. Most players on the team were paid $100 a month, a far cry from the immense salaries of today’s players. By 1950, it was all a distant memory. The Major Leagues stopped sending players to Class D combines and, with the rise of televised games, the crowds at the local games began to dwindle. There are still quite a few citizens of Houston County who remember fondly the years when the Browns played at Wiregrass Memorial Stadium.
Profile in Leadership C Founded in 1957, Southeast Alabama Medical Center in Dothan is the largest healthcare institution in the Wiregrass area. Thanks to continued innovation and sustained operating and financial performance, the Center has achieved and maintained a reputation for providing the highest quality patient care and services in the area. – Full story page 112
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ABOVE: Young High School was built in 1921 on the corner of Lafayette and Dusy streets at a cost of $100,000. The school was named in honor of Jim Young, a longtime Dothan businessman and politician. [Courtesy of Frank Gaines]
RIGHT: The
building looks much the same as it did in the 1920s and is still owned by the Dothan school system.
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 55
LEFT: T.A. Tice opened the Sunny State Service Station on South Oates Street in 1940, not long before this photograph was taken. Gas was an astounding 19 cents per gallon, which was, according to the sign out front, three cents cheaper than many of Tice’s competitors. Tice ran a full-service station until he was forced to suspend his business temporarily because of the gasoline shortage during World War II. In 1950, his son-in-law Porter Arnold took over the store and renamed the business.
ABOVE: Porter Arnold died in 2007. His two grandsons, Brandon and Clint Arnold, now run the business.
They are the third generation of the family to operate the station. Just like it was in the beginning, Porter’s Service Station provides full service to its loyal customers and now includes a repair department and car wash. One wonders what Mr. Tice would think about gasoline topping $4 a gallon.
56 C DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
ABOVE:
Until 1904, Dothan was served by a volunteer fire department. Pressure from businesses and insurance companies prompted the city to establish the first paid department. This 1908 photograph shows the Dothan
firemen responding to a call, barreling down South Oates Street with their dedicated fire dog leading the way. [Courtesy of Houston-Love Memorial Library]
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 57
RIGHT: Modern fire engines are significantly faster (and
louder) than their historic counterparts. Notice that the building on the left remains much the same as it did more than 100 years ago, except for the flamingo-pink façade, which is almost as loud as the siren on the fire engine.
58 C DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
LEFT: The
first jailhouse in the newly created Houston County was built in 1904 on North St. Andrews Street. It was a small building, surrounded by tall concrete walls. In 1938, the county built a new jail on Oates Street, which can be seen in this photograph. [Courtesy of Frank Gaines]
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 59
OPPOSITE, ABOVE: The
old GTE Building, located on the corner of Troy and Oates streets. When this photograph was taken in the late 1930s, the building was considered a modern office complex. [Courtesy of the Birmingham Public Library Archives, Cat. #1556.26.84]
ABOVE: The modern offices of the Dothan Eagle now occupy this location. Most of the old GTE Building was demolished, although the newspaper did renovate the portion to the right. T.E. Williams established the first
newspaper in Dothan, called the Dothan Light, in 1889. Several years later, Williams’ brother, Alto, moved to Dothan, and the two began publishing Wiregrass Siftings. In 1904, Simeon Blue, a relative newcomer to the area, established the Houston Eagle. At one point in the early 20th century, Dothan was served by two daily papers and a handful of weekly publications. In 1905, W.T. Hall, a city clerk, purchased the Houston Eagle and a local printing company. He renamed the paper the Dothan Eagle and soon converted it into a daily publication.
In 1981, the county built a large, modern jailhouse adjacent to the old building. The old jail was leased to the state’s prison system for several years. Recently, the building was renovated, and it now serves as the Houston County Sherriff ’s Office.
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ABOVE: In the early decades of the 20th century, when segregation and political disenfranchisement were the order of the day, African Americans in Southern cities turned inward and established vibrant communities filled with culture and a history that has largely been forgotten. In Dothan, many black businesses and homes were located along South Alice Street, in a predominantly black residential area known locally as Frogtown.
The White Horse Restaurant on South Alice Street in Frogtown was owned by Albert Hunter and located south of Davis Grocery and Market on the opposite side of the street. During the 1930s, the building also doubled as a Masonic Hall. The small house to the left of the restaurant depicts the architecture typical of many of the homes in this community. [Courtesy of the Archives of Wiregrass History and Culture] LEFT:
All the old structures in this area have been torn down. The site of the former restaurant is now a baseball field.
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 61
ABOVE:
Davis Grocery and Market, located at the corner of South Alice and old Fortner streets, 1958. The grocery store was a true “Mom and Pop” operation, run by William M. Davis and his wife, Jewell. LEFT: The
Davis Grocery was razed for a parking lot. This building, housing the now-defunct Medical Arts Pharmacy, was erected just north of that site. RIGHT: The New Bethel Church was located on South Alice streets, between Franklin and Martin streets in Dothan’s Frogtown district, directly across from South Alice Elementary School. The architecture is typical of many African-American churches of the era. In 1958, when this photograph was taken, George P. Pugh served as senior pastor of the church. He and his wife, Daphne, lived in the parsonage next door.
LEFT:
More modern, ranch-style homes now occupy this lot.
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ABOVE: In May 1900, a small group of interested townspeople met and formed Dothan’s First Presbyterian Church. Its charter members included D.C. Carmichael, who would serve as mayor of Dothan in 1907. The wooden building seen in this photograph was constructed in 1901 at the northeast corner of Troy and Oates streets. [Courtesy of Dothan Landmarks Foundation, Inc.] LEFT, BELOW :
In 1923, after more than two decades of growth, members of the church voted to tear down the original building and construct a larger church. The following year, they dedicated the new sanctuary. Forty years later, the congregation voted to build a new church on West Main Street. But before this building was completed, the church at Troy and Oates burned. The new First Presbyterian Church opened in May 1973, exactly 72 years to the date of the congregation’s first service. The white building seen in this photograph was the location of the old Sunday School of First Presbyterian. It is the only portion of the 1923 church that remains. The old Houston Hotel, which currently houses Dothan’s CBS affiliate WTVY-TV, can be seen in the background.
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 63
The First Missionary Baptist Church has stood in Dothan for almost 120 years. Founded by Georgia Baptists in 1889 as the New Hope Baptist Church, the new church was a testament to the city’s growing African-American community. Its first pastor was Robert Nelson. In 1909, the church was reorganized as the First Colored Church of
Many of the outlying buildings were constructed during the 1970s under the leadership of the Reverend Rochester Johnson. During its centennial year, the church buried a time capsule near the front steps. In 2001, the church was listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage. The Historic Chattahoochee Commission placed a historic marker at the church in 2005. Reverend B.K. Marshall has led the church since 1993. In 2006, structural problems with the original sanctuary forced the congregation to vacate the church. Recently, the congregation accepted a renovation plan put forth by a Montgomery construction firm. Until such time as these renovations are completed, the congregation meets at Carver Magnet School nearby.
Dothan. In 1912, the church purchased this lot on Chickasaw Street and erected the current structure. This building was completed in 1917 and the church renamed First Missionary Baptist Church of Dothan. [Courtesy of Dothan Landmarks Foundation, Inc.]
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ABOVE: In 1884, a year before Dothan was incorporated, residents held a mass meeting and organized the community’s first school. The first school in Dothan was located at the corner of South Oates and Washington streets. By 1890, area students could attend both elementary and high school. In 1904, the city built a school called Rose Hill, which served the city’s educational needs until 1911 when Dothan High School was built on Burdeshaw Street by J. W. Baughman. Rose Hill was converted to an elementary school. The building in this photograph burned in 1914 and was rebuilt the following year. Dothan High School remained at the Burdeshaw Street location until the late 1930s, when it relocated to its
new facility on South Oates Street where it remains today. [Courtesy of Dothan Landmarks Foundation, Inc.] BELOW : The
Houston-Love Memorial Library now sits on the site of the old Dothan High School. The Library was originally the Minnie T. Heard Elementary School, which opened in 1940. The steady growth of the area in the early 20th century soon made it necessary to open another high school in Dothan. Northview High School stands just north of the Ross Clark Circle on U.S. Highway 431. After several years of planning, the city is preparing to renovate the Houston-Love Library.
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When their restaurant, The Shamrock (see page 73), closed, the Sullivan family donated the old sign to Dothan High School. These photos show the transformation of the sign.
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North Highlands School was a local school for African American children. The Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 began to put an end to segregated education in America. Over time, black
and white students in Dothan were placed in the same classrooms, a process that eliminated the need for the city’s previously all-black schools like Highlands. [Courtesy of Frank Gaines] In recent years, alumni of the old North Highlands School placed a marker on the lot of the Montana Street School to commemorate North Highlands. Montana Street School opened in the late 1940s to house black elementary and middle school students. The city’s black high school was named for George Washington Carver. It opened on Lake Street in 1949. School desegregation in 1970 closed Carver High. Montana Street School has evolved into a magnet school.
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 67
In the days before supermarkets and big box food stores, businesses like Meeker’s Grocery, located on the corner of North Street (now Chickasaw Street) and Montana Street, were very important to the community. [Courtesy Houston-Love Library]
Brothers Frank and Francis Meeker worked alongside each other for years in their grocery store. One day, a young man entered the store with a gun intending on robbing the men. But he underestimated the store owners, who had both fought in World War II. Frank and Francis pelted the would-be robber with canned goods until he ran out of the store. [Courtesy of Frank Gaines]
Like so many local establishments, Meeker’s Grocery is now abandoned. Sites like this building are often overlooked in local preservation efforts in favor of more renowned structures like public buildings and historic homes. But businesses like Meeker’s Grocery have served a crucial role in neighborhoods and are long remembered by area residents.
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ABOVE:
Dr. Earle F. Moody opened a small infirmary on North Alice Street in 1913. The first Moody Hospital was a small wooden structure with only a few beds. As his finances allowed, Moody added additional wings to the building. In 1919, he constructed the building seen in this photograph. It was in this location in 1949 that Moody administered the first doses of penicillin in Alabama history. LEFT:
Moody Hospital closed in the mid-1960s. Waid, Holmes, and Associates, a local architecture firm, purchased the site and kept their offices in the old hospital for many years. The building has been maintained remarkably well, no doubt thanks to its current owner, architect Robert M. Holmes.
LEFT: This postcard shows three palatial homes built
on the north side of West Main Street around 1910. The first home, with its two-story Greek Revival portico and balustrade, was owned by Phillip N. Spann. The second, a Free Classic Queen Anne home with Italianate design features and balustrade, was built for M. Steadman Spann by J.W. Baughman. The Brown family owned the home on the far right. With their third brother Henry, Phillip and Steadman Spann owned the highly profitable Spann Farm, 1,875 acres five miles west of Dothan known for producing a wealth of cotton. They also owned a general mercantile store in Brannon Stand near their fields. Originally from South Carolina, the Spann brothers ran a successful naval stores business in Fountain, Florida, before coming to Dothan in1914. [Courtesy of Dothan Landmarks Foundation, Inc.]
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 69
ABOVE: This photograph of Highland Elementary was taken shortly after the building was completed in the 1920s. Highland was one of several schools built in the early 20th century in an effort to keep up with the growing community. [Courtesy of Frank Gaines]
RIGHT: Like many homes built during the early 20th century, these beautiful mansions were torn down in the name of “progress.” The parking lot at Sears now occupies this spot. Spann Farm, however, is now one of the wealthiest residential subdivisions in the city.
BELOW : There
have been several additions to the school complex over the last several years. However, the original buildings are still in use.
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As more settlers arrived in the Poplar Head community during the mid-1870s, circuit-riding Methodist ministers began traveling to the crossroads to hold church services. Early Dothan settlers W.J. Baxley and J.P. Folkes would open their homes to these traveling ministers. By 1880, there was a small congregation in the community. In 1883, the church was placed under the care of the Headland Mission. A few years later, Folkes and Baxley donated land for the first church, which was located between Foster and St. Andrews streets. The church, originally named Foster Street
Methodist, was a long, one-room building that boasted stained-glass windows, an organ and a belfry. The little church grew in tandem with the community. In fact, many of the Methodist churches in Dothan today can trace their roots to old Foster Street. In 1920, the church hosted a tenday revival service led by evangelist Bob Jones. A decade later, the congregation voted to renovate and expand the church. This photograph shows the current sanctuary, located at the northwest corner of West Main and Park streets, in the 1950s. As the congregation continued to grow, it became apparent that a larger building was needed. In 1948, the congregation voted to relocate to a new sanctuary on West Main Street, the building seen in both of these photographs. The congregation also voted to rename the church Dothan First United Methodist Church. When the new building opened in August 1950, there were almost 1,200 members. The sprawling church on West Main Street remains one of the most active churches in Dothan.
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The first Jewish settlers arrived in Dothan around 1890. However, the first Jewish congregation was not organized until October 1928. The following January, Temple Emanu-El became a legally constituted body. The members purchased a lot on North Park Avenue and made plans to build their
synagogue. That same year, they held their first High Holy Day service. The onset of the Great Depression put any construction plans on hold, and the members held services in rented space until September 1941. [Courtesy Dothan Landmarks Foundation, Inc.]
In 1967, a fire destroyed much of the temple’s interior, necessitating a major renovation. In 1976, the congregation dedicated the Nathan Greenberg Gallery, which displays art and artifacts relating to the history of Judaism. The temple grounds are beautifully maintained.
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ABOVE: The
Kat-O-Log Tourist Camp, located on Montgomery Highway. Tourist camps often sprang up along well-traveled roads. They provided a respite for weary travelers and, at the same time, helped to promote the local community. Visitors to the Kat-O-Log could enjoy a chicken dinner for 50 cents. Or, for the very hungry traveler, a steak for 65 cents, both, of course, served with an ice-cold Coca-Cola. [Courtesy of Frank Gaines]
BELOW :
Since the time when the photo of the Tourist Camp was taken, Dothan and Houston County have grown immensely. Indeed, in the early 20th century the location was considered “out in the country.” Now, of course, the spot of land is located within Dothan’s Ross Clark Circle. Graceba, a locally based telecommunications company, built the current structure in 2004. In 2008, Knology Corporation purchased Graceba.
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 73
ABOVE: This
photograph shows the unmistakable “Space Age” architecture of Dothan’s Shamrock Restaurant. Jerry Sullivan opened the Shamrock on the northwest corner of Montgomery Highway and Ross Clark Circle in 1963. For its time, the Shamrock was quite novel. In addition to the eye-catching design, the restaurant featured 50cent hamburgers and a special green soft drink. By 1970, competition from a nearby fast food chain restaurant forced
the locally owned Shamrock to close. It was soon replaced by another chain restaurant, the Western Sizzler. After the Shamrock closed, the Sullivan family donated the restaurant sign to Dothan High School. [Courtesy Frank Gaines] BELOW : The
Sullivan family still owns this lot, a prime piece of real estate at one of the busiest intersections in town. The China Star now occupies this location.
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ABOVE: Dr. I.C. Bates was a tireless advocate for a Dothan airport. Bates served as a city councilman and later as mayor, from 1927 until 1943. In 1934, during his long tenure, Bates oversaw the purchase of land for a new municipal airport. The following year, workers from the Works Progress Administration, a New Deal program, began construction on the airport. It was at first a primitive airport with grass runways. In December 1939, Eastern Airlines, a company organized by World War I flying ace and Medal of Honor recipient Eddie Rickenbacker, began offering service to the city. [Courtesy of Frank Gaines]
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 75
Leska H. Waddell built this home on his 80-acre farm two miles west of presentday downtown Dothan. The early 20th century home was built by carpenter Bud Bush from pine lumber from Waddell’s sawmill. Waddell lived in the home for more than 50 years, and he and his wife, Gypsy (Hall) Waddell, raised three children there. Leska Waddell died in 1976. [Courtesy of Frank Gaines] BELOW :
Like many early structures in the area, the Waddell House was endangered by the expansive growth of Dothan. In 1978, the Waddell family donated the home and several outbuildings to the Dothan Landmarks Foundation. The following year, contractors carefully lifted the old home from its foundation and relocated it to the Landmarks Center for Natural Science and History, now known as Landmark Park. The home stands as a testament to early settlers in the area, as well as the community’s commitment to historic preservation and education.
LEFT:
After the airport relocated to Napier Field, northwest of Dothan, the city constructed Westgate Park at the site of the old airport. Westgate’s chief attraction is Water World, a local amusement park.
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Porter’s Fairyland, located southeast of Dothan near Cowarts, has been a favorite recreation spot for Wiregrass residents for many years. In 1915, William Fritter purchased the property and opened the pond and grounds as a recreational area for local families. The “swimming hole” was fed by a local freshwater spring and provided a cool escape during the hot summer months. E.R. Porter, a longtime Dothan businessman, purchased the property in the 1930s, renamed the attraction “Porter’s Fairyland” and built the structure seen in the postcard on the left. [Courtesy of Dothan Landmarks Foundation, Inc.] ABOVE:
In its heyday, the swimming hole at Porter’s Fairyland boasted a long boardwalk, diving board and waterslide. The small building in the background contained an old jukebox that provided the soundtrack to many summers. [Courtesy of Frank Gaines] LEFT:
Porter’s Fairyland now operates a popular locale for outdoor paintball, a curious competition where teams shoot small capsules of multi-colored paint at opponents. The east wing of the old Fairyland burned. The center portion, called the “Main Entrance” seen in this photograph, is still the original building.
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 77
BELOW :
Kelly Springs was another popular swimming hole in the area in the era before swimming pools became popular. Located in the northwest portion of the county, Kelly Springs was a popular attraction for airmen stationed at nearby Napier Field during World War II. This photograph was taken in 1962. [Courtesy of Frank Gaines]
ABOVE: The
facility closed in 1970, and this once-popular location has long been abandoned. Only a few remnants of the past remain, including the lifeguard’s perch and the slide seen in this photograph.
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ABOVE: This 1905 photograph shows the Jordon Home, located on Broad Street just south of Cowarts. Rudolphus Jordon (1848-1914), seated in the photograph, was a Georgia native. He operated a brick kiln across from this house. [Courtesy of Susan Fowler] LEFT: The
home still stands, although it has undergone quite a few changes. A small picket fence has replaced the larger wooden fence in the original photograph. No doubt the original fence served a utilitarian purpose of helping to keep out livestock. The shingled roof has been replaced with metal, an alteration that surely has helped keep the old home intact.
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In 1882, the Methodist Episcopal Church North established a school named Forest Home Seminary near Rocky Creek Methodist Church in Kinsey. The school was later renamed in honor of Bishop Willard Francis Mallilieu. Mallilieu Seminary was one of the only institutions of its kind in the Wiregrass. In addition to the “Three R’s,” students at the seminary
received instruction in the fields of Chemistry, Algebra, Geology, Greek, Latin and a variety of Bible courses. This 1917 photograph shows a group of students and faculty in front of the girls’ dormitory. [Courtesy of Dothan Landmarks Foundation, Inc.]
Mallilieu Seminary closed in October 1923, after the Methodist Episcopal Church North could no longer support the institution financially. Most of the old buildings have long been torn down, and a historic marker now marks the site of the old school’s boys’ dormitory across the street from this field where the girls’ dormitory stood. Mallilieu’s most famous alumnus was Bob Jones, the well-known evangelist and founder of Bob Jones University in South Carolina.
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The Rogers home near the railroad station at Williams Station near Columbia is a modest Victorian home. It features detailed spindle-work on the front porch and gingerbread brackets surrounding the door. The rear of
the house also features an unusual perpendicular addition and a cross-gabled roof. Rocking chairs and a swing adorn the front porch, beckoning visitors. [Courtesy of Dothan Landmarks Foundation, Inc.] The farmhouse has been beautifully preserved, and its owners have taken steps to ensure that the historic home remains intact by adding a modern roof and windows. Yet even with these changes, the home retains much of its original charm, thanks to the intricate woodwork on the porch and the inviting swing. Descendants of the Rogers family still own the home.
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 81
ABOVE:
Columbia was established along the banks of the Chattahoochee River in 1820. River access transformed the town into a commercial hub of southeast Alabama. A branch courthouse opened in Columbia in 1885, the same year Dothan was founded. Residents of the old port city carried on a healthy competition with Dothan during the 1880s and 1890s. When the votes to create a new county in 1902
were tallied, only three residents in Columbia supported the effort. [Courtesy of Dothan Landmarks Foundation, Inc. ] BELOW : The
buildings on the right in the old photo have long been torn down, and the old water tower in the background has been replaced. Although much has changed in the old port city, Columbia retains much of its appeal.
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ABOVE: In 1914, Dothan attorney R.D. Crawford partnered with
two North Carolina businessmen to establish the Columbia Power Company along the banks of Omussee Creek in Houston County. The company had two hydroelectric plants on the creek. The structure seen here was the Bates plant, named in honor of E.E. Bates, a Columbia pioneer, located just off Highway 52. At its peak, the plant provided Dothan with all of its hydroelectric power. The company expanded in 1919 and changed its name to the Georgia-Alabama Power Company. In 1925, Gulf Electric Company, a subsidiary of Alabama Power, purchased the facility. [Courtesy of Dothan Landmarks Foundation, Inc.] LEFT:
In late April 1928, heavy rains swelled the waters of Omussee Creek. The rising tides destroyed the old Bates plant and a covered bridge located nearby. Damage to the plant was so severe that Alabama Power chose not to repair it. Since then, much of the area has been “reclaimed” by nature.
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RIGHT: William Henry Purcell (1845-1910), seen in this picture on the far right, built this imposing Victorian home in Columbia in 1890 and named it Travelers Rest. Purcell had several business interests in Houston County’s old port city, including his own boat landing along the banks of the Chattahoochee nearby. Purcell’s son, Clare, went on to become President of the Council of Bishops in the United Methodist Church, the highest recognition achieved by a native Alabamian in the denomination. [Courtesy of T. Larry Smith]
LEFT:
Shortly after the end of World War II, the Purcell family sold the home to Henry Killingsworth, who, over many years, restored Travelers Rest to its former stature. Known today as the Purcell-Killingsworth House, the centuryold structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For the last several years, the house has served as a bed and breakfast called the Garden Path Inn.
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For much of the 19th and 20th centuries, the Wiregrass boasted a lucrative hog market. Hogs are particularly fond of the starchy tap root of longleaf yellow pine trees, and they would have found these in abundance in present day Houston County in the early 1800s. Early settlers would let their hogs and cattle roam wild in the dense forests. The area hog industry enjoyed a bit of a revival after area farmers
fully embraced the benefits of peanuts. Many farmers would “hog off ” the hay and leftover peanuts after the harvest. The arrival of the Alabama Midland Railroad fostered the growth of the local livestock markets like this one in Ashford. This photograph was taken at the depot in downtown Ashford in January 1929. According to newspaper accounts, local farmers sold almost 1,400 hogs that day. [Courtesy of Frank Gaines]
The Ashford Depot was one of the few structures to survive a devastating fire in 1915 and remained in use until 1978. During the 1980s, a group of concerned citizens organized a preservation committee to save the depot from destruction. The committee received grants to replace the roof and succeeded in having the facility listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage. After his election in 2000, Mayor Bobby Alloway intensified preservation efforts.
Since that time, the town has secured more than $1 million in grant funds from various agencies to fully restore the depot. A small museum and several original pieces of railroad equipment are located inside, and the depot now serves as a popular venue for parties and banquets. More importantly, it stands as a shining example of historic preservation and community involvement.
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 85
Rueben D. Wright opened his drug store in downtown Ashford on the corner of Broadway Avenue and Midland Street in 1919. This photograph was taken in the early 1920s. While the town of Ashford has seen many changes since the 1920s, the old Wright Building remains largely unchanged. The narrow awning has been replaced with a more modern covering, and now-faded advertisements are still visible along the building’s side.
This circa 1930 photograph shows Sanitary Dairy, located on U.S. Highway 84 between Dothan and Ashford.
Dairy Fresh Corporation purchased Sanitary Dairy in the late 1960s. The company is the largest milk distributor in the region. Note the changes in the holding towers for the milk in the two photos.
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LEFT: This
photograph, looking north up State Highway 53, better known as Cottonwood Road, shows several bustling businesses in the town of Cottonwood, which was established in 1903 shortly after the creation of Houston County. On the left is the Pan-Am gas station and W.M. Lewis & Sons Hardware. Another gas station and the Cottonwood theatre are located on the right. [Courtesy of T. Larry Smith]
RIGHT:
Far fewer businesses occupy this stretch of downtown Cottonwood today. Lewis & Sons Hardware Store, seen to the left, closed its doors recently after decades of business. The Liberty gas station on the right is also closed. Bright spots remain, however, including the everpopular Bearland Video and Gifts and the old Mrs. Frances’ Kitchen, renamed Puggies, which is a favorite among local farmers, politicians and Monday-morning quarterbacks.
Members of the Cottonwood Volunteer Fire Department, circa 1965. Left to right: Wilmer McCord, Jim Lamb, Fire Chief Jim Hughes, Carl Selers, Lamond Hughes, A.L. Hodges Jr. and John Franklin Lewis. The fire truck on the left is a 1964 Chevrolet. The one on the right is a mucholder 1936 Ford. The descendents of many of these men still live in the community today. [Courtesy Dothan Landmarks Foundation, Inc.]
The old firemen would have surely marveled at the modern equipment used by the department today. Left to right: Randy Adams, Jacob Wozow, Thomas Johnson, Deputy Fire Chief Ricky Owens, DeWayne Whitehead, Fire Chief Johnny Mims, Josh Taylor, Nick Cole and Brandon Anderson.
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ABOVE: One has to imagine that the old Gordon jail was once much more secure than it was when this photograph was taken in the later 1940s, years after the building had been abandoned. The woman in the photograph is Willene Marsh. The Marshes were one of the first families to move to Gordon, serving as bankers and businessmen. [Courtesy of Martha Dickson]
RIGHT: The old structure still stands but is mostly obscured by overgrown brush. Like many structures throughout the county, the jail stands as a reminder of the men and women like the Marshes who transformed the land from a wilderness frontier into a thriving center of business and agriculture.
88 C DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
LEFT:
James M. Green was the first pastor of Gordon Methodist Church. This brick structure was completed in 1899 when John W. Breedlove was pastor. [Courtesy of Frank Gaines]
RIGHT: The parsonage of Gordon Methodist burned
in the early 20th century. Thanks to the quick actions of local residents, the church itself was saved from the blaze. Very few changes have been made to the exterior of the pleasant little country church.
LEFT: The Tabernacle United Methodist Church first met in the home of Jimmy Clark in 1881. It was a modest beginning in a small log cabin situated on a welltraveled path to Panama City, Florida. The family later deeded the home and land to the church. The original sanctuary apparently had two front doors, one for men and another for women. It was in that building in 1895 that an 11-year-old boy named Bob Jones had his conversion experience. The original sanctuary was demolished in the late 1920s to make way for widening Brannon Stand Road. The building seen in this photograph replaced the original church. The church added a Sunday School wing to the building in 1947 and 20 years later, bricked the building.
RIGHT: The
church built a new sanctuary in 1998 and repurposed the old building as a Youth Center. The original sanctuary was moved slightly to the north and stripped of its brick façade.
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 89
RIGHT: Taylor Baptist Church began as a Methodist church in the early 20th century. The building was abandoned after suffering severe damage during a storm in 1942. Joe B. Parker purchased the building in the 1970s and moved it to its current location where he used it as a junk shop. In 1980, Cloverdale Baptist Church in Dothan purchased the building and land from Parker and started Taylor Baptist Church. This photograph was taken in 1995, hours before construction workers separated the original sanctuary from the addition and moved it to a new location on the same property.
LEFT: The
education wing in the background was added after the santuary was relocated. The old concrete slab in the foreground denotes the original location of the church.
LEFT: The
first schoolhouse in the Rehobeth area was a one-room pine structure built sometime after the end of the Civil War. The community sprang up near the intersection of two major Wiregrass roads, and in the last 50 years has experienced a population boom. In 1929, the Houston County Board of Education built this brick schoolhouse on Campbellton Highway. It was the first high school for the community. Previously, students had to travel to Slocomb or far-away Columbia to have access to a high school education. This photo was taken from the 1957-58 Rehobeth High School yearbook.
RIGHT: This
building now houses Rehobeth Middle School and sits about a mile away from the new high school. The chimneys have been removed; otherwise the exterior of the building remains largely unchanged over the last 50 years.
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Tomorrow
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The Southeast Alabama Medical Center recently announced plans for the development of the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine. Developed by the Houston County Health Care Authority and operated by a private, not-for-profit board with local and state representation, the ACOM will create jobs and government revenue including more than 200 construction jobs, 60 faculty positions, 119 indirect jobs and an initial economic impact of roughly $112 million dollars.
94 9 4 C DOTH DOTHAN HAN AN & H HOUSTON OUST OU STON ON C COUNTY OUNT OU NTY NT Y – Yesterday, Yes este terd te rd dayy, To Toda Today da ay & To Tomo Tomorrow morr mo rrow rr ow
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 95
ABOVE: Before and after picture and rendering of façade project conceived and funded by the Downtown Dothan Redevelopment Authority. [Courtesy Architect, Joseph Donofro] OPPOSITE PAGE:
Concept rendering of streetscape project funded by a federal Economic Development Initiative grant and planned for the 100 block of North Foster Street. [Courtesy City Planner, Steve Spry]
LEFT:
Concept rendering of a mini-plaza proposed as part of the streetscape project noted above. [Courtesy City Planner, Steve Spry]
96 C DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
Part Two
This 1940s-era photo shows the J.C. Penney building, located on the corner of Troy and Foster streets. Today, the “Penney Building” remains a prominent fixture of downtown Dothan.
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The Kress store had been an anchor of the downtown business district since the mid-1920s. Here, employees pose for a photo to celebrate the store’s Grand Reopening in September of 1951.
Pre-World War II
100 C DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
BELOW: Buddy
Pitman now owns the family business, which has been in operation since 1931.
D OT H A N G L A S S CO M PA N Y
W
hen businesses all around the country were failing
and folding, two brothers took a chance and opened the Dothan Glass Company in 1931, during the devastation of the Great Depression. The oldest boys from a family of eight, Earl G. Pitman Sr. and O.B. Pitman Jr. both dropped out of school to help their father provide for the family. Earl and O.B. learned the glass trade in their hometown, just outside of Mobile. While working for a sash and door company, they heard stories about a growing city nearby. They didn’t wait for opportunity to knock twice; armed with their newfound knowledge, the brothers headed for Dothan (then called Poplar Head Springs) in 1931 to set up their own shop. Their glass business, Dothan Glass Company, was first
Co-founders O.B. Pitman and E.G. Pitman in front of Dothan Glass around 1970.
located at the end of South Appletree Street. After several years, they moved to the 100 block of North Saint Andrews Street and in 1945, to their present location on South Oates Street. At first, the shop struggled with insufficient resources. O.B. lost an eye, and an attempt to open a store in Mobile failed. But the Pitmans built their business on honesty and fairness, and as that word spread, business grew. They soon found their niche in Dothan and the surrounding area. The Pitman brothers opened a shop in Pensacola in 1936 and one in Panama City in 1943 to give two younger Pitman siblings an opportunity to work. The business was incorporated in 1956, and in 1962 the two Florida stores and one in Mobile, owned by a brother-in-law, were brought into the corporation. The company provided opportunities for sons and nephews of the founders for a number of years as it grew. In 1975, the company purchased the stock of the senior members, which transferred ownership to Earl Pitman Jr. (Buddy), Pat Pitman McClendon and Sonny Savage, a cousin by marriage. Sonny Savage retired and sold his interest to the company in 1983. In 1991,Tom McClendon, who had served as a corporate officer and manager of the Dothan store, retired. The company
DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow C 101
purchased Pat’s stock. The company is now owned by Earl Pitman Jr. (Buddy) along with his wife Delayne and his son Earl Gray Pitman III. Buddy attributes the success of the business to the blessings of God and the fact that they have offered quality products with excellent service and professional installation. This has earned them a good reputation at each location. Though they started with very little, the company has grown to average $20 million in business each year since 2005. Dothan Glass Company now has full-service glass shops in Alabama, Florida and Georgia. They offer residential and commercial glazing as well as auto glass replacement and repair. The largest store is in Pensacola, with most of the business coming from major construction projects that range from commercial buildings to schools and colleges as well as high-rise condominiums along the Gulf Coast. Over the years, Dothan Glass Company has seen many changes in all three areas of the industry, residential, commercial and automobile. Since home windows now come pre-glazed, the residential portion of Dothan Glass Company’s business relies heavily on shower and tub enclosures, mirrors and mirrored walls, bathroom accessories and closet shelving. The auto glass business is also different. Current alliances between insurance companies and national glass companies make it tough for the local guys, but Dothan Glass Company overcomes this obstacle by encouraging people to request the local shop when they need work done. The company has also stayed competitive in the commercial glazing business by keeping pace with the newest technologies. Today, the company’s commercial glazing departments provide the very latest in technology, offering everything from standard storefronts to curtain and window walls, hurricane-resistant glazing and blast-resistant products. Dothan Glass Company isn’t afraid to branch out either. In 1997, they opened Builders Door and Hardware, carrying commercial doors, frames and builder’s hardware. The company has 140 employees including 45 at the Dothan locations. According to Buddy, the company rarely has to use outside recruiters. “People come to us, or we hear of people looking for work and our relationship grows from there,” he says. “I credit this to fair treatment, excellent benefits and our desire to relate to them as individuals.” Many people in the industry got their start at Dothan Glass Company. “That’s okay with me,” Buddy says. “Everyone has the right to pursue their dream.” Buddy’s son, Earl Pitman III, is currently the manager of Builders Door and Hardware and a corporate officer but will
Buddy and his son, Earl Pitman III
one day head Dothan Glass Company. The company’s goal for the future is to stay strong and stay local, mirroring the mission of Earl and O.B. Buddy hopes Dothan Glass Company will continue to serve the needs of the community, just like his business has always done. “If we put glass in your place, we’ll be here to take care of it,” Buddy says. “We want to keep serving as in the past. We stand behind our work.” Dothan Glass Company is proud of their commercial work in the Dothan area, including such recognizable sites as Flowers Hospital, Southeast Alabama Medical Center, Wiregrass Commons Mall and Wells Fargo Bank. But the Pitmans’ relationship with their city is not just about business. The family has been very active in the Baptist church, the Rotary Club and in other facets of the community. Support of the city recreation department has been constant since its beginning, with Dothan Glass team members serving on the board of directors and coaching baseball and soccer teams, and the company sponsoring little league teams. As a testament to the dedication of the family and the company, the baseball field near Rip Hughes Stadium is named Pitman Field after Earl and O.B. The company is also happy to have been a part of the Rotary Club’s work in bringing the Miracle Field to Dothan. What started as a small company that defied the odds of the time and focused on filling a need in the community has grown into the largest business in its field in the area. The legacy of the Pitman brothers is reflected in the success of their Dothan Glass Company—and it’s a legacy that is still alive today. C
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The goal of Dothan-Houston County Airport Authority is to provide convenience and stellar service to the Wiregrass region.
D OT H A N R E G I O N A L A I R P O R T rom its humble beginnings, Dothan Regional Airport has flourished and thrived, growing to become a first-class aviation center for the citizens of the Southeast. In 1940, the city of Dothan jumped on the chance to build its first airport. The Dothan Municipal Airport, owned by the city of Dothan, was opened. Eastern Airlines served Dothan until 1958 when Southern Airways began flight service. But as the years wore on, this airport couldn’t meet the growing demand for air travel or keep up with changes in air technology; the facility couldn’t even extend its runways because houses had been built up around it. Today, Water World sits where the original airport once did, with the old terminal building still standing.
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In August 1940, Eastern Airlines began offering service to the city. [Courtesy of Frank Gaines]
Meanwhile, in 1941, Napier Field in Dale County was being used for military training by the United States Army Air Corps. It was named in honor of Major Edward L. Napier of Union Springs, Alabama, one of the army’s first flight surgeons who died in a plane crash. Even today, traces of this history can be seen in the triangular layout of the original runways, a typical design from the World War II era. In 1945, after World War II, the military deactivated the training field, and the land went to the city of Dothan and Houston County, even though the property was located in Dale County. Part of the land went to build George C. Wallace Community College. The other part became Dothan Airport. The airfield was in a rural area, so rural that its runways had to be checked for cows before planes could safely take off. Yet, since this out-of-the-way location offered plenty of room for expansion, it was the perfect place for Dothan-Houston County Airport Authority Inc. to put its new airport. Runways were extended to better service Southern Airways new jets, and Dothan Airport opened for business in 1965 with 1,200 acres of land, a 6,500-foot runway, a 5,000-foot secondary runway and a 20,000-square-foot terminal building. Later, in 1968, the 6,500-foot runway would be extended to an 8,500foot all-weather runway. After Huntsville, Dothan’s was the second Airport Authority in the state of Alabama. This structure allows tenants to pay rent to the airport instead of the airport being funded by
taxpayers. The first to serve on the Airport Authority were Red McGourik, Eustice Bishop, Sam Stephens and later Parnell Lewis. Dick Bell served as chairman from 1979 to 2008, the longest tenure as a chairman in the history of the airport. Currently, four members serve four-year terms on DothanHouston County Airport Authority, and no tax dollars fund the airport. In the 1970s, the city limits of Dothan were extended to include Dothan Airport, and the airport terminal was eventually named the Bishop Stephens Terminal Building after Stephens and Bishop. In 1970, the airport hired Charlie Faulk as airport manager. Faulk ran the airport until 1975 when Monteford Burgess took over until 1982. Then, John Norton was manager, with Art Morris III serving as his assistant. Morris was promoted to Airport Manager in 1987 and has been serving in that role ever since. What started as a country location with just a few buildings has grown and prospered to now employ between 800 and 900 people with $14 million in salaries each year. Over 20 businesses are tenants at the airport, and their revenue generates over $55 million a year for the local economy. The largest source of income for the airport is from leases to companies including Pemco World Air Services, FlightSafety International, Aero-One and Flightline of Dothan. Many significant changes have taken place through the last 40 years. In 1997, the airport was renamed Dothan Regional Airport. Investments have been made to resurface runways, purchase more property and provide new safety equipment. In 1990, the first wide-body aircraft hanger in Alabama was completed at Dothan Regional Airport. Today, Atlantic Southeast Airlines/Delta Connection serves the airport and between 45,000 and 50,000 passengers each year. According to Morris, one of the biggest changes has been the steady increase of more detailed and more comprehensive security measures. In the 1960s, the height of security was the installation of metal detectors. Before that, passengers were told to simply stand behind a chain link gate before boarding the plane. But since the tragedy of 9/11, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has taken over security screening at the airport, and it performs thorough searches for items like chemicals and metals. The goal of Dothan-Houston County Airport Authority is to provide the type of air transportation service most desired by citizens of the area. When passengers choose to fly using Dothan Regional Airport, they are not only choosing convenience and stellar service; they’re choosing to help maintain an important part of the Wiregrass economy. C
The old terminal of the Dothan Regional Airport opened for business in 1965.
Today, Atlantic Southeast Airlines serves the airport and between 45,000 and 50,000 passengers each year.
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W I R E G R A S S CO M M U N I T Y P H A R M A C Y round 1910, Wright Drug Company opened on the corner of what is now Church Street and Broadway in Ashford, and in the 1930s, it moved to an adjacent corner on the same streets. While some things about the pharmacy have changed (including the name), Wiregrass Pharmacy is still sitting on that corner, and it remains a fixture in the Ashford community. Reuben Wright received his degree from Southern College of Pharmacy in Atlanta in 1916 and started practicing with his brother, the pharmacist L.A. (Doc) Wright, at Wright Drug Company. Reuben was joined by pharmacist H.M. Dykes (Reuben’s nephew) and both practiced for about 50 years. After Reuben’s death in 1981, Dykes took over the business and renamed it Wiregrass Community Pharmacy. In 1986, the current owner and Dothan-native Marvin Cook purchased the business from Dykes. Cook started practicing pharmacy in 1975. He believes his time in teaching chemistry helped prepare him for pharmacy
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school. People who come in to the pharmacy need more than just medication, and Cook sees this as a chance for ministry. “We are called to do more than just dispense medicine,” he says. “Sometimes, people just need someone to care for them.” Part of the current location was once a movie theatre. The pharmacy soda fountain would stay open late in order to serve the movie patrons. Today, that soda fountain is still in operation. People in their 70s enjoy visiting the pharmacy where they used to work and visit with friends. The busiest time for the fountain is after school, when kids come in for a drink and a snack just like they have for the past 100 years. While the original soda fountain may still be a part of Wiregrass Pharmacy, according to Cook, the pharmacy industry has evolved a lot. The staff at Wiregrass Pharmacy is constantly looking for ways to keep costs down but maintain the highest levels of customer service. A new automation system allows the pharmacists to spend more time counseling patients when they come to pick up their prescriptions. The entire Cook family is involved in the family businesses. Matt, Cook’s youngest son, owns Ashford Medical, and Marvin Jr. owns Scott Cook Pharmacy. Cook’s two daughtersin-law work at Scott Cook Pharmacy. Pat Cook, Marvin’s wife, is a retired registered nurse and worked alongside her husband at Wiregrass Pharmacy for many years. “It’s a family business all around,” Cook says. “We’ve been sustained over the years. Our business is growing, and we thank the Lord for that.” C ABOVE: This
family pharmacy has been caring for the community for over
a century. LEFT: Wiregrass
Pharmacy remains a fixture in the Ashford community.
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D OT H A N A R E A C H A M B E R O F CO M M E R C E othan is one of the region’s most progressive cities. The area embraces the best that life has to offer, providing citizens the modern conveniences and amenities of much larger cities while retaining the charm and friendliness of Southern small towns. The Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce has been helping shape the future of the Wiregrass area since its foundation in 1919 with G. S. Jackson serving as the first president. In his book, Dothan, A Pictorial History, author Wendell Stepp notes that in the early 1930s, the Chamber was little more than an office to establish prices for cotton and other produce. A new era dawned for the Chamber in 1934 when Harry Hall, Rotary Club president, and Theodore Jackson, Kiwanis Club president, formed a joint committee from the two clubs. Two
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West Main Street downtown looking east in the 1950s
Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce office built in 2003
goals emerged: establish a meaningful chamber of commerce and cut the weeds consuming downtown. The modernized Chamber of Commerce made its first home on the second floor of City Hall, now the Dothan Opera House. The Chamber moved several times over the years until in 2003, when it built a 9,140-square-foot building with a state-of-the-art architectural design on West Main Street for its permanent home. In 1994, the Board of Directors wanted to move to a new level, and Dothan by Design came upon the horizon. The economic development arm of the Chamber, Dothan by Design supports relocating and expanding industries with one-on-one assistance in securing state, regional and local incentives, workforce development, determining suitable site and building locations and providing community contacts to meet relocation and expansion needs. Another 5-star achievement was the development of a workforce development initiative that includes a dedicated certified staff member, workforce development committee and education committee. Each works closely with area school systems, post-secondary education institutions, service agencies, state agencies and business and industry in order to identify economic development needs, and coordinate effective solutions tailored to locally identified problems. It was in 2001 that the organization adopted its current logo and branding statement “Meeting the Challenge” and “Shaping the Future” to signify the growth experienced through the years. Now celebrating more than 90 years, this 4-star Chamber has built a strong foundation serving as a resource and advocate for business. It strives to “shape the future” for its members and the area’s residents by building a community that will “meet the challenges” of today and tomorrow. C
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M c D A N I E L & A S S O C I AT E S , P. C .
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s Dothan’s first accounting firm, McDaniel & Associates has experienced many changes through
the years, but there is one thing that will never change: the company’s dedication to the needs of its clients. E.B. McDaniel moved from Georgia to Dothan in 1940 to start his accounting firm, and he was one of the earliest Certified Public Accountants (CPA) in Alabama, claiming state certificate number 92. McDaniel & Associates’ first client was Dothan Oil Mill Company. Couch Construction Company, Blumberg’s Department store and several other area businesses soon followed. In 1986, McDaniel & Associates incorporated. It opened a new office in 1991 in Mariana, Florida, to complement the work that was being done in that state. In 2007, McDaniel & Associates merged with Robert McCullar in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. Now, McDaniel & Associates is home to 60 employees that serve over 4,000 clients in Alabama, Florida and Georgia and provide auditing, tax planning and other related services. A commitment to provide quality service for each client has remained constant over the years for McDaniel & Associates. Family businesses and corporations have always been McDaniel’s specialty, with a focus on small business accounting. Several staff members are certified in accounting software including Peachtree and Quickbooks. Currently, McDaniel & Associates is emphasizing three industry niches: construction, healthcare and automotive.
CPAs on the niche teams have specialized training. For example, a nurse is on staff to advise the healthcare division. And the company is always looking to expand. Birmingham and Pensacola are home to several healthcare clients, and the teams are always willing to travel to meet the needs of any client. McDaniel & Associates is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Private Companies Practice Section of the AICPA. Membership in these organizations ensures that the company stays up to date on changes in the industry and maintains high standards through peer reviews. Building on the company’s reputation for stellar service, employees are heavily involved in the community, serving on boards and committees for the Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce, Wiregrass United Way, Landmark Park and many others. C
FRONT ROW : Craig Scarbrough, Jim Ellis, George Price, Paula Steele. Back row: Ben Hathcock, Steve Kingry, Mac Carpenter, Bill Flowers, Leon Cheshire. Bill Flowers passed away in 2010. As a company shareholder, he was an integral part of McDaniel & Associates and will be missed.
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CO L E M A N W O R L D G R O U P n 1914, J.M. Coleman established Coleman World Group in central Kansas with nothing more than two horses and a covered wagon. Ever since, countless businesses and families have trusted the moving and storage company with the careful and safe conveyance of their goods and belongings. Just as the first advertisements promised “Courteous men at your service, night and day,” the company has always remained true to its commitment to customer service. Since its beginning, the company has successfully expanded throughout the world by providing excellent quality moving and storage services to corporations, governments and individuals. Upon the 1974 acquisition of Loftin’s Transfer & Storage in Dothan and due to the explosive growth of the Southern United States, the company moved its world headquarters to southeast Alabama, where it still operates today. Through its two main divisions, Covan World-Wide Moving, which stands for Coleman Vans, and Coleman American Moving Services, an agent for Allied Van Lines, the
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Before becoming an international force in the moving industry, Coleman World Group operated as Coleman Transfer and Storage Co., transporting general freight and household goods. This photo was taken in 1946 in Hutchinson, Kansas.
company has become one of the largest family owned and privately held moving and storage companies in the world as well as a respected leader and innovator in the moving and storage industry. Now under the fourth generation of family leadership, Coleman World Group is well prepared for all future opportunities as it continues to build upon its heritage and traditions for another century of service. C
S L I N G LU F F U N I T E D INSURANCE
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he corporate philosophy of Dothan’s Slingluff United Insurance is straightforward: Have fun. Offer phenomenal insurance service. Move fast
to help customers. Take good care of yourself, and give generously to others. These simple truths have kept the business reaching its goals since its founding in 1928. In 1927, Betts Slingluff, a salesman from Baltimore, Maryland, moved to Dothan and married a girl by the name of Helen Malone. With vision, charisma and undeniable charm, he decided to start his own one-man insurance company that would offer personal and business insurance. Betts brought his son Morris Slingluff on board in 1963. They, together with their staff, were dedicated to serving customers as the agency continued to grow. On August 1, 1992, Slingluff Insurance purchased United Insurance Agency. This venture doubled the number of employees overnight and dramatically increased the agency’s number of customers. Morris’ son, Ben Slingluff, purchased the agency from his father in 2005. Today, Ben serves as president of the company. Slingluff United Insurance agency’s 6,000 customers
Betts and Morris Slingluff
Morris and Ben Slingluff
benefit from areas of service that include commercial, personal, retirement and life insurance as well as annuities. In accordance with the agency’s philosophy, each customer receives prompt attention. A full-time claims specialist with 35 years of experience ensures all claims are handled quickly and fairly. Like his father, Ben credits good service, quality and costeffectiveness of coverage, and an experienced staff with the company’s success. Quoting Morris, Ben says, “Customers depend on us to design the best insurance for them at the best price. We appreciate that confidence and work hard to make that happen.” C
108 C DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
D AV I S T H E AT R E S he Davis family’s roots have been in the theatre business since traveling road shows visited Dothan in the early 1900s. When Rufus Davis Sr. came to Dothan in 1933, he and
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partner Roy E. Martin bought the Alcazar and Houston Theatres in downtown Dothan. In addition to purchasing theatre houses in Alabama, Florida and Georgia, Martin and Davis built their first freestanding theatre, the Martin Theatre, around 1939. Construction was halted due to World War II rationing, but the 2,000-seat theatre opened in 1942 with a $31,200 payroll for 42 employees. Magic eye doors and air conditioning, along with a huge red, white and blue marquee and a cutting-edge sprinkler system, put the finishing touches on the theatre. In 1953, Martin and Davis opened the Skyvue Drive In, complete with a short order café and playground. Then, as people and businesses started moving away from downtown and on to Ross Clark Circle, The Martin Theatre closed, and Davis Theatres opened Cinema One and then Cinema Two at the Northside Mall location.
The Davis family has owned and operated Davis Theatres for over 70 years.
Since its founding over 70 years ago, the business has been a family affair, with everyone in the Davis family working for Davis Theatres at some point. Rufus III now serves as the managing partner. C
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ABOVE: Rufus Davis Sr. and Roy E. Martin of Davis Theatres opened the Skyvue Drive-In in 1953. The drive-in featured a short order café and a playground. This photo was taken in 1972. LEFT: The
former location of the Skyvue Drive-In today
110 C DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
World War II – 1969
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Many changes have been made to Dothan High School since this photo was taken in 1953.
112 C DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
Through innovation and sustained performance, the Medical Center has achieved the reputation of providing the best diagnostic, clinical and patient care services available in the tri-state area. The Center is particularly
proud of its technologically advanced cancer, cardiac, surgical and women’s facilities and is dedicated to improving these and other services it offers.
SOUTHEAST ALABAMA MEDICAL CENTER ounded in 1957, Southeast Alabama Medical Center in Dothan is the largest healthcare institution in the Wiregrass and the largest within a 100-mile radius of the city. Thanks to continued innovation and sustained operating and financial performance, the Center has achieved and maintained a reputation for providing the highest quality patient care and services in the area. While Southeast Alabama Medical Center didn’t officially open until September 9, 1957, the journey began almost 11 years earlier on October 11, 1946, when the Houston County
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The hospital was formally dedicated as Southeast Alabama General Hospital on September 1, 1957. On September 8, 1957, Dr. Manley L. Cummins of Ashford admitted its first patient, Robert Meadows. It is interesting to note that Meadows served on the Houston County Board of Revenue that approved the hospital’s certificate of incorporation on October 3, 1949.
The seeds were sown for Southeast Alabama Medical Center during the 1940’s when the Houston County governing body passed a resolution calling for a citizens meeting to discuss creation of a hospital association. The community hospital that was eventually born from that visionary resolution has now grown into the regional referral center for the tri-state area.
Board of Revenue (known today as the Houston County Commission) approved a resolution with the Dothan City Commission to begin exploring the idea of a new hospital. A countywide referendum was held on July 19, 1949, to decide if the board of revenue should collect a tax to create the hospital. The tax would be used for acquiring land through purchase or lease, as well as the cost of construction, equipment and maintenance of a county hospital. Thanks to the work of Pat Raley and many others, the referendum was overwhelmingly passed by a vote of 1,838 in favor and 490 against. Raley later served on the Houston County Commission. Today, he and his wife Martha continue to
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show their support of the Medical Center by volunteering every Tuesday. In December 1950, the hospital board purchased a 10-acre site on U.S. 84 East. The land was purchased for $2,500 from V.R. and Ida Espy Alexander. The land purchase was not without controversy, as some argued it was too far out of Dothan. At the time, Ross Clark Circle was not in existence, and much of Dothan’s population lived close to the downtown area. As construction neared completion, Dean Byrd Sr., from Plant City, Florida, was hired as the hospital’s first administrator in May 1956. In January of 1956, the board voted to call the new facility Southeast Alabama General Hospital. In January of 1957, the board appointed Dr. T.K. McFatter as the first medical advisor. Dr. Norman C. Veale became the first radiologist, and Nancy Price was named director of nurses. The original four-story building housed 111 acute care general hospital beds. A major three-phase construction program completed in 1980 increased the bed capacity of the Medical Center to its present 420. Renovation in 1981
The Medical Center is the only hospital in the region that offers neurosurgery around the clock for brain injuries. Its staff of highly trained and boardcertified neurosurgeons is dedicated to maintaining a comprehensive neurosurgical program at the SAMC.
In 2010, SAMC became the first hospital in the region to offer cardiac catheterization labs with advanced 3-D imaging technology. This technology gives doctors a greater ability to diagnose blockages and provides clearer images, so doctors can better define the size and length of blockage in the artery. The expansion allows Medical Center staff to treat an additional 15 to 17 patients each day.
enlarged the emergency room and added more ancillary and support services. The Medical Center today employs about 2,600 people plus 250 physicians. Ninety percent of the medical staff at Southeast Alabama Medical Center is boardcertified, a notable statistic when compared to the national average of 60 percent. The Medical Center has continued to update and expand to meet the growing needs of the communities it serves and is impressive from both aesthetic and practical perspectives. Additions and improvements include a comprehensive Cancer Center, the Doctors Building, which opened in 1991, the construction of a 60,000-square-foot outpatient facility in 1991, and the construction of a two-story addition to the main patient tower in 1992. In 1998, acquisition of the Dothan Surgery Center further enhanced the position of the Medical Center as the leader in healthcare with four operating rooms, two procedure rooms and two 23-hour stay rooms. A new 27,000-square-foot Emergency Center was completed and opened in January 1999. Now, annual visits to the Emergency Center exceed 40,000, making it one of the busiest in the sate. Staffed by nine board-certified emergency medicine physicians, it features completely equipped trauma rooms and an eight-bed diagnostic and treatment unit for patients whose condition requires extended evaluation and observation. In conjunction with plant improvements, the Medical Center has routinely upgraded its medical equipment to
114 C DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
Since 1957, SAMC has proudly stood as a healthcare leader for the region, embracing the sick and injured. As an organization, the hospital reminds itself daily that it exists for one reason – to take care of patients. While that message may be simple, it is a philosophy that will ensure the Medical Center remains a healthcare leader for the next 50 years and beyond.
A Commission on Cancer approved program, the Southeast Cancer Center provides compassionate, attentive care for more than 800 newly diagnosed cancer patients each year as well as recurrent cancer patients with ongoing treatment needs. An experienced team of board-certified physician specialists and oncology professionals provide an array of state-of-the-art cancer diagnosis and treatment options to meet the wide ranging needs of cancer patients and their families. Stereotactic radiotherapy, sometimes called radiosurgery, is a type of external beam radiation therapy that pinpoints high doses directly on the tumor, in some cases in only one treatment.
keep pace with technological advances and to provide the highest level of care possible for area residents in an appealing environment. Southeast Alabama Medical Center has distinguished itself with a high level of cardiology services available to residents of the Wiregrass area, which includes offering the full range of preventive treatment, surgical procedures and rehabilitation. Oncology services include a 42-bed oncology unit, which provides inpatient and outpatient physician-directed chemotherapy administration. The new Women’s Imaging Center centralizes all screening and diagnostic appointments for mammograms, stereo tactic breast biopsies and women’s ultrasounds. The Medical Center also offers treatment in many other areas. Through a cooperative agreement with Diabetes Treatment Centers of America, the Medical Center offers acute inpatient and comprehensive outpatient maintenance programs for diabetics. In addition, the Medical Center is home to the only hospital-based chronic pain management center in the region, which utilizes a comprehensive medical, physical and psychological evaluation and treatment regimen that is tailored to each patient’s needs. The Sleep Disorders Center is specifically designed to diagnose and treat patients with sleep disorders and houses eight sleep rooms providing state-of-the-art technology and patient comfort. Eighteen new surgery suites are on the second floor of the new Surgery Tower, which opened in January 2005. The four-
story Surgery Tower also includes the clinical laboratory on the first floor and loading dock and central sterile supply in the basement. On the second floor are the surgery suites, and the third floor is dedicated to mechanical and electrical equipment. The fourth floor houses 32 new critical care beds for cardiac care, intensive care and cardiovascular intensive care. In 2006, in keeping with the Center’s mission to provide quality, compassionate care, The Southeast Alabama Medical Center Foundation was launched. The purpose of this nonprofit foundation is to support the Medical Center through charitable donations. These donations aid in efforts to enhance the services offered by the Medical Center. Financial gifts are often made in honor or memory of friends and family, and the gifts can be designated for specific purposes. As the Medical Center continues to expand, plans for a college of medicine are underway. The proposed Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine will be the first in the state of Alabama and will be developed by the Houston County Healthcare Authority and operated by a private nonprofit board with local and state representation. Osteopathy emphasizes prevention, lifestyle intervention and a holistic approach to medicine. Currently, there are 28 colleges of osteopathic medicine open and financially viable in the country. Approximately 13,000 students apply annually for only 5,400 openings. “We have a shortage of family medical doctors in the state,” says Mark Stewart, a representative for the Medical Center. “We want to keep some of our own in
Surgeries at SAMC are performed in a four-story Surgery Tower, which houses 18 high-tech surgery suites, a clinical laboratory and 32 critical care beds for cardiac care, intensive care and cardiovascular intensive care. Each year, the Medical Center cares for more than 500 heart and vascular surgical patients who consistently experience excellent outcomes. Other surgeries performed at SAMC include: advanced laparoscopic surgery (including the da Vinci robotic surgical system), breast cancer surgery, orthopedic surgery and general surgical procedures.
the state, and most Doctors of Osteopathy go into family medicine.” Dr. Craig J. Lenz has been appointed the academic dean for the proposed college, which is set to open in 2012 and could have more than a $100-million impact on the local economy by its fourth year of accepting students. The first phase of construction includes a $100-million, 100,000-squarefoot college building and residency housing. As many as 162 students could be accepted each year, and the college has the potential to employ 60 full-time professionals who hold osteopathic, medical and doctorate degrees. Another 20 positions in areas like human resources, marketing and information technology will also be filled. Since it first opened its doors over 50 years ago, Southeast Alabama Medical Center has cared for Wiregrass residents. It has grown and evolved to include the most advanced treatments and technologies to best meet the ever-changing medical needs of the diverse communities it serves. But the Medical Center is much more than a modern facility filled with state-of-the-art equipment. The true value of the Medical Center lies in its people, the dedicated, highly trained professionals who consistently deliver quality healthcare every day. C
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Baxley Blowpipe & Sheet Metal Works, 1949. Company president, Jerome Baxley, at the age of two, is seen standing on the cab of the truck.
B A X L E Y B LO W P I P E or over 65 years, Dothan-based Baxley Blowpipe has diligently worked behind the scenes for companies all over the world. If you’ve enjoyed a snack made at a Hershey, Mars, Tom’s or Planter’s Peanuts plant, you’ve enjoyed the fruits of Baxley Blowpipe’s labor. After working in the shipyards during World War II, Curtis Lee Baxley founded Baxley Blowpipe as a sheet metal shop and roofing company. The small, family owned operation started in 1946 with five to six guys, and now it has about 35 employees and serves customers across the globe. “Blowpipe” is a term for industrial ventilation, a lowpressure air system used to move something from one place to another. The name came from the cotton gin days when suction pipes moved cotton into a gin from a wagon. Now blowpipes are usually used to move waste material, such as peanut hulls and sawdust.
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Jerome Baxley, president and son of Curtis Baxley, credits some of his company’s success to diversification of services. Baxley Blowpipe offers metal fabrication to just about any specification a customer needs; laser and plasma tables; industrial ventilation; and powder coating.. The company even builds tanks from any material, up to100,000 gallons. These services may not always be the cheapest, but according to Baxley, the prices are always fair, and the quality work his company produces is always worth a little extra. Baxley Blowpipe has done work for companies including Hershey, M&M Mars, Tom’s Peanuts, Golden Peanut, Planter’s Peanuts, Universal Blanchers and several peanut plants in Canada. Combos snacks (a product of M&M Mars) all come through stainless steel spouts made by Baxley Blowpipe. All the peanuts used in M&M Mars candies go down a 55-foot spiral tube—Baxley Blowpipe’s trademark “Spiral
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Easydown”—that allows the nuts to move to a bin via gravity’s flow. This gentle process won’t break the food product. “Most of what we do is behind the scenes,” says Baxley. The wood processing industry has also benefited from Baxley Blowpipe’s products. Companies including Champion, Mead, Georgia Pacific, Woodhaven Furniture “division of Aarons” and International Paper use Baxley-made items in their plants to remove waste wood products and prevent air pollution. The company started in a rented building, and now has five buildings plus 15 acres for future expansion. When Baxley Blowpipe felt the need to diversify even more, the production of motorcycle accessories and trailers was added in 1996 with a new division of the company called Baxley Trailers. Its motorcycle products are shipped all over the world, and Baxley Trailers has patents on two chocks and on a specialty motorcycle trailer with a deck that lowers to the ground so the motorcyclist can ride right onto it without a ramp. Baxley Blowpipe likes being able to show off its high quality work and the fact that it comes out of Alabama. Many of its products, like the motorcycle chocks, bear tags boasting “Made in the USA” and “Dothan, AL.” Its LA Chock is known all over the USA in the motorcycle industry as the standard for motorcycle chocks, and the LA stands for “Lower Alabama.” In addition to sharing their pride in their Alabama- and American-made products, the owners of Baxley Blowpipe also share their Christian faith. They often use their business to spread the good news by including religious printed material with the products that are shipped globally. At home, they set rafters and steeples for churches at no cost, and they support many Christian Evangelical ministries. Baxley Blowpipe also fabricated a large smoker that they lend to nonprofits to use for fundraisers. “We are not afraid to share our faith,” says Baxley. Baxley Blowpipe has recently diversified its business yet again, this time branching out into building fireproof vault doors for panic rooms and gun safes. One other distinguishing factor is the company’s designation as the largest powder coating facility in a 100-mile radius. Sales from all services offered by Baxley Blowpipe earn between $4 and $5 million per year, and the profit is reinvested in the business. Part of the reinvestment goes to keeping up with the new technology, something Baxley feels is important if they want to stay on top. Baxley Blowpipe doesn’t do much advertising; it doesn’t have to. Word of mouth and a stellar reputation keep the business
In 1949, Baxley Blowpipe’s president was on top of the truck. Today, he’s on top of every client’s job.
rolling in. All stockholders in Baxley Blowpipe are family, and its dedicated employees tend to stay on through retirement. Baxley knows that through God’s blessings, the quality work done by these loyal workers and the quality products his company produces have been the true keys to Baxley Blowpipe’s success through the years. “We are blessed,” Baxley says. “Customers know they can depend on Baxley Blowpipe.” C
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WOOF Miss Agnes now
OOF Radio, Dothan’s locally family owned and operated radio station company, has been giving the Wiregrass a voice ever since it opened the doors in 1947, even when times were hard. Agnes Simpson is the founder and President of WOOF Inc. Agnes was born in Arizona in 1924. Both of Agnes’ parents died when she was very young, and she moved to Florida to live with her aunt and uncle. She attended the University of Alabama, where she met her husband R.A. Dowling. Even though she wasn’t born in the area, Agnes put down roots in the Wiregrass, adopting her husband’s family in Pinckard as her own. All her kids were born and raised in Dothan, and
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Agnes still lives in the house she built in 1954. In 1947, Agnes and R.A. founded WOOF radio as an AM station with a block format. The only other local station in the area in the 1940s was WAGF. Agnes and R.A. were blessed with four children before R.A. was killed in a tractor accident. After his death, Agnes decided to continue managing the fledgling radio station. She told the accountant that she was taking over. He asked her if she expected to be paid as much as her husband, and she replied,
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Miss Agnes then
The studios of WOOF Radio then
“Certainly I do. I have four mouths to feed and I will be doing the same job.” Agnes has always been a pioneer, both in the workforce and in her position in the community and her church. Agnes was the first woman to be in and the first woman to head many community service, church and work organizations. She is a natural leader who never set out to break the rules; she just did what she needed to do. WOOF Radio broke the rules of the day over and over again. In the 1950s, they had a female General Manager, which was most uncommon in that era. During the Civil Rights movement, the Black Gospel show on Sunday morning was very controversial and was taunted by the White Citizen’s Council. That didn’t sway Agnes. She was determined to keep it on the air because that was WOOF’s way of serving a part of the community that didn’t have a voice. Today, young and old alike come to play with live bands on the Black Gospel Sunday shows. Sunday morning DJ A.Z. Stanley has been coming since he was a little boy as a singer. WOOF-FM was the first FM station in the area, adding the FM frequency in 1964, with a format that is now referred to as Adult Contemporary. Because cars didn’t have FM receivers at
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One of WOOF Radio’s remote vehicles, “The Howler” at Fort Rucker now RIGHT: The WOOF Radio remote vehicle at the National Peanut Festival Parade with Britt Dowling, “Mr. Peanut,” atop then
the time, everyone laughed at Agnes’ idea to include FM. But she was not deterred. She bought FM receivers and handed them out to businesses so they could listen to her station on FM. Once cars started coming out with FM receivers in the 1970s, FM really took off. In the early 1970s, WOOF (AM) changed to a Top 40 format, which served the station well. As FM became more popular over the years, WOOF (AM) had to find a format to become competitive and on January 1, 1996, it found its niche with sports talk radio. The Black Gospel Sunday shows that began in the 1940s are still broadcast on WOOF (AM). Since WOOF is locally owned and operated, the money it makes stays in the Wiregrass. WOOF has an incredible staff. Many members of the staff have been with the station for over 20 years. The business is definitely a family affair too. Every one of Agnes’ five children has worked with the station at some point, including her grandchildren. The station’s employees are Agnes’ extended family, and as the matriarch of WOOF, she still enjoys coming to work.
The studios of WOOF Radio now
WOOF is the only radio station with a full-time news team, one that has won many awards. Over the years WOOF, has consistently done well in the ratings, thanks in part to its strong commitment to the Wiregrass. WOOF dedicates a lot of time and energy to give back to its community. Being so community oriented has made all the difference when dealing with competition from satellite radio, and advertising sales have stayed strong at WOOF because advertisers get results. WOOF offers something that satellite radio cannot. They do radio the old-fashioned way, with real live, local people. C
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WT VY TVY has been delivering the news and views that are important to the Wiregrass region for over 50 years. Originally available on Channel 9, WTVY signed on the air for the first time from a 400-foot tower on February 12, 1955, at 4:30 p.m., and ever since, Dothan has been tuning in. That first year, everything was live. The first sound that came across the airwaves was the “Star Spangled Banner,” followed by a prayer given by Dr. Samuel Maddox. “Ramar of the Jungle” began after the invocation. Every day, WTVY signed on at 4:30 p.m. and signed off around 10:30 p.m., depending on when the nightly movie ended. By integrating itself into the community, the station has been an anchor in a sea of change in Dothan, holding steady but still allowing for growth. Mike Smith, Vice President and General Manager, credits the parent company, Gray Television, with supporting the technological growth at WTVY. “We are excited about the new wave of technology that is no longer on the horizon, but here, and all our viewers
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State of the Art news from (left to right) Connor Vernon, Skylar Zwick, Reginald Jones and Brad Sherwood
will be able to enjoy enhanced viewing experiences in the years to come,” says Smith. Growth came quickly for WTVY. On March 24, 1955, WTVY became a CBS affiliate. Color cameras were added in 1966. On January 1, 1964, WTVY moved to channel 4 when the FCC reallocated station positions. The tower was upgraded to 1,209 feet, the tallest in the state at the time. In 1974, WTVY became one of the first stations to remain on the air for 24 hours a day. Then in 1977, WTVY built the current 2,000-foot-tall tower located in Bonifay, Florida. WTVY moved to the renovated Houston Hotel in downtown Dothan in February 1993 and is now the CBS affiliate for southeastern Alabama, the Panhandle of Florida and portions of southwest Georgia. The building was renamed the Charles Woods Building in honor of the WTVY’s first Chairman of the Board. “We take great pride in being an avenue for information for the present and the future while at the same WTVY Special Election Report (left to right) Bob Peterman, Rex Roach, Bob Howell, Bernie Cobb and time honoring our past,” says Smith. John Gause
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While Smith credits WTVY’s success to maintaining tradition, the station has never been afraid to evolve. The most significant change for WTVY in the past year has been the move from analog to digital. The switch required about $4-$6 million in equipment upgrades, but went smoothly, thanks to the preplanning of Chief Engineer Tom Johnson and the staff. Now plans are being implemented to upgrade all newscasts to High Definition. In the past three years, the Internet has sparked the biggest growth for the company. The WTVY website gives visitors the opportunity to access news immediately and currently gets more than a million page views each month. All shows are streamed live, so WTVY newscasts can be viewed in real time anywhere in the world. New mobile phone products that send text alerts on up-to-the minute scores and weather are adding an additional 200,000 page views per month. “WTVY is uniquely positioned to bring up to the minute news to our viewers both online and on the air. It is our philosophy to be there when the public needs us. It is not a new project but rather part of our DNA,” says Smith. The past couple of years have been tough for media around the country, and WTVY hasn’t been completely insulated from the current economic conditions. But due to the loyalty of viewers and advertisers, they haven’t been as affected as some. “Because of our viewers, we have been able to weather the storm better than many stations,” Smith says. Familiar faces have come and gone over the years, but the anchors and hosts have been a part of viewers’ lives from
LEFT:
Ann Varnum graced the airways of Dothan for more than 30 years. She retired in 2011.
BELOW :
Gene Ragan hosted “The Farm Show” for 40 years on WTVY.
the start. “The Gene Ragan Farm Show” was the longest running continuous farm show in the nation, going off the air when Gene Ragan retired on December 24, 1998. “The Ann Varnum Show” has been on the air for over 36 years, also one of the longest running in the nation. Thanks to the longevity of the hosts, WTVY has made itself at home in the lives of many residents. One local viewer fondly recalls his daughter wanting to dress up as Angie Casey, a former news anchor, for Halloween. “Where Community Counts” and “Your Hometown News Leader” are two slogans used by WTVY. Today the residents of Dothan and the surrounding areas have come to rely on WTVY for more than just a daily dose of facts. The personalities at the station are known as much for their volunteer work as their television presence. “We are proud of our record of community service and intend on being a partner to charities and community groups for years to come,” says Smith. WTVY is dedicated to making a difference today and Art Creamer (first from the left) was the first voice heard on WTVY, and Barbara Gellersted Adams (third tomorrow. C from left), an early talk show hostess, is seen here giving the Key to the City to Elsie, the Borden Cow.
A I R CO N D I T I O N I N G A S S O C I AT E S , I N C . 180-foot by 63.5-foot, white metal building fronted by ten well-groomed crepe myrtle trees and a blue awning brushed with the words “Air Conditioning Associates” has been at the same site in Dothan for 45 years. It was built in 1965 by the partnership of Metcalf and Shiver Mechanical Contractors and Engineers and in 1975, became Air Conditioning Associates, Inc. Thousands of people have driven by this small business every day for the past four and a half decades, yet the majority do not know the true impact it has on the City of Dothan and the Wiregrass area. If this modest building could talk, it would talk about the thousands of contracts, both large and small, that Metcalf &
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LEFT:
Chill Yogurt Café #2, Columbus Crossing, Columbus, Georgia
Shiver and then Air Conditioning Associates have successfully completed. It would also speak about the more than $100 million that have been contributed to the Dothan economy by this business. Since 1965, the building has been the home of a successful business that specializes in air conditioning, heating, and ventilation and mechanical contracting. Since April 1, 1975, Air Conditioning Associates has successfully completed millions of dollars worth of contracts, both prime and sub, including work at: Moody Air Force Base, Georgia; Fort Benning, Georgia; Robbins Air Force Base, Georgia; Fort Rucker, Alabama; Anniston Army Depot, Anniston, Alabama; Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama; Eglin Air Force Base, Florida; Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida; Naval Coastal Systems Center, Panama City, Florida; Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida; VA Hospital, Montgomery, Alabama; VA Hospital, Tuskegee, Alabama; Southeast Alabama Medical Center, Dothan, Alabama; Enterprise Medical Center, Enterprise, Alabama; CSC Flight School
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Air Conditioning Associates offices
XXI, Daleville, Alabama (the world’s largest flight simulator building); Dothan Civic Center, Dothan, Alabama; and many, many more. If this building could talk, it would reminisce about the dozens of good, loyal, capable employees who worked 10, 20, 30 and 40 years out of it. It would mention Joe Richards, James Tiller, Don Enfinger, Curtis Simmons, Edsel Bell, John Jordan, Perry Jernigan, Buck Woodham, Andrew Poole, Bobbie Poole, Robert Lewis, Joe Moore, Bobby Taylor, Al Manning, Doug Messick, Tony Messick, Earl Quillan and many, many others. It would boast about the current employees who are still working out of this building today. It would mention Ken Farr, Cliff Smith, Steve Helms, Tony Cunningham, Robert Manning, Mike Cron, Robert Risner, Michael Ellis, Vickie Hall, Jan Metcalf, President Jeff Metcalf, Secretary Treasurer Myra Metcalf and Founder and CEO Bascom C. Metcalf, as well as other valuable employees that probably should be mentioned. In 2010, the Metcalf family branched out into another type of business by starting M&M Enterprises, LLC DBA Chill
Yogurt Café. Chill Yogurt Café #1, located at 234 B Magnolia Avenue, Auburn, Alabama 36830, opened for business July 12, 2010. Chill Yogurt Café #2, located at Columbus Park Crossings, 5555 Whittlesey Boulevard, Columbus, Georgia 31909, opened for business July 15, 2010. Chill Yogurt Café #3, located at Cottonwood Corners, 1604 Ross Clark Circle, Dothan, Alabama 36301, opened for business January 19, 2011. Chill Yogurt Café #4, located at TigerTown Shopping Center, 2486 Enterprise Drive, Opelika, Alabama 36801, opened for business April 1, 2011. Chill Yogurt Café #5, located at 3525 Ross Clark Circle suite 210 North Side Mall, Dothan, Alabama 36303, opened for Business July 1, 2011. Today, Air Conditioning Associates is still operating under the same principles of professionalism and quality work that have earned the company the success it has enjoyed over the last 45 years, and by staying dedicated to always excelling in its industry, the small white metal building that is Air Conditioning Associates’ home will have stories to tell for decades to come. C
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DURDEN OUTDOOR D I S P L AY S , I N C . n 1959 at age 16, Cottonwood native Earl Durden began working for his cousin Foy Ready. He owned and operated various motels in Dothan including The Parkway, Heart of Dothan and Dothan Motor Lodge. Cousin Foy also owned and operated Dothan Neon & Outdoor, a local sign business that serviced his motel billboards and serviced on-premise signs for other customers. Durden would work after school and weekends at the hotels and part time at the sign company. He learned the trade and began preparing for a future of his own. In May of 1968 he created “Earl Durden Signs” along Route 1 in Ashford, Alabama, which focused mostly on doing repair work on signs for other businesses. He would unplug the only high-voltage appliance in the house, his grandmother’s stove, for power to his welding machine. By August of the same year, he was able to purchase his first truck from Solomon Chevrolet. In 1972, Durden moved his business again to four acres he purchased on Highway 431, which would become the Spanish Acres development. Durden learned a lot about land development from this transaction. Real estate plays a large roll in establishing where and how to erect billboard locations. By 1973, Durden decided to sell his current outdoor advertising holdings to a national company but retained his on-premise sign business. But he quickly got back into the outdoor business in 1975, renaming his company Durden Signs. He changed the name once more to Durden Outdoor Displays, Inc in 1985 as a reflection of the company’s growing outdoor media demand. In the 1970s when Durden decided he wanted to build the largest billboard in Alabama south of Birmingham, his company constructed its first massive 80-foot-tall unipole display. Durden had the foresight to know that the small amount of ground space required for such a large billboard would make it a popular choice in coming years. That first
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Original Durden shop in 1968
unipole is still standing at the intersection of U.S. Highway 231 and Dothan’s Ross Clark Circle. In 1986, he continued to expand with the acquisition of Gulf Outdoor Advertising, Inc., an Atlanta-based company which originated from Dothan Neon. This move doubled the size of Durden’s company. “Our team has to work creatively every day to hold our position and stay ahead of the curve,” Durden says. “We want to be the best in our market!” Durden showed his commitment to a better, more beautiful Alabama when he spearheaded a massive industry cleanup called “Clean Up Our Own Backyard.” The effort saw the removal of over 200 billboards from areas that were overbuilt and oversaturated while updating many outdated boards. He also helped create better sign regulations and served on the “Clean Up Dothan” committee.
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“Our company has always been on the cutting edge of technology from Computer Based Traffic and Demographic Data to graphic design and the new Durden Digital Network. Digital billboards have been the latest change in the out-ofhome media industry,” Durden says. He maintains there are only a handful of locations in any city that will sustain the cost to erect a digital board. “However, this network of displays has given our clients the ability to advertise and change these messages quicker than any other medium” says Durden. Today, a visit to Durden Outdoor Displays, Inc. will find a newly renovated 60,000-square-foot facility housing a fullservice design, marketing and production company. The company owns and manages over 1,000 bulletin, rotary poster and digital faces across eight counties in Southeast Alabama. Durden’s one stop shop business model is unique to their industry as they can sell clients ad space, design ad campaigns and fabricate/maintain all of their own inventory. Durden’s only son Bill was recently promoted to Vice President of Operations as well as retaining the Creative Director’s role. “We help our customers promote their image to the masses in a creative way” Bill says. “The ability to create an idea, print it 48 feet long, then post it on a major traffic thoroughfare still blows my mind,” he exclaims. The mission of Durden Outdoor Displays is to brand and promote the client’s image and products in a creative way. They are dedicated to upholding the highest level of quality in outdoor advertising products and services.
The Durden headquarters is located in Dothan, Alabama, in a 60,000-squarefoot facility.
Durden lost his parents at a very young age and was raised by grandparents. He credits family members like Ready and Grandmother Cameron with instilling in him the values of fairness and hard work. “I have no idea what I’d be doing if it wasn’t for them,” he says. Forty-two years later his work ethic and community involvement represent a positive legacy in the outdoor industry as well as the local Wiregrass community. Over the years, Earl Durden Signs went though many changes and evolved into Durden Outdoor Displays, Inc., currently the largest outdoor advertising firm in Southeast Alabama. “I lucked out by getting into an industry I enjoy,” Earl Durden, president of Durden Outdoor Displays says. “It’s an avenue to satisfy and challenge the creative mind.” C
The building where Denney Vision Technologies now stands was once home to the Harris Furniture Company.
Denney Vision Technologies has been providing quality eye care to Wiregrass residents since 1982.
D E N N E Y V I S I O N T E C H N O LO G I E S enney Vision Technologies has been giving Wiregrass residents a clearer view of things since 1982, when Dr. C.D. Denney founded the full-service primary eye care facility in Dothan. Meeting a broad spectrum of eye care needs, Denney Vision has earned a reputation for quality care that is highlighted with a personal touch. Armed with a highly professional staff trained in the latest medical procedures and utilizing state-of-the-art technology, Denney Vision provides its patients a complete list of exams and services in an efficient and effective manner. But the staff and doctors at Denney Vision go one step farther, treating each patient with attention and compassion. Dr. C.D. Denney has practiced for over 59 years. His son, Dr. Dan Denney, joined him at Denney Vision after receiving his Doctor of Optometry degree in 1998. All of Denney Vision’s doctors are board certified and include Dr. David Badham, Dr. Gene Nicholls, Dr. Andrew “Big Al” Maxwell and Dr. Megan Walker. Patients at Denney Vision receive a vision and eye health examination designed to detect a wide range of problems affecting vision function. Evaluations for eye health disorders like dry eye syndrome, glaucoma, cataracts and macular degeneration as well as the ocular effects of disorders like diabetes and high blood pressure are also performed, and if a diagnosis is made, treatment and management for these diseases can also be found at Denney Vision, as can treatment for ocular trauma and emergency eye care.
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Because many vision problems are easier to correct with early diagnosis and treatment, the doctors at Denney Vision take special care with their smallest patients, offering pediatric vision care that is tailored specifically to the needs of growing children. A pediatric eye examination assesses visual acuity, refractive status, ocular health, eye tracking, eye focusing and eye teaming. In addition to primary eye care services, Denney Vision is proud to offer the Wiregrass the area’s largest optical dispensaries, specializing in the manufacture of prescription glasses, contact lenses and prescription sunglasses. Its optical service provides high-quality frames and lenses for lifestyle, occupational and recreational needs, and a wide range of scratch-resistant and anti-reflective coatings, lens designs and tints are available. The on-site eyewear production lab makes it quick and convenient to get new or repaired lenses. Denney Vision also provides cornea and contact lens care, using a comprehensive eye examination to determine the type of contact lens that best suits each individual’s needs. The optical service prescribes all major brands, and for those with special eye problems, Denney Vision can prescribe customdesigned contact lenses including bifocal lenses, monovision lenses and astigmatism lenses. Today, Denney Vision Technologies is looking forward to a bright future, and by continuing its mission to provide quality eye care, it is helping many Wiregrass residents do the same. C
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EMFINGER STEEL hen Dewey Emfinger started Emfinger Steel in 1949, he sold his structural steel with only one truck, on a rented six acres of property. Steel was loaded by hand, taken to clients in Birmingham, and scrap was picked up on the way back home to Dothan. Since these humble beginnings, Emfinger Steel has flourished and is now owned by the second generation of Emfinger men in the business, Dewey’s son Sam, who serves as the company’s president. Now, with 25 employees and 100 acres, Emfinger Steel is able to take any metal that can be sheared, shredded, cut or baled. The metal is sent to mills so it can be melted and reused, and then sold to clients anywhere in the United States and shipped by rail. Typically, clients are in the industrial, demolition or agricultural fields. Emfinger Steel also purchases copper, aluminum, brass and iron. By buying in bulk, Emfinger Steel is then able to offer the recycled products to customers at a reduced price. Over the years, Sam has watched Dothan grow and bring more manufacturing and industrial companies to the area, which means more clients close by. And, as more people become aware of recycling, businesses call on Emfinger Steel to handle scrap metal removal. Individuals are also turning to Emfinger Steel to recycle scrap metal. Over 100 collection containers are now located all over Dothan. Roll off containers able to carry more than 40,000 pounds of material are available to businesses within a 25-mile radius of the business. Scrap pick-up is also available to area businesses on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, and Emfinger Steel pays for these scraps, which it will sell again. “We will continue to call on and service new industries, both by handling scrap needs
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Dewey Emfinger
and providing steel,” Sam says. “We are constantly upgrading our machinery and equipment.” Emfinger is committed to its community, and one of its more recognizable contributions to the Wiregrass was the collection of the scrap that was left when the old courthouse was demolished in the 1960s. Back when they were dating, Dewey and his wife would spend time near the old courthouse, and when its bell tolled 10 p.m., she knew it was time to go home. Before the demolition, Dewey purchased the courthouse bell for only $100, and after his death, Sam loaned it back to the county. It now is on display outside the courthouse, honoring the memory of Dewey and Beatrice Emfinger, Emfinger Steel and the role it will continue to play in Dothan’s future prosperity. C Since its humble beginnings, Emfinger Steel has flourished and grown into a family business committed to community.
G E O R G E C . WA L L A C E CO M M U N I T Y CO L L E G E allace Community College has served more than 100,000 students since 1949 and was founded on two basic principles that still separate two-year colleges from their four-year counterparts—affordability and accessibility. It is a common misconception that the College was named for former Alabama Governor George C. Wallace. Actually, Wallace was a 27-year-old freshman member of the Alabama House of Representatives when he introduced legislation signed into law by Governor Chauncey Sparks as the Alabama Regional Trade School Act of 1947. Wallace had watched his father, a Barbour County farmer, struggle during the Depression. George Corley Wallace Sr. died at age 40, leaving the younger Wallace to manage the farm and family in Clio, Alabama, while attending the George C. Wallace Sr. University of Alabama across the state in Tuscaloosa. This struggle inspired Wallace to place institutions of higher education in local communities so that every citizen of Alabama—rich or poor— could afford to go to college close to home. After World War II, Napier Air Field in Dale County closed, leaving over 200 acres and empty buildings with the War Assets Administration. The City of Dothan requested Napier Field be turned over to the State as a site for one of the proposed trade schools. In January 1949, George C. Wallace
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George C. Wallace Community College
State Technical Trade School, named by Governor “Big Jim” Folsom in honor of Representative Wallace’s father, opened with 13 students in sheet metal. Many changes have taken place since then. Today, Wallace maintains an average enrollment of nearly 5,000 students in credit classes, and 2,000 students are served in noncredit programs and services offered at the Center for Economic and Workforce Development on U.S. Highway 231 North. The name of the institution has changed through the years, and several of the original 1940s buildings were demolished to make room for anticipated growth. A merger in 1999 with Sparks State Technical College resulted in the WCC “Sparks Campus” in Eufaula. Wallace works closely with area businesses and industries to meet workforce demands. Graduates from the College’s allied health and nursing programs and career technical programs fill jobs locally and across the state. The academic transfer program offers the first two years of a four-year degree at a substantial savings. Wallace Community College continues to grow and is proud to offer an affordable, quality education to generations of citizens and to promote economic growth in Southeast Alabama.C Graduates of the College’s allied health and nursing, career technical, and short-term certificate programs fill jobs at many local businesses and industries.
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P O LY E N G I N E E R I N G ow in its 52nd year of providing professional engineering, architecture, environmental and surveying services to public and private clients, Polyengineering’s mission remains today what it was five decades ago: to partner with clients and contractors to deliver quality projects constructed on time and in budget. With that mission in mind, Polyengineering (POLY) has planned and designed hundreds of civil engineering and architecture projects of all sizes in Alabama, northwest Florida and southwest Georgia, as well as at numerous military training ranges and facilities throughout the United States and overseas. Shortly after its founding in Mobile in 1959, POLY opened what is now its corporate headquarters in Dothan to serve a growing client base in southeast Alabama and northwest Florida. Responding to the tremendous growth along the Gulf
Coast in the 60s, POLY opened an office in Okaloosa County, Florida, in 1968 and has been serving northwest Florida from that office continuously ever since. To strengthen its presence in southwest Georgia, in 2006, the company opened an office on the Square in Blakely. Today, POLY has over 60 employees among its three offices. The firm is comprised of over 20 principals supported by a multi-disciplinary staff with a broad range of technical capabilities including not only civil and environmental but mechanical and electrical engineering as well. The Dothan office includes a 4,500-square-foot environmental laboratory where chemists and laboratory technicians conduct water, wastewater, soil, biosolids and hazardous waste testing. While much of the firm’s work centers around the delivery of conventional public works projects, the company has gained national prominence in the design of military training ranges and support facilities. Having pioneered state-of-the-art technology used in the design of digital multi-purpose and urban training facilities at installations all over the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii and overseas, POLY continues to be recognized as one of the leading firms in the country in this field. From wastewater treatment plants to paving and drainage projects, architecture, water systems and military training ranges, POLY has been and continues to be ready to meet the unique challenges inherent to increasingly complex projects. Throughout its 52-year history, the company has been true to its vision of growing as a firm by placing the client’s interest ahead of its own. POLY continues to look forward, knowing that during these challenging times, better days are ahead. With this, the Polyengineering legacy carries Polyengineering President and Chairman Max Mobley is carrying on the vision of the company started by Sam on toward a bright future. C Marley, whose framed portrait (shown here) hangs in Polyengineering’s conference room.
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Pictured L to R, front row: Dr. Buren Wells, Dr. Mary Lynn Parker, Dr. Kenneth Roberts, Dr. Donna West, Dr. Frank Crockett , Dr. Wes Nelson and Dr. John Wessner; back row: Karen Peters, Mischel Weaver, Renay Shuemake, Deborah Dickerson, Carolyn Taylor, Kay Battle, Wendi Smith, Geisha Stuckey, Robin Meeker and Corine Givens Below: Dr. Buren Wells and daughter, Dr. Mary Lynn Parker
WEST MAIN MEDICAL CENTER est Main Medical Center in Dothan has always been a family affair, and today, as when it was founded by Dr. Buren E. Wells, every patient is treated like family—with genuine concern and compassion. Dr. Wells and his wife Jane moved back to her hometown of Dothan in 1961 to begin his medical practice after he finished his medical training. Jane helped her husband set up that first office, and worked there as well, keeping the books among other things. Wells’ practice was successful from the beginning, and as other physicians joined him, it continued to prosper. In the early eighties, the practice outgrew its original home behind Plaza Pharmacy, and construction on a new building to accommodate the expansion began. In 1983, this office was completed, and West Main Medical Center opened its doors. Also in 1983, Dr. Frank T. Crockett, married to Dr. and Mrs. Wells’ daughter Olivia, established his Internal Medicine practice at West Main Medical Center. Then, in 1996, Dr. Mary Lynn Wells Parker, the Wells’ younger daughter, moved back to Dothan with her husband and joined her father in medical practice. She was able to work with him until his
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retirement in 2003. He then passed the torch to Parker and Crockett, who now run the office along with Dr. Wells’ longtime business manager Karen Peters. Because many of the doctors at West Main Medical Center are from Dothan and the surrounding areas, they keep their practice and its philosophy rooted in the community they serve. They truly know their patients, and by sharing the same
heritage and values, West Main Medical Center staff can better care for them. But the practice has also expanded to include the knowledge and perspectives of doctors from other areas, offering its patients the best of both worlds. Through the almost half-century since its founding, West Main Medical Center has evolved to include state-of-the-art lab technology, including in-house X-ray capabilities with an on-staff radiology technician and radiologist. Currently, the practice is in the process of converting to electronic medical records. But the staff at West Main Medical Center work diligently to ensure that advances in technology will never get in the way of one-on-one, personal patient care. And that care extends outside of West Main’s office walls. Each individual in the practice is heavily involved in multiple community outreach projects, including local churches, Little League baseball, arts and service organizations and local charities. In 2005, the Medical Association of the State of Alabama and American Medical Association honored Dr. Wells for serving 50 years in the practice of medicine. According to Dr. Parker, her father’s most significant contribution to Dothan was his caring nature. “My dad was always genuinely concerned for his patients, and he was available to them always, from the time he went into practice until he retired,” she says. Today, West Main Medical Center is keeping Dr. Wells’ legacy of quality care alive.C
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D AV I S O I L CO M PA N Y avis Oil Company has endured over half a century by continually growing and evolving to better serve the Wiregrass area. Former city commissioner and Dothan native J.B. Davis founded Davis Oil Company in 1956. J.B. “Rube” Singletary and Bill James bought into the business and became Davis’ partners soon after. In the beginning, Davis Oil Company operated like a consignment shop. Major oil companies like Sinclair Oil would supply the oil and gas to Davis Oil, and Sinclair made money off the sale. In 1962, Davis Oil Company incorporated and became a Sinclair marketer, purchasing oil from Sinclair and then selling it to clients. When Sinclair got out of the oil business, Davis Oil became a marketer for Atlantic Richfield. The company moved to its current location in 1975, and when J.B. Davis died in 1987, James and Singletary purchased the stock from the Davis family and carried on with Davis Oil. In 1991, marketers like Davis Oil needed to choose between becoming retail or wholesale operations. Davis Oil decided on the wholesale route, and sold all its retail stores. Today, Davis Oil is strictly commercial wholesale. The company offers fuel, antifreeze, kerosene, methanol and solvents, with lubricants making up the largest portion of its business. In 1992, the company bought Sheffield Oil
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J.B. (Rube) Slingletary and W.D. (Bill) James
Company, increasing its staff from four to 18 overnight. “We have to keep growing,” Greg Johnson says. “It’s important we don’t remain stagnant.” When Singletary passed away in 2008, he left the business to his daughter Melinda and her husband Greg Johnson, who have both been with the business since 1974. Johnson now serves as president. The Johnsons have worked hard to make sure Davis Oil continues to serve customers’ needs with timely deliveries and quality products. Plus, the company’s 19 employees are loyal, many of them having been on staff for over 15 years. Davis Oil is committed to running a clean, safe business and so has developed containment plans for spills in keeping with EPA rules. The company is also committed to meeting customers’ needs fast. It runs three tractor-trailers for light oils like fuel and gasoline and also five bobtails and two package trucks, allowing it to easily deliver products to its many customers in a timely manner. Since its founding, Davis Oil has been “on the grow,” and there’s no indication the success will stop any time soon. “The goal is to keep growing the business,” Johnson says. “Employees are happy here, so the company basically runs itself.” C ABOVE, LEFT:
J.B. Davis
LEFT: In 1962, Davis Oil Company incorporated and became a Sinclair marketer.
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D OT H A N P E D I AT R I C C L I N I C aring for the medical needs of children in the Wiregrass region has been the mission of Dothan Pediatric Clinic since its inception. In 1953, Dr. William Lies III made his way to Dothan at age 27. He was one of three pediatricians in the city when he opened his first office. Shortly after, Dr. Lies became the first Board Certified Pediatrician in Dothan. From this simple beginning, Dothan Pediatric Clinic has become a state-of-the-art practice. In the late 1950s, Dr. Sam Morgan joined Lies. Dr. Morgan subsequently left the practice, and Dr. Jim Duke replaced him. Dr. Roy Driggers soon joined, and the threesome treated pediatric patients as Lies, Duke, and Driggers until the practice incorporated in 1968 as Dothan Pediatric Clinic, P.A. In 1973, Dr. William Watson joined. To accommodate the growing number of physicians, the practice built a larger office in 1982, where they later recruited Dothan’s first female pediatrician, Dr. Ann Stafford. A year later, in 1983, Dr. William R. Barron Jr. joined the practice followed by Dr. Robert J. Benak in 1989. Over the next seven years, the practice continued to grow and prosper. In 1996, Dothan Pediatric Clinic moved to its
Dothan Pediatric Clinic at 126 Clinic Drive.
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current location at 126 Clinic Drive. Seven years later, the clinic’s founding father, Dr. William Lies III, retired after more than 50 years of pediatric service. Over the course of the next eight years, DPC added more pediatricians and two satellite offices: Eufaula Pediatric Clinic opened in April 2008, and DPC Westgate Center, a behavioral and counseling services office in Dothan, opened in February 2010. At present, Dothan Pediatric Clinic, P.A. has eight shareholders: William R. Barron Jr., M.D.; Robert J. Benak, M.D.; Lee Scott, M.D.; Michael J. Ramsey, M.D.; Michelle S. Freeman, M.D.; Kenneth C. Brown, M.D.; Jeffrey M. Tamburin, M.D.; and, Mark F. Strassburg, M.D. With a current staff of 12 pediatricians, three nurse practitioners, two licensed clinical psychologists, six therapists and a support staff of 85, the future of Dothan Pediatric Clinic is as bright in 2010 as when it first put down its roots in 1953. C
S M I T H ’ S I N C . O F D OT H A N mith’s Inc. of Dothan was established in 1954 by Bay Minette native Jim Smith and his partner, Montgomery native George Bagwell. In 1966, Smith sold the business to John Watson and brothers John and Jimmy Danford. Today, the company is owned by John Watson, Tom Parks, Mark Chambers and Keith Adkinson. Smith’s Inc.’s first location (pictured) was on East Main Street in Dothan. Military and government contracts made up the bulk of the early work done by Smith’s. They traveled all over the Southeast doing roofing, sheet metal work and plumbing. As time went by, and air conditioning changed from a luxury to a “necessity,” the focus of Smith’s shifted to heating, ventilating and air conditioning, and it narrowed its range to a 90mile radius of Dothan. According to President Tom Parks, loyal clients have helped Smith’s weather the ups and down
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Smith’s Inc.’s first location on East Main Street in Dothan
of the economy over the years. As the nature of the local and national economies has changed, Smith’s Inc. has adapted by shifting its client base from the industrial market to healthcare and education. They still maintain a presence in government contracting at local military facilities in Dothan, Montgomery and Panama City. The growing interest in energy conservation and “green” building products and practices coupled with its design-build capabilities is bringing some new business opportunities to Smith’s. But while some things change, others don’t. Smith’s is heading into its next 50 years with its commitment to quality and customer service intact. C LEFT:
Present location at 488 Ross Clark Circle in Dothan
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WIREGRASS R E H A B I L I TAT I O N C E N T E R s it has for over half a century, Wiregrass Rehabilitation Center (WRC) strives to create a more accepting environment for individuals with disabilities. WRC is given the opportunity to work with individuals with disabilities and helps them learn to live and work independently. The concept that an individual should be defined by the goals they reach, by the heights to which they soar, and by what they do rather than what they cannot do is advocated each day. WRC’s goal is challenging, yet simple—to give every person who desires to work, regardless of any needs, a fair opportunity to earn a living. From providing training and employment opportunities in furniture upholstery and a broom
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WRC Market Employee Serena Danzy works in collegiate apparel.
WRC Broom Shop provides employment for WRC participants.
shop to today’s state-of-the-art commercial laundry service, secure document destruction and a discount retail store, the 23-acre facility annually serves over 800 disabled individuals in the tri-state area. Thanks to support from local civic groups, state and local referral agencies and corporate partners, the success stories keep coming. For those given the opportunity to work and train at WRC, change, in all its wonderful forms, is a way of life, a by-product of all that is accomplished, and a reward for doing what WRC is best known for: “connecting people, linking lives.” C
D OT H A N P R I N T I N G AND LITHO pening a print shop in Dothan was a long-held dream of Dorsey L. Rhodes. After serving as a printer’s apprentice at the Elba Clipper when he was in high school, Rhodes opened Dothan Printing and Litho in 1961 and made his dream a reality. Dorsey’s son Tim Rhodes is now keeping the dream alive. Rhodes is the oldest of four children. He took over the business in 1991. “I once read an article saying that people running print shops should be technically savvy,” says Rhodes. “This interested me because I have a degree in engineering.” His technical background has come in handy, allowing his company to keep up with the myriad changes in the printing industry due to advancements in technology. Through the years, Dothan Printing and Litho has moved from printing only forms and letterheads to printing their first four-color process job in 1963. Since then, Dothan Printing and Litho has worked for companies all over the world, printing on everything from paper to polystyrene.
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Dorsey and Tim Rhodes
The company has streamlined its operation, utilizing stateof-the-art tools and methods to succeed and become a leading printer in the Southeast. But the people at Dothan Printing and Litho have contributed to its success too. Since taking the reins, Rhodes has maintained a strong, loyal staff that provides the company’s many clients with quality products and superior service. And he’s quite optimistic about the future. “The printed word has a lot of power,” Rhodes says. “I foresee good things for the business.” C
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J A M E S G R A N T R E A LT Y ames Grant and his family have their roots firmly planted in Dothan. Through James Grant Realty, the family business he created, and through his longstanding service to his community, he helps other families thrive alongside him. James “Jimmy” Grant started his career in drafting with Blaum Industries. But in 1961, the proverbial light bulb clicked on over his head, bringing with it the idea to start his own business. He followed that light, opening his own drafting and homebuilding company. Grant founded his company with $300, working out of a bedroom in the beginning, so he knows what it takes to grow and prosper. So what are the keys? Hard work and passion for what you’re doing. Both have paid off for Grant. After one year in business, he had built and sold his first house. He then earned his broker’s license in 1974 and added real estate to his company. Grant’s hard work and passion have benefited his hometown too. As mayor from 1973-1981, he worked tirelessly to meet the citizens’ needs. During his eight years in office, Water World was built, and Sony and Michelin located in Dothan. And Grant is still actively involved in his community’s future as Chairman of the Dothan Downtown Redevelopment Authority.
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After many years in business, James Grant Realty is still a family affair. Pictured from L-R are Gina Grant, Wes Grant, Rose Grant, James Grant and Rosemary McKibben.
Today, almost 50 years later, James Grant Realty is recognized as one of the largest independent real estate firms in Southeast Alabama, and it’s still a family affair. Grant’s three children—Wes, Rosemary and Gina—and wife Rose work for the company. C
R A M S E Y, B A X L E Y & M c D O U G L E he law firm of Ramsey, Baxley & McDougle has been a fixture in downtown Dothan since 1973. The firm was founded by J. Robert Ramsey in 1929. Wade H. Baxley joined the firm in 1969, Joel W. Ramsey, son of the founder, joined in 1973, and Charles H. McDougle Jr. joined in 1985, when the firm became Ramsey, Baxley & McDougle. J. Robert Ramsey passed away in 1979. M. Hampton Baxley, son of Wade Baxley, joined in 2001, and Dustin R. Byrd became a member in 2007. The firm is a true general practice providing legal counsel in virtually all areas of the law. Though the firm easily serves hundreds of clients each year, the attorneys always make time to contribute to the Dothan community and the legal profession. Wade, Joel and Hampton have all served as president of the Houston County Bar Association, with Wade having also served as President of the Alabama State Bar. C
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FRONT ROW : BACK ROW :
Joel W. Ramsey, Wade H. Baxley Dustin R. Byrd, Charles H. McDougle Jr., M. Hampton Baxley
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This 1940s era photograph shows crowds gathering for a parade on North Foster.
136 C DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
1970 – Present
Today, a subdivision occupies the area of Dothan once known as Wheelless Airport. The inset features a photo from the commercial airport as it looked in the 1970s.
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138 C DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
The Waddell Farmhouse is now the centerpiece of the 1890s Wiregrass Farmstead.
L A N D M A R K PA R K he history and heritage of the Wiregrass area are alive at Landmark Park in Dothan. Designated Alabama’s official museum of agriculture, Landmark Park is a 135-acre park that features a boardwalk; nature trails; an 1890s Wiregrass Farmstead complete with animals, crops and buildings; and more. What started with just 60 acres and an Army tent continues to grow in size, scope and its dedication to preserving the agricultural heritage of the area. In 1976, the nation was celebrating the Bicentennial and interest in local history was growing. Around this time, a group of citizens was involved in the Southeast Alabama Community Theatre production of “My Fair Lady.” Between practices, they would talk about the preservation of the Opera House where they were practicing. This small group of concerned citizens decided to form a new nonprofit organization named Dothan Landmarks Foundation and began discussing how best
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The Waddell House was the first building moved to Landmark Park in 1978. BELOW, LEFT:
Spring Farm Day is an annual event held at Landmark Park in March. The Alabama State Horse and Mule Plowing Contest is a featured activity at the festival.
to preserve Dothan’s heritage. During one of their meetings, Carole Lee read an inscription on the First National Bank clock, which said, “If we lose the soil, we lose all.” She then realized Dothan’s heritage was in agriculture. It was decided by the young organization that it should focus on educating adults and children about the agricultural heritage of the Wiregrass, and by 1978, 53 acres of land off U.S. Highway 431 were donated by the McFatter family and the West family for the creation of the Landmarks Center for Natural Science and History. The not-for-profit park was then and is still owned by Dothan Landmarks Foundation and governed by an elected board of directors who each serve a three-year term. Carole Lee was the first president of the board. By 1978, Dothan Landmarks Foundation had hired one full-time staff member, the first Executive Director Bob Joslin, and several volunteers from the Dothan Service League helped to serve as the education staff. In October of that year, the Waddell House farmhouse was moved from Dothan’s Ross Clark Circle to the new property. In March of 1979, Houston Academy made the first official field trip to Landmark Park, still known as Landmarks Center for Natural Science and
History at that time. In December of 1979, the public was invited to the first Victorian Christmas open house. Victorian Christmas is still an annual event at Landmark Park. Between 1981 and 1988, the park experienced tremendous growth under the leadership of Executive Director Sam Kales. Today, Landmark Park is home to the 1890s Wiregrass Farmstead, including The Waddell House, which is the focal point of the Farmstead. Over the years, other historic buildings from throughout the Wiregrass region have been moved to the park: the Headland Presbyterian Church, Shelley General Store, the Browns Crossroads one-room schoolhouse and Martin Drugstore with a working soda fountain. In 1992, Landmark Park was designated by the Alabama Legislature as Alabama’s official museum of agriculture. Current Executive Director William Holman has served since 1988. Thousands of visitors flock to Landmark Park each year to not only to enjoy the farmstead but also the elevated boardwalk, nature trails, wildlife exhibits and a playground. The Digitarium Planetarium at Landmark Park is the only planetarium within 100 miles. Certain areas of Landmark Park, like the Stokes Activity Barn and The Barnyard Playground and Pavilion, are also available to rent for parties and weddings. Special events throughout the year include Spring Farm Day and Wiregrass Heritage Festival, providing visitors with entertainment and hands-on activities demonstrating farming methods from over 100 years ago. Other festivals, workshops, fundraisers and camps also take place during the year. Landmark Park provides the perfect classroom for field trips, and thousands of school children throughout the year participate in the specialized seasonal sessions offered by the education staff. With only a small full-time staff, Landmark Park depends on volunteers to help run the park. More than 8,000 volunteers hours are donated each year. Landmark Park charges a daily admission fee, but memberships are also available. Members pay a yearly fee and receive free admission as well as other benefits. Future plans for Landmark Park include adding additional historical buildings, such as a print shop, cotton gin and Masonic lodge. The recent acquisition of 35 acres of land opens several possibilities while also providing a buffer from
The 1908 Headland Presbyterian Church was moved to Landmark Park in May of 1983.
RIGHT: The 1890s Wiregrass Farmstead is complete with heritage breeds of animals and heirloom crops. It makes for a perfect outdoor classroom.
surrounding development. Plans for that land include a livestock grazing area, pastures, walking trails and an organic vegetable garden. The Park hopes to purchase even more land in the future and possibly construct an outdoor amphitheatre. Current Board President Jon Lee, son of founding board member Carole Lee, is a second-generation president. As a child, Lee often accompanied his mother to Landmark Park. He feels a great sense of responsibility and has a lot of pride in Landmark Park. “I feel it is my responsibility to my family and my community to help the Park survive and thrive so that my kids can take their kids there one day,” Lee says. With its dedicated staff and board members and volunteers of the Wiregrass area that donate their time and talents to Landmark Park, it’s safe to say that this historic gem will be around for the enjoyment and education of many generations to come.C BELOW, LEFT: The
Shelley General Store was moved to Landmark Park in October 1994 from Tumbleton, Alabama. It was a gift to the park from the Shelley Family. It opened in 1995. The Browns Crossroads School, a one-room schoolhouse that was located in Dale County, was relocated to the park in September 1991. It was a gift of Douglass Brown and family.
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A grant from Colby and Laura Clark allowed for the construction of The Barnyard Playground. Over 600 volunteers participated in building the custom-designed playground during Spirit of Service Day in 2005.
140 C DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
LEFT:
Today, the company credits God for its success even in the midst of hardships. Its one dump truck has grown to four, and the business has also added a boom truck, crane and about 20 service trucks that continue to serve the Wiregrass. BELOW :
After close to four years in business, Marty Robbins Roofing was doing business and completing projects with its three pickups, one dump truck and a make-shift trailer.
MART Y ROBBINS ROOFING arty Robbins Roofing has been providing shelter for residents of the Dothan area for 35 years. C.D. Robbins and his son Marty began the residential roofing company together in 1975, after Marty graduated from high school. Marty firmly believes that God has made the business grow and thrive, in both good times and bad. “This is a family business,” says Ricky Gray, sales representative. C.D. Robbins died of cancer in 1978, leaving Marty to manage the company. By then, what began as a father-son residential roofing operation had grown to six employees. Now, Marty Robbins Roofing maintains a stable, dedicated work force of over 30 employees, some of which include his wife Dianne; daughter Tina; son D.J.; brothers Mike and Mark; and sister-in-law Judy. Today, the company focuses on commercial roofing and tries to keep its projects within a 75- to 100-mile radius of Dothan. It has been responsible for roofing several recognizable buildings in the city, including Eye Center South and Southern Bone and Joint. Its stellar work and service have taken the company all over the world, as far as Indonesia and Romania. One of the latest innovations in the industry is working with Duro-Last, a custom prefabricated, energy efficient, single-ply roofing system. Marty Robbins Roofing started working with this material in 1994, and to date the company has installed more than six million square feet of Duro-Last. Since it is a very eco-friendly product, utilizing it has helped the company keep up with green building trends. “We still do all types of roofing, but Duro-Last helped us achieve the next level,” Gray says.
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Specializing in energy-efficient roofing techniques has kept the business “in the green” over the years. Standing-Seam metal roofs along with a complete sheet metal shop are also a large part of the company’s business. In an effort to stay ahead of the curve, skylights with built-in curbs are being integrated into metal buildings, solar roofing is being looked into, and the addition of a maintenance division is streamlining the roofing process so jobs can be completed even more efficiently. “Installation of metal roofs and using Duro-Last helps us to remain sustainable,” Gray says. “The Lord has really blessed us as more people are bidding on jobs now, and there is more competition from far away.” The “family atmosphere” of the company appeals to the employees, resulting in very little turnover. One example is Blair Harvill, a loyal employee for over 27 years. Today both of Blair’s sons and even one of his grandsons work for the company. Many have been with the company for 15 years or more. Marty Robbins Roofing keeps customers coming back too. The company works diligently to build close relationships with its clients; God’s grace and a commitment to personal service have been the keys to its longevity and success. “God has us where we are,” Gray says. “There are a lot of believers working here. We give Him the credit.” C
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E X T E N D I C A R E H E A LT H & R E H A B I L I TAT I O N C E N T E R he choice to place a loved one in an extended care facility is never easy. But the caring environment and personal attention provided at Extendicare Health & Rehabilitation Center alleviate much of the stress. Once a patient enters Extendicare, Dothan’s only privately owned facility, they are not merely a patient; they become part of the family. It’s no surprise that a former hospital houses the main Extendicare building. Originally built in 1927, it was purchased by Extendicare’s owner David Dennis in 1977 to continue the tradition of compassionate care. Extendicare is proud of its role in taking care of Wiregrass seniors, the people who contributed so much to the community and its growth. Every patient at Extendicare’s 32-private-room Rehab Center receives individual therapy. Patients are recovering from surgery or an illness during an average stay of 20-100 days. Extendicare caters to the seniors’ personal schedules with open visitation and rehab sessions based on the patient’s preference. Complimentary services such as cable television, internet service, afternoon tea cart service, select menus and a beauty salon are available to help patients relax and rewind after a productive day in therapy. The beautifully decorated surroundings create a welcoming atmosphere that enhances the recovery process.
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Extendicare Rehabilitation Center
Extendicare Health Center
The long-term care portion of Extendicare has 78 private and 30 semi-private rooms. The choice of a private room not only adds to the comfort of the resident, but it enhances medical care by resulting in fewer infections and falls and a better sense of wellbeing. “As baby boomers age, they want certain services, so we are working to make this feel more like a retreat,” says Wanda Smith, Community Relations Director. “We offer restaurant-style dining service at lunch, frequent outings for shopping and dining, and daily entertainment opportunities.” The three assisted living facilities, Somersets East & West and Providence Home, offer services to seniors who are more independent. Again, all are private rooms or suites. Assistance with dressing, bathing and medications is provided, along with restaurant-style dining services and snacks throughout the day. A large variety of activities, outings, wellness programs, music and more keep residents active and motivated. An onsite RN is available for daily consultations and also provides a monthly assessment for each resident. Dennis is an active part of the Extendicare community, and he makes a point to introduce himself to each person admitted. “Our most effective marketing tool is word of mouth, and the frequency of repeat patients to our rehab facility is very gratifying,” Smith says. “There is a special feeling at Extendicare. We are a family, and that’s what makes us a great facility. The people we care for can’t help but feel that they are part of the family also.” C
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Nuclear power is safe, reliable and cost-effective, with real benefits for the environment.
J O S E P H M . FA R L E Y NUCLEAR PLANT he Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant is in Houston County on 1,850 acres along the Chattahoochee River. The plant is owned by Alabama Power and operated by Southern Nuclear Operating Company. It is named
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for Joseph M. Farley, former president, CEO and director of Southern Nuclear and Alabama Power Company, and is one of three nuclear facilities in Southern Company’s generating fleet. In 2010, Plant Farley generated 20 percent of Alabama Power’s electricity. Alabama Power provides reliable, affordable electricity to more than 1.4 million customers across the state. Construction of the plant began in 1970, and Unit 1 achieved commercial operation in December 1977. Unit 2 began commercial operation in July 1981. Plant Farley is powered by two Westinghouse pressurized water reactors, and each reactor unit is capable of generating 888 megawatts (mw) for a total capacity of 1,776 mw. Since the start of operation, Plant Farley has generated more than 330 billion kilowatts of electricity. That’s enough to supply every Alabama residential customer with electricity for more than 25 years. Plant Farley uses about 400 acres to accommodate two reactors, six cooling towers, a state-of-the-art control room, turbine building, low-voltage and high-voltage switchyards, training facilities and a visitor’s center open to tour groups year-round. About 850 people—engineers, mechanics, control room operators, lab technicians, instrument and control technicians, electricians, security officers and others—oversee the plant’s operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Plant employees, along with full-time, on-site inspectors from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, monitor the plant to ensure it is maintained and operated safely, efficiently and in accordance with established procedures. The U.S. nuclear energy
industry’s top priority is safety. Alabama Power and Southern Nuclear employees take very seriously the obligation to protect the health and safety of the public and the environment. Plant Farley employees support a variety of local charitable and civic organizations. For years Plant Farley has participated in the Pacesetter campaign for the Wiregrass Area United Way. Plant employees participate in the Alabama Power “Renew our Rivers” project and support a number of other nonprofit organizations in the community. Nuclear energy is a sound, environmentally responsible fuel source. Nuclear energy accounts for three-fourths of all emission-free electric generating capacity and produces no greenhouse gas emissions during the production of electricity. Nuclear power has some of the lowest production costs compared with other fuel sources, ensuring cost-effective electricity for customers. With the demand for electricity expected to increase, additional power plants utilizing nuclear energy, such as Plant Farley, are needed as people move to the growing Southeast. Indeed, a new generation of nuclear plants is in development, and Southern Company is at the forefront of the movement. Nuclear power is safe, reliable and cost-effective, with real benefits for the environment. And it will continue to play an important role in meeting energy demand in a changing world. C
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T R OY U N I V E R S I T Y D OT H A N C A M P U S roy University, through its Dothan Campus, provides Wiregrass citizens with quality higher education close to home tailored to meet the needs of adult learners. “The primary mission of the Dothan Campus is to serve non-traditional students,” says Troy University Chancellor Jack Hawkins Jr. “Our goal is to expand the horizons of opportunity for Wiregrass residents by offering superior academic programs that will prepare our students for future success.” Troy University traces its origin to Troy State Normal School, established in Troy, Alabama, in 1887, which became Troy State University in 1957. The 1950s also marked the start of TROY’s long relationship with the U.S. military as the University began offering extension courses at Fort Rucker. By the 1970s, the University outgrew the facilities at Fort Rucker and began offering courses at the Houston Hotel. In 1977, the University purchased the hotel, establishing a permanent campus in Dothan. In 1990, the campus relocated to its present location on U.S. Highway 231. In April 2004, the TROY Board of Trustees voted to drop “State” from the University’s name to better reflect the institution’s worldwide mission, and in 2005, all TROY campuses were unified under one accreditation as Troy University. Today, the Dothan Campus continues to serve students in southeast Alabama, southwest Georgia and northwest Florida, with 95 percent of its student body residing within a 50-mile radius of Dothan. The campus offers degree programs in arts and sciences, business and education as well as three new undergraduate programs in health and humans services. In 2009, the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps program was offered at the Dothan Campus for the first time.
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ABOVE: TSUD
Houston Hotel. Troy University established a campus to serve Wiregrass residents in 1977 when it purchased the Houston Hotel, renaming it Houston Hall. The Dothan Campus remained here until 1990, when it was moved to its present location on U.S. Highway 231.
BELOW : The
Library/Technology Building is the newest addition to the Troy University Dothan Campus. Opened in 2001, the building doubles the capacity of computer labs on campus and houses the multipurpose auditorium Sony Hall, which hosts numerous community events throughout the year.
The campus’ newest facility, the Library/Technology Building, opened in 2001. It doubled the capacity of computer labs on campus and boasts the multipurpose auditorium Sony Hall, which hosts numerous community events each year. The new building also houses the Archives of Wiregrass History and Culture. Opened in 2002, the Archives preserve and make available to researchers the records and papers of enduring value that document the history of the Wiregrass region. The campus also offers a Continuing Education Center that provides numerous professional and personal development opportunities for Wiregrass residents throughout the year. “Future plans for the Dothan Campus include construction of a fourth academic building and the expansion of programs and technology,” says Dothan Campus Vice Chancellor Dr. Don Jeffrey. From its unique perspective as a community university, the Dothan Campus is dedicated to making its programs, facilities, research and resources available to all citizens of the Wiregrass.C
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CO N S O L I D AT E D E L E C T R I C A L CO N T R A C TO R S lectrical contracting has taken one Dothan-based company all over the country. Consolidated Electrical Contractors and Engineers, Inc. formed in 1983 by Terry Wallace, started by working on condominiums and small commercial projects and has grown from four employees to upwards of 500 at its peak. The company has completed electrical construction and design-build projects throughout the Southeast, west into Kansas and north into Pennsylvania. Projects include Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge and Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, the Launch Control Complex at Cape Canaveral that currently controls all manned and unmanned launches from the Cape, as well as several projects in support of America’s Space Station Program. They have completed electrical contracts on Federal Prisons Projects exceeding $20 million in Mississippi and Kentucky. This family owned company started in a small building on North Lena Street and now occupies an 8,000-square-foot office complex and a 10,000-square-foot warehouse located on Murray Road. Many of its key employees have been with the company for over 20 years. “We really don’t have a lot of key turnover,” says Jennifer McCullough, Controller.
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Lobby of Disney Animal Kingdom Lodge
Seagrove Beach Condominiums
Some of Consolidated Electrical Contractors’ projects in the Wiregrass area in the last 27 years include Flowers Hospital, Health South Rehabilitation Hospital, Southeast Alabama Medical Center Addition, Enterprise Hospital Expansion, Southern Bone and Joint and most recently, the new Enterprise High School and the new Panama City/Bay County International Airport Runway Lighting and Controls Project. Consolidated Electrical Contractors excels at everything from small projects to multi-million dollar jobs and routinely pursues anything from design-build projects to bid-build projects, both in the private market and in the government sector. Technology utilized in the electrical industry has changed over the years, and Consolidated has strived to expand the education of its employees through in-house training, industry training sessions and classroom education. The industry is moving toward specialty systems, and Consolidated is keeping on top of the latest shifts. “LEED certifications are playing a bigger role in our industry,” says Vice President of Operations Pat Merritt. “We are providing additional education for our people in order to stay ahead of this trend. Government projects are especially adopting this program.” Being on the forefront of electrical contracting is important to Consolidated, but so is giving back to the community. The company’s primary outreach program works with the local Child Advocacy Center, schools and the local Boy Scouts. C
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Dr. Edward Planz performing open heart surgery with the assistance of Virginia Planz.
S O U T H E A S T E R N C A R D I O VA S C U L A R A S S O C I AT E S , P. C . fter completing his residencies at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the University of Utah and practicing in Atlanta for four years, Dr. Edward Planz moved to Dothan in 1985 to establish Southeastern Cardiovascular Associates. Dr. Planz became the first surgeon in Dothan to fully focus on cardiac, thoracic and vascular surgery. As angioplasty became a recognized way for cardiologists to treat patients, the need for surgical backup grew. Dr. Planz initiated a program at both Flowers Hospital and Southeast Alabama Medical Center, under a joint certificate of need, and performed his first surgery at Flowers Hospital in January 1986. While he began with cardiac surgery, the programs at both hospitals have matured and grown in size and in the extent of their clinical practice. The three surgeons at Southeastern Cardiovascular Associates, P.C. now perform an average 600 heart cases per year and also specialize in the minimally invasive and surgical treatment of coronary artery disease, valve disease, carotid artery disease, atrial fibrillation, lung diseases and diseases of the chest cavity. When he first founded Southeastern Cardiovascular Associates, Dr. Planz’s vision was to establish a technologically advanced group to deliver diversified cardiovascular and thoracic services in a safe, competent and compassionate manner. Today, the three surgeons on staff at Southeastern Cardiovascular Associates, Dr. Planz, Dr. Steven Johnson
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and Dr. John Streitman, are all certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery and maintain those same goals as well as offering state-of-the-art surgical treatment options, comprehensive care and 24-hour availability. Dr. Planz has always been proactive in learning new techniques and providing up-to-date care for his patients. Recently, he became the first heart surgeon to graduate from an Integrated Medicine Associates Fellowship at the University of Arizona under Dr. Andrew Weil. Thanks to his study of integrated medicine, Dr. Planz feels he is now a more complete physician as he is able to prescribe complementary and alternative therapies to his patients when applicable in addition to conventional surgical therapies. He also takes time to council his patients before and after surgery and to educate them on their conditions. “It seemed like something I had to do,” Dr. Planz says of his fellowship. “I enjoy being able to give my patients answers.” Dr. Planz believes that integrated medicine is important for prevention too. He sees it as a costeffective way to employ traditional and alternative methods together to manage disease. Southeastern Cardiovascular Associates, P.C. is the only cardiothoracic surgical practice serving Southwest Georgia, Northwest Florida and the Wiregrass area. By staying abreast of the latest advancements in their field, the surgeons continue to improve patient care for these regions.C
146 C DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
E & H Steel Plant
E & H S T E E L CO R P O R AT I O N hen Ron Evans and Jimmy Henderson broke ground on their modest steel fabrication plant in a pecan orchard in Midland City, Alabama, the mission was to provide quality structural steel to the construction industry for schools and office buildings from Dothan to Atlanta. With only the basic fabrication equipment and a handful of employees, it would have been hard to imagine at the beginning the growth and success the company has enjoyed since its founding in October 1986. Robert Thomas joined Evans and Henderson in 1993 and helped drive the commercial growth of the company. After Evans’ retirement in January 1994, Thomas and Henderson remained and are currently partners in the ownership and management of the company. In the fast-paced world of construction, where time is money, the mission of E & H Steel has always been to provide superior service and quality with a focus on its customers’ schedules. Thomas explains that E & H Steel doesn’t chase a geographical market but rather focuses its marketing efforts on building trusted customer relationships. “We work hard at being a team player, which translates into early involvement on the project, developing budgets and design ideas, and staying on the team until the project is completed on time and within budget!” he says. Henderson explains that, “When we make a delivery commitment, it’s not just a goal, it’s a promise. Honoring our commitments could not happen without our good vendors and subcontractors as well as a dedicated and experienced work force. From top to bottom, we value our relationships.” E & H Steel holds certification from the American Institute of Steel Construction, which verifies that it has the experience, management, personnel, facilities, equipment and quality
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Jimmy Henderson and Robert Thomas
control/assurance programs necessary to fabricate complex steel structures. The company also has the capability to perform the application of sophisticated paint coatings in its covered facility. E & H Steel has provided structural steel framing as well as stairs and handrails on all types of projects, including sports arenas, hospitals, schools, airport terminals, warehouses, theme parks, office buildings and power plants all over the country, from New York to Miami as well as in the Midwestern states. The biggest change in E & H’s industry has come from advancements in equipment and technology. Today, shop drawings are generated using the latest drafting and design software and are submitted for approval electronically. Then, the same data is downloaded into cutting-edge computercontrolled fabrication equipment and processes. E & H Steel is looking to the future with confidence. Steel is not only a safe, strong and effective building material that continues to gain market share, it is the most recycled material on the planet too. Thomas and Henderson believe that as long as the company stays true to its core values of faith and trust in God and continues to hire and train “top-shelf talent,” E & H Steel will enjoy even greater blessings and success in the years to come. C
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PERSONNEL RESOURCES rmed with a $10,000 line of credit, cardboard boxes for file cabinets, and a little extra money earned from a garage sale, Becky Carter headed for Dothan to start her own company, Personnel Resources. Back in 1985, Carter began her odyssey when she left her hometown of Dothan, heading for Atlanta to accept a job in real estate. Carter made a stop in Columbus, Georgia, to visit her cousin Barbara Riddle, who owned a personnel staffing company. As luck would have it, Riddle’s receptionist was out sick, and Carter offered to fill in for her. She enjoyed working with Riddle so much she declined the job in Atlanta and instead stayed on to learn the personnel staffing business. Carter decided to return to Dothan in 1987, where she and Richard Guest opened Personnel Resources. When her
Resources uses its building in Panama City as a source of income—renting it to other companies. Thanks to the Internet, employees have the freedom to work from as far away as Canada. Initially, Personnel Resources provided temporary staffing for seasonal work. They also did some professional placements. Since the mid 90s, they have expanded to provide employee leasing and also opened an insurance agency. Senior Executive Vice President Mary Beth Maddox joined the company in 1996 to head up the Dothan staffing division, and she uses her 12 years of sales experience to help businesses with recruiting, team building and staffing. Vice President of Human Resources Dan Sinas, who joined the company in 2001, has recently written and published a
brother Ben Harrison graduated from Florida State University in 1988, he came on board to help. Harrison has been president of the company since 1996, and Guest and Carter are still owners and serve on the board. From those modest beginnings, the business has been streamlined. No longer sharing a one-room office or using a folding table for a desk, the company maintains two offices in Dothan. Before the advent of the internet, offices were also located in Montgomery and Panama City. Now, Personnel
book entitled “Job Killers.” A blog will help promote the book, which covers topics including unemployment and human resource issues. “We challenged our employees to come up with a solution to solve the unemployment issue, and Sinas has a plan,” Harrison says. Personnel Resources has weathered the changes in the economy and now shows promise of even more growth. “We are four times larger than we were in 1996,” Harrison says. “I hope to see us grow four times larger than we are now.” C
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Personnel Resources shows promise of even more growth in the years to come.
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On any given workday, Alabama Motor Express has about 220 trucks on the road across the United States.
A L A B A M A M OTO R E X P R E S S ong before he founded Alabama Motor Express in 1988, Scott White had the trucking business in his blood. White worked for his brother’s company, Whatley White, for 10 years and served as Vice President. Even further back, his father Bill White was a major stockholder in P.C. White truck line, owned by Scott’s uncle, P.C. As his own family grew, so did White’s desire to form his own company. So with promises from several customers who said they would go with him if he went out on his own, he resigned from Whatley White in March 1988 and created Alabama Motor Express. In order to receive authority from the Interstate Commerce Commission, White had to have five customers and a business plan. He achieved that goal in August 1988 and started work with one truck and his first customers: American Brass, Headstrom, Southern Flooring, Great Southern Paper Company and Arizona Chemical Company. Alabama Motor Express did its first haul for American Brass, traveling from Headland, Alabama, to Fall Rivers, Wisconsin. In 1989, White brought on partner Mark Dunning, and the business has since expanded 10 to 12 percent per year.
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In 1997, Dunning and White purchased Summerford Truck Line. In 1998, they expanded again, this time purchasing Lane Trucking. The three companies were consolidated under Alabama Motor Express, a company that is proud to carry on the White family tradition of quality service in 48 states. Today, Alabama Motor Express goes anywhere in 48 states to serve its approximately 400 customers, and the company boasts on-time delivery, product safety and the latest in satellite communication equipment for its drivers. While some freight does originate in the Wiregrass area, the company conducts sales efforts all over the country. On any given workday, Alabama Motor Express has about 220 trucks on the road across the United States. Its trucks travel an average of 850 miles per load, hauling 29,000 to 30,000 loads per year. White plans to keep recruiting good drivers and hopes to grow the company 5 to 10 percent per year. White’s son Taylor, a University of Alabama business school graduate, just joined the company. Collins, another son, graduated from the University of Alabama in December 2010 and now works as a dispatcher. White says, “I just want to keep doing what we’re doing and see where it takes us.” C
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EYE CENTER SOUTH ye Center South’s mission of providing quality vision care for Dothan-area citizens began over three decades ago. Dr. Marnix Heersink’s journey to Dothan started when his parents moved from Holland to Canada when he was three years old. He set his sights on the United States for his medical and surgical training. “I came to the United States because the training for eye surgery is the best in the world,” he says. Dr. Heersink started Eye Center South in Dothan with partner Dr. John G. Fortin in 1980. Several needed building expansions have culminated in the current facility that includes Eye Center South, Hearing Center South and Surgery Center South with room for more expansion. An architect from the Netherlands provided the new design reflecting a Europeanstyle building. The utilization of the latest eye-care technologies and the personal attention paid to each patient has driven Eye Center South’s growth to include four locations in Dothan, Destin, Panama City and Andalusia. Eye Center South focuses primarily on diseases and surgical correction of eye problems including surgery for: cataract,
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Eye Center South’s current building was modeled after the Dutch late 19th century “New Amsterdam” architectural style.
laser vision correction, glaucoma, corneal reconstruction and transplantations, and vitreo-retinal surgery. The Medical Staff includes all ophthalmological specialties including children’s eye diseases and surgery. Eye Center South also has a Facial Cosmetic and Reconstructive Plastic Surgeon on staff who provides many plastic surgery procedures as well as facial rejuvenation procedures such as Botox and Restylane. “We try to have every facet of eye care covered here,” says Marketing Director Lindsey LaBerge. “We even have the ability to replace the eye if necessary with an artificial eye prosthetic.” In addition to the medical services it offers, Eye Center South has also created a nonprofit organization: the Eye Education Foundation. Designed to help Optometrists, Ophthalmologists and other eye-care professionals stay abreast of new information and hone their skills, the Foundation regularly hosts educational meetings including an annual weekend seminar with guest speakers from all over the country for 150 optometrists. Future plans for Eye Center South include further expansion of its Dothan location to better serve the needs of even more people. C
The original building built in 1972 previously had been a furniture store.
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LaQuinta Inn & Suites offers many desired amenities, and some of its features include: all interior-corridor guestrooms with microwaves, refrigerators, coffee makers, iron and ironing boards, high-speed wireless internet and a variety of popular movie channels.
L A Q U I N TA I N N & S U I T E S aQuinta Inn & Suites of Dothan sits on a parcel of land on Ross Clark Cirle that has consistently been the site of leaders in the hospitality industry. LaQuinta Inn & Suites continues this tradition of excellence. The first structure to sit at LaQuinta Inn & Suites’ current location was the Quality Inn, owned by Howard Leslie Blumberg. Blumberg eventually demolished the Quality Inn and built a Comfort Inn, Dothan’s first interior corridor hotel. The five-story Comfort Inn boasted 122 rooms, and the management made a point to seek out and to meet and exceed all its guests’ needs. Offering items that were luxuries at that time helped the Comfort Inn stand out from the competition. “We find that while our competitors have a mix of popular amenities, we have them all,” says Pam Garrett, General Manager of the LaQuinta Inn & Suites and a veteran 20-year employee of the property. In 2007, CenterPointe Hotels, LLC (CPH) purchased the Comfort Inn, completely renovated the hotel, and re-flagged it to a LaQuinta Inn & Suites in 2008. It is currently managed by the CPH hotel operating division, CenterPointe Operators @ Alabama I, LLC dba as LaQuinta Inn & Suites. James Guillory, President of CPH, has a true passion for the hospitality industry, and it is apparent in his drive to stay abreast of market trends, keep employees motivated, and provide the hotel guests with the care, cleanliness and comfort they have come to expect at this historical, and now trendy, hotel. “CPH was fortunate to acquire a hotel in 2007 that already had a long history of service excellence in the local community, the business and
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military community and the traveling public. Leslie Blumberg and the hotel staff set the bar of service excellence high, and today LaQuinta Inn & Suites continues to improve on the foundation they laid,” says Guillory. LaQuinta Inn & Suites offers many desired amenities, and some of its features include: all interior-corridor guestrooms with microwaves, refrigerators, coffee makers, iron and ironing boards, high-speed wireless internet and a variety of popular movie channels. There is a guest laundry facility onsite, and LaQuinta Inn & Suites offers valet laundry/dry-cleaning. The hotel also has event/meeting space, an exercise facility, a game room, a two-station business center, wireless and hardwire high-speed Internet capability, an outdoor pool, a 24-hour snack shop, a guest lounge area and an assortment of games. Guests will also enjoy a hot breakfast served daily and the property’s convenient location, which is within walking distance of three major retail outlets and malls, two movie theatres, multiple banks and a host of major restaurants, while being on the thoroughfare leading to the Florida coast, northern Alabama and Georgia. La Quinta Inn & Suites is pet friendly as well. Even though competition has steadily grown in the Dothan area, La Quinta Inn & Suites has stayed focused on both its customers and employees. “We will continue to meet and exceed our guests’ expectations while providing a pleasant work environment for our much appreciated staff,” says Garrett. “We feel that we continue to be as good as the best and better than the rest.” C
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Rehobeth High School
K . C . CO N S T R U C T I O N A N D R O O F I N G n the wake of a devastating storm, Dothan native Eddie Donaldson was inspired to start his own company. He started working in construction in 1986, but after Hurricane Opal hit the Florida Panhandle in 1995, he headed to the beach, where he was first introduced to standing seam roofing. After the work there was done, Donaldson returned to Dothan and founded K.C. Construction and Roofing. K.C. Construction and Roofing provides framing and general contracting all over the Southeast. Donaldson is licensed in Alabama, Florida and Georgia and serves as President, while his son, Eddie Jr., is Vice President. As certified installers with American Building Company in Eufaula, K.C. Construction and Roofing specializes in turning flat roofs into metal roofs, which means penetrating the existing roof while people are still living and working in the building. Some recognizable projects include framing a metal roof on the Houston County Jail and retrofitting a metal roof on Enterprise Junior College. “The standing seam metal roofs are better because they put water on the ground where it belongs instead of in roof drains,” Donaldson says. Even though the company specializes in standing seam metal roofing, they will do all types of commercial roofing and contracting. Donaldson says that diversifying has allowed the company to flourish. What started as a $2 million company has quickly grown into a company doing $4 million to $8 million in sales each year. “You have to diversify to stay busy and move with the economy,” he says. “In 2008 and 2009, we were named ‘Roofer of the Year’ from American Building. We sold more steel than any other contractor in the U.S.”
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Donaldson says, “Take care of your employees because a company is only as good as its employees.” Eddie Jr., Vice President, and Scott Whitehead, General Superintendent, have both contributed to K.C.’s success over the past 12 years with their hard work and dedication. Planned future expansions of K.C. Construction and Roofing will include Donaldson becoming certified in general contracting in Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi and the Carolinas. Donaldson keeps busy as president of the Dothan Bass Club and helps with the annual fundraiser for the Wiregrass Children’s Home. In addition, Donaldson is dedicated to his family. He’s proud of both of his children: Eddie Jr., who works alongside him, and daughter Jennifer, who is a successful fashion designer in New York. C
Enterprise Nursing Home
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E Y E D O C TO R ’ S O F F I C E
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ye Doctor’s Office had its beginning in the mind of a young man named Paul Curtis Roten who was born in Montgomery County and grew up in Troy in the mid-
1960s. Roten attended college at Troy and Auburn Universities and was accepted to Optometry School in Memphis, Tennessee. Upon graduation, he served an internship and three years active duty in the U.S. Navy practicing Optometry. In 1971, he opened his practice at the Doctors Center on West Main Street in Dothan next to the Old Flowers Hospital with two satellite offices, one in Graceville and one in Abbeville. In 1976, he moved into his new building on the south side of Ross Clark Circle. The building’s design is early American Williamsburg, which fits in well with the Southern-style architecture found in the Wiregrass. The building has been enlarged and is still the home of Eye Doctor’s Office. Dr. Roten says he is thankful for all the good years and all who have helped to make his practice successful. That would include his wife, Carol, who has been there to encourage and help with patients from the beginning. Today, with all the new technology, there’s much credit to be given to those who work behind the scenes with their skills. Dr. Roten’s son Wesley
Dr. Paul C. Roten
has been the electronic and optical technician. His daughter Naomi has been overseeing insurance and staffing needs, making sure the practice maintains it reputation for quality family eye care. The Eye Doctor’s Office has partnered with others to offer primary eye care as well as diagnose and treat eye diseases. It’s still a tremendous and rewarding practice, even with all the major changes in Optometry over the past 40 years. Patients are now encouraged to focus on nutrition and preventative measures to maintain good eyesight. Dr. Roten feels blessed. “God has given the Eye Doctor’s Office many wonderful patients from throughout the Wiregrass area,” he says. C
J A M E S B O W M A N R E A LT Y, I N C . ames Bowman has been a realtor since 1964, and his favorite part of the business has remained the same over the years. “I always love giving someone a key to their own home,” Bowman says. Bowman now works with many of his family members at James Bowman Realty. His son Dwayne joined the business in 2003. Dwayne’s wife Leah also works in the family business, and their two sons, Tyler and Trey, will be the third generation to be a part of the James Bowman Realty team. Since its founding, James Bowman Realty has expanded into a full-service company with 14 real estate agents in its realtor family. Bowman explained the reason behind his company’s growth. “We mold ourselves to the customer’s needs.” James Bowman Realty enjoys a lot of repeat business; some clients have worked with both James and Dwayne. Several agents at James Bowman Realty are part of the Circle of Excellence, and Dwayne serves on the board of directors of the Dothan Association of Realtors. Bowman is also proud of his service to the community. He has been on the Dothan Recreation Board for 32 years and
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James Bowman
has served as a Little League coach. But he has always loved his career in real estate. “My philosophy is to help everyone who needs a home,” Bowman says. C
ANSLEY’S BUILDING M AT E R I A L S ccording to owner Ansley Whatley, Ansley’s Building Materials is set up to provide contractors with superior service, quality materials and competitive prices. In 1977, Ansley Whatley, William Trawick and Andy Kosan formed TKW Inc. and purchased Blaum’s Building Materials, a business that had been in the area since the 1940s. In 1983, the name was changed to Ansley’s Building Materials. Since that time, Ansley’s Building Materials has done business within a 100-mile radius of Dothan and is the largest manufacturer of interior doors in the area. Building materials are delivered to customers from an 85,000-square-foot storage building. In the past, Ansley’s Building Materials’ success was directly tied to the building of new homes. But currently, repair and remodeling are also commodities. “We have to go with the ebb and flow of the building economy,” Whatley says. Ansley’s Building Materials supports many schools, churches, little league teams and other community services. A major project for Whatley and his team is the Dothan Association for Retarded Children, and they were honored as Handicapped
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Ansley’s Building Materials today
Employer of the Year. They also hire inmates to work through their second chance program. “God just opens door after door for us,” Whatley says. “He just keeps on blessing.” C
Blaum Industries building yesterday
CO N E S TO G A S T E A K H O U S E ot much has changed in the more than 30 years Conestoga Steak House has been in business, and that’s the way people like it. Customers continue to flock to this popular, family owned and operated Dothan restaurant for the fresh, delicious steaks and the friendly service. At Conestoga, “fresh” is not a hollow promise. In fact, the food at Conestoga Steak House is so fresh that there has never been a freezer on the premises; there’s just no need. The meat is fresh, the French fries are cut by hand daily, and the rolls and cheesecake are homemade. The hamburgers are made every day from the meat trimmings. And that’s about all that’s on the menu. “We don’t ever buy frozen meat,” says Ted Toole, one of the owners. “We don’t have anywhere to put it.” The family credits loyal employees for helping them achieve their success. They started with only 45 seats and offered only three steaks and now have 130 seats and a slightly expanded menu. But it’s still the steaks that bring people in and bring people back. “We’ve only made two changes to the menu in the last
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Pictured are Ted Toole, Barbara Toole, Ann Chancellor, Jane McSwain and Larry Toole.
20 years,” Barbara says. “We’ve added sweet potatoes and broccoli as sides.” C
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H U S K E Y L AW F I R M n 1976, Dothan native Dow T. Huskey opened his corporate law practice. He has clients all over the country, representing numerous legal entities and individuals. Huskey has a special interest in the unique set of problems represented by companies, so he has focused his representation on corporate clients. He also specializes in media, education and transportation law. Some of Huskey’s larger clients include two universities, radio stations and 17 railroads. In May 2010 Huskey’s son Whit joined the practice. Whit worked in Birmingham for two years before joining the Huskey Law Firm, and they both have similar practices. Whit is a member of the Alabama, Florida and Georgia Bar Associations. The firm is now known as the Huskey Law Firm. The Huskey family’s contributions to the Dothan area date back to the 1800s. In the late 1850s, Huskey’s great grandfather was born in Houston County, and the Huskey family has been in the area ever since. Whit is a fifth
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Dow and Whit Huskey
generation resident of Dothan and the second generation to practice law in Dothan. “The goal is to continue this law practice and serve our clients to the best of our abilities,” Huskey says. “I really enjoy practicing law with my son, and we plan to practice together for many years.” C
D OT H A N WA R E H O U S E othan Warehouse was started 30 years ago as a limited partnership with 330,000 square feet of building space. Today, it has tripled in size and scope and owns and operates one million square feet of space. This success can be attributed to the company’s consistent, quality customer service. Since 1980, Dothan Warehouse has provided its clients expert solutions in distribution, warehousing and transportation. As a third party logistics company, Dothan Warehouse receives goods for storage and
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“Three Generations proudly serving the Southeast” Turner, Jake and Stan Jones
Sammy McCray, Dothan Warehouse’s first employee, moves commercial laundry equipment.
ships them as directed. Dothan Warehouse also leases space to others for various uses such as manufacturing. Stan Jones is currently President of Dothan Warehouse. There is a strategic plan in place to expand the third party logistics part of the company. Jones is working to increase the Dothan Warehouse share of that market. He says, “There is an ever-increasing volume of imported raw materials and finished goods flowing in through the Southeastern ports. We have grown with Dothan, but now we have to reach out to the world.”C
SCENIC CABLE cenic Cable, a locally owned cable television advertising and video production company, was established in 1988. From the beginning, the company has been devoted to meeting the needs of its community. Owners Terry Duffie and David “Mit” Kirkland have been involved in radio and television since the mid sixties. Scenic Cable started by providing advertising on only three networks and one cable system. Today, Scenic provides advertising on 26 different networks on three cable systems: Time Warner, Knology and Brighthouse. Scenic Cable connects Wiregrass residents with the events and information that are important to them by broadcasting over 100 local high school football and basketball games, City and County Commission meetings and other local events as a service to the community. The company has also won many awards from the American Advertising Federation. Scenic Cable Network & Production has always been on the forefront of the industry, and was one of the first to move to computer editing in 1995, using the “Avid” system. Continuous
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Terry Duffie and David “Mit” Kirkand
upgrades have helped them keep pace with the changing marketplace. Scenic Cable has also provided production assistance for many major networks, including The History Channel, Fox News and The Food Network. C
PROVIDENCE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL ince the 1970s, First Presbyterian Church has provided quality preschool education in the Dothan area. In 1995, First Presbyterian decided to extend its educational ministry to the community by offering a grammar school and, eventually, a high school. In March of that year, planning began with no land, buildings, teachers or large donations. By September 6, the Lord had provided all of those essentials and much more. The school opened at its current site with 56 students, six staff members and four “cottages” on 15 acres leased for $1/year from Camp Meadow Wood. Today, about 700 students attend the school in grades one through 12. Providence is a classical Christian school where all subjects are taught from a biblical worldview. Instruction involves a special emphasis on logic, reasoning and rhetorical skills with the goal of preparing students to be critical thinkers and lifelong learners. The curriculum invites students to examine and discuss all kinds of questions—both spiritual and secular—to prepare them to live out the Christian faith in an everchanging world.
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Providence Christian School
Providence students are encouraged to pursue excellence as a means of glorifying God and preparing themselves for the challenges ahead. Through a rigorous academic curriculum and a wide variety of co-curricular activities, Providence Christian School helps families to integrate their faith into every facet of life. C
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C A P S O U T H PA R T N E R S or three generations, the Bolden family has been providing financial services to the Dothan area. Paul L. Bolden entered the insurance business in 1957 and later founded Paul L. Bolden & Associates. Following his death in 1973, his son Donald joined the business. After a seven year period of working as a financial consultant with Merrill Lynch, Donald founded CapSouth Partners in 2001, and his son Marshall joined the firm. Today, Donald is President, and Marshall is Vice President and Chief Investment Officer. Continuing the family tradition, Anthony McCallister, son-in-law, joined the company in 2006. Anthony serves as general counsel and is the Director of the Retirement Plan Group. Since it began, CapSouth has provided investment management and financial and estate planning services for clients throughout the tri-states area. Corporate retirement plan consulting services are also a major part of the company’s business. These services include plan design, investment consulting and employee education. CapSouth provides many important services, thanks to the depth of talent and knowledge possessed by its partners.
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Donald Bolden, President, and Marshall Bolden, Vice President, Chief Investment Officer
Marshall is the only investment professional in the area with the Chartered Financial Analyst, CFA, designation. In addition, various members of the firm hold the CFP®, AIF®, JD and CLU designations. In 2010, CapSouth expanded by opening an office in Atlanta and establishing Charis Asset Management. Charis manages seven discretionary portfolios that are utilized by CapSouth and that are offered in separate account management programs. Marshall is the managing director of Charis. Various members of CapSouth also contribute to the Dothan community as volunteers. Donald was co-founder of the Dothan Tennis Association and served on the Board of Wiregrass Hope Group for over 25 years. In 2010, he was recognized as the Southeast Alabama Community Theatre’s “Business Person of the Year.” Marshall serves on the board of Wiregrass Hope Group. Other members of the firm serve on the board of Landmark Park and as Ambassadors for the Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce. C
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P LU S H M E D S PA hen Dr. Amanda Bell opened Plush Med Spa in February of 2010, she created a place to be pampered in style. Offering waxing, chemical peels, manicures and pedicures, massages and more, Plush Med Spa has been thriving since the moment it opened its doors. “Every month business is about 20 percent above the last, and we expect to continue this growth,” says Bell. Bell attended medical school at the University of Kansas, and she and her husband moved to Dothan when he accepted a cardiologist position at Southeast Alabama Medical Center. As a physician, Bell brings some extras to the traditional
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day-spa experience by providing services like Botox and derma-fillers at Plush Med Spa. The most popular services offered at Plush Med Spa include massage, waxing and Botox. Customers often begin with a facial and follow with microdermabrasion or chemical peels. Plush Med Spa also sets itself apart with its spa packages. “Not many places in Dothan offer them,” Bell says. Thanks to its range of services and tranquil atmosphere, after only two months in business, Plush Med Spa expanded its space to meet the booming demand. The future looks bright for Plush Med Spa, as does Bell’s attitude. “We’re happy doing our thing.” C
WINDOW WORLD indows are one of the most noticeable features of a home, so outfitting yours with the best makes sense. Window World owners Kathy and Elvis Mayes have been helping area clients select the right windows for their house since they opened their franchise in Dothan in 2009. They are working a six county area with plenty of room for expansion. Window World Corporate was founded in 1995 in North Carolina. Now, 220 stores are located in 46 states. Window World has earned the Good Housekeeping seal of approval. The company’s vinyl replacement windows not only improve the appearance of a home, they can also save homeowners up to 35 percent on their electric bill. Window World not only stands behind their windows, they also offer a
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Elvis and Kathy Mayes
lifetime warranty, and they do all this in a cost-effective way. Window World’s motto is: “Simply the Best for Less.” In addition to selling vinyl windows, Elvis and Kathy also offer vinyl siding, exterior doors and garage doors. Window World is also involved with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Veteran’s Airlift Command. C
158 C DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
Corporate Sponsor Index Air Conditioning Associates, Inc. 1346 Ross Clark Circle Dothan, Ala. 36301 Phone: 334-792-1106 Fax: 334-792-3120 pp. 122-123 Alabama Motor Express 10720 E. U.S. Highway 84 Ashford, Ala. 36312 Phone: 1-800-633-7590 Fax: 334-899-3183 www.amxtrucking.com p. 148 Ansley’s Building Materials 114 Zenith Road Dothan, Ala. 36303 Phone: 334-792-1131 Fax: 334-792-2657 www.ansleysbuildingmaterial.com p. 153 Baxley Blowpipe 3300 E. Cottonwood Road Dothan, Ala. 36301 Phone: 334-794-5550 Fax: 334-671-3885 www.baxleyblowpipe.com pp. 116-117 CapSouth Partners 2216 West Main St. Dothan, Ala. 36301 Phone: 334-673-8600 Fax: 334-673-8625 www.capsouthpartners.com p. 156 Conestoga Steak House 3549 Montgomery Highway Dothan, Ala. 36303 Phone: 334-794-4445 Fax: 334-712-1327 p. 153 Consolidated Electrical Contractors 714 Murray Road Dothan, Ala. 36303 Phone: 334-793-4974 Fax: 334-793-1266 www.ceceinc.com p. 144 Coleman World Group 1 Eagle Ridge Drive Midland City, Ala. 36350 Phone: 1-800-239-7700 Fax: 334-983-1215 www.colemanwg.com p. 107 Davis Oil Company 2983 Westgate Parkway Dothan, Ala. 36301 Phone: 334-792-6727 Fax: 334-794-3138 www.davisoildothan.com p. 131
Davis Theatres 209 Executive Park Drive Dothan, Ala. 36303 Phone: 334-792-2151 Fax: 334-793-3118 www.northsidecinemas.com p. 108
E & H Steel Corporation 3635 E. Highway 134 Midland City, Ala. 36350 Phone: 334-983-5636 Fax: 334-983-6173 www.ehsteel.com p. 146
Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce 102 Jamestown Blvd. Dothan, Ala. 36301 Phone: 334-792-5138 Fax: 334-794-4796 www.dothan.com p. 105
Emfinger Steel 1795 Webb Road Dothan, Ala. 36302 Phone: 334-794-4251 Fax: 334-794-4254 www.emfingersteel.com p. 127
Denney Vision Technologies 151 W. Main St. Dothan, Ala. 36301 Phone: 334-793-2633 Fax: 334-794-0120 www.denneyvision.com p. 126
Extendicare Health & Rehabilitation Center 950 S. Saint Andrews St. Dothan, Ala. 36301 Phone: 334-793-1177 Fax: 334-793-9104 www.extendicarehealth.com p. 141
Dothan Glass Company 655 S. Oates St. Dothan, Ala. 36301 Phone: 334-793-1161 Fax: 334-793-6267 www.dothanglass.com pp. 100-101
Eye Center South 2800 Ross Clark Circle, Ste. 1 Dothan, Ala. 36301 Phone: 334-793-2211 Fax: 334-793-7161 www.eyecentersouth.net p. 149
Dothan Pediatric Clinic 126 Clinic Drive Dothan, Ala. 36303 Phone: 334-793-1881 Fax: 334-712-1815 www.dothanpediatricclinic.com p. 132
Eye Doctor’s Office 1936 Ross Clark Circle Dothan, Ala. 36301 Phone: 334-794-0585 Fax: 334-671-4943 p. 152
Dothan Printing and Litho 955 Tate Drive Dothan, Ala. 36301 Phone: 334-792-8408 Fax: 334-792-9691 p. 133
George C. Wallace Community College 1141 Wallace Drive Dothan, Ala. 36303 Phone: 334-983-3521 Fax: 334-983-6066 www.wallace.edu p. 128
Dothan Regional Airport 800 Airport Drive, Ste. 15 Dothan, Ala. 36303 Phone: 334-983-8100 Fax: 334-983-3594 www.flydothan.com pp. 102-103
Huskey Law Firm 112 W. Adams St. Dothan, Ala. 36302 Phone: 334-794-3366 Fax: 334-794-7292 dhuskey@huskeylaw.com p. 154
Dothan Warehouse 980 Murray Road Dothan, Ala. 36303 Phone: 334-793-6003 Fax: 334-793-6938 www.dothanwarehouse.com p. 154
James Bowman Realty, Inc. 1284 Westgate Parkway Dothan, Ala. 36303 Phone: 334-794-7211 Fax: 334-673-8451 www.dothanforsale.com p. 152
Durden Outdoor Displays, Inc. 5500 U.S. Highway 431 N. Dothan, Ala. 36303 Phone: 334-792-5056 Fax: 334-678-2256 www.durdenoutdoor.com pp. 124-125
James Grant Realty Century 21 1254 Westgate Parkway Dothan, Ala. 36303 Phone: 334-793-2200 Fax: 334-677-0833 www.jgrantrealty.com p. 134
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Corporate Sponsor Index Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant 7388 N. State Highway 95 Columbia, Ala. 36319 Phone: 334-899-5156 Fax: 334-899-3062 www.southerncompany.com p. 142 K.C. Construction and Roofing 636 W. Carroll St. Dothan, Ala. 36301 Phone: 334-702-1547 Fax: 334-677-5542 www.kcdothan.com p. 151
Providence Christian School 4847 Murphy Mill Road Dothan, Ala. 36303 Phone: 334-702-8933 Fax: 334-702-0700 www.providencechristianschool.com p. 155 Ramsey, Baxley & McDougle 212 W. Troy St. Dothan, Ala. 36302-1486 Phone: 334-793-6550 Fax: 334-793-1433 www.rbmlaw.org p. 134
Landmark Park 430 Landmark Drive Dothan, Ala. 36303 Phone: 334-794-3542 Fax: 334-677-7229 www.landmarkpark.com pp. 138-139
Scenic Cable 416 N. Oates St. Dothan, Ala. 36303 Phone: 334-793-2722 Fax: 334-793-4171 www.sceniccable.com p. 155
LaQuinta Inn & Suites 3593 Ross Clark Circle Dothan, Ala. 36303 Phone: 334-793-9090 www.lq.com p. 150
Slingluff United Insurance 568 S. Oates St. Dothan, Ala. 36301 Phone: 334-792-5101 Fax: 334-792-4552 www.slingluffunited.com p. 107
Marty Robbins Roofing 3050 E. Burdeshaw St. Dothan, Ala. 36302 Phone: 1-877-794-8120 Fax: 334-671-2802 www.martyrobbinsroofing.com p. 140
Smith’s Inc. of Dothan 488 Ross Clark Circle Dothan, Ala. 36303 Phone: 334-794-6721 Fax: 334-794-7788 pp. 132
McDaniel & Associates, P.C. 101 Executive Park Dothan, Ala. 36302 Phone: 334-792-2153 Fax: 334-793-1216 www.mcdanielcpa.com p. 106
Southeast Alabama Medical Center 1108 Ross Clark Circle Dothan, Ala. 36303 Phone: 334-793-8111 Fax: 334-793-8010 www.samc.org pp. 112-115
Personnel Resources 5855 W. Main St. Dothan, Ala. 36304 Phone: 334-794-8722 Fax: 334-712-9939 www.prdothan.com p. 147
Southeastern Cardiovascular Associates, P.C. 2431 W. Main St., Ste. 1001 Dothan, Ala. 36301 Phone: 334-794-2825 Fax: 334-793-5050 www. secardio.com p. 145
Plush MedSpa 548 Westgate Parkway Dothan, Ala. 36303 Phone: 334-702-6869 Fax: 334-699-6896 www.plushmedspa.com p. 157
Troy University Dothan Campus 500 University Drive Dothan, Ala. 36303 Phone: 334-983-6556 Fax: 334-983-6322 www.dothan.troy.edu p. 143
Polyengineering 1935 Headland Ave. Dothan, Ala. 36303 Phone: 334-793-4700 Fax: 334-793-9015 www.polyengineering.com p. 129
West Main Medical Center 2115 W. Main St. Dothan, Ala. 36301 Phone: 334-793-6556 Fax: 334-793-0977 p. 130
Window World 131 Woodburn Drive, Unit #111 Dothan, Ala. 36305 Phone: 334-794-6369 Fax: 334-794-6370 www.windowworlddothan.com p. 157 Wiregrass Community Pharmacy 430 Broadway St. Ashford, Ala. 36312 Phone: 334-899-3100 Fax: 334-899-3186 www.wiregrasscommunitypharmacy.com p. 104 Wiregrass Rehabilitation Center 795 Ross Clark Circle Dothan, Ala. 36303 Phone: 334-395-7044 Fax: 216-521-9460 www.wrcjobs.com p. 133 WOOF Radio 2518 Columbia Highway Dothan, Ala. 36303 Phone: 334-792-1149 Fax: 334-677-4612 www.997wooffm.com pp. 118-119 WTVY-TV 285 N. Foster St. Dothan, Ala. 36303 Phone: 334-792-3195 Fax: 334-712-7401 www.wtvy.com pp. 120-121
160 C DOTHAN & HOUSTON COUNTY – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
Interior view of Spooner Grocery located on East Powell Street. Like most neighborhood groceries, it was well stocked with a variety of items such as apples, salt, canned goods, household items, cold drinks, candy and more. Tanie Spooner (left) managed and later purchased the store. Also
pictured are her two children Jeanette (standing on drink cooler) and Mami along with Beachum Spooner. Tanie Spooner later sold the store to Dell Parish and opened a boarding house on North Foster Street.
Corporate Profile Credits The following profiles were written by Laura Stakelum: Alabama Motor Express Ansley’s Building Materials Baxley Blowpipe CapSouth Partners Conestoga Steak House Consolidated Electrical Contractors Davis Oil Company Davis Theaters Dothan Glass Company Dothan Pediatric Clinic Dothan Printing and Litho Dothan Regional Airport Dothan Warehouse Durden Outdoor Displays, Inc. Emfinger Steel Extendicare Health and Rehabilitation Center Eye Center South
Eye Doctor’s Office George C. Wallace Community College Huskey Law Firm James Bowman Realty,Inc. James Grant Realty K.C. Construction and Roofing Landmark Park LaQuinta Inn & Suites Marty Robbins Roofing McDaniel & Associates, P.C. Personnel Resources Plush MedSpa Polyengineering Providence Christian School Ramsey, Baxley & McDougle Scenic Cable Slingluff United Insurance Smith’s Inc. of Dothan Southeast Alabama Medical Center Southeastern Cardiovascular Associates, P.C.
Window World Wiregrass Community Pharmacy Wiregrass Rehabilitation Center WOOF Radio WTVY-TV The following profiles were submitted by the company or organization: Air Conditioning Associates, Inc. Coleman World Group Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant Troy University Dothan Campus West Main Medical Center The following profile was written by Jennifer S. Kornegay: Denney Vision Technologies
Bibliography Bailey, Douglas Fields, with an introduction by Alan T. Belsches. Devil Make a Third. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1989.
Rogers, Furman. “A History of Houston County,” Master’s thesis. Alabama Polytechnic Institute, Auburn, Alabama, 1952.
Braund, Kathryn Holland. “’Hog Wild and Nuts’: Billy Boll Weevil Comes to the Alabama Wiregrass.” Agricultural History 63 (Summer 1989): 15-39.
Stepp, Pamela A. The Wiregrass Festival of Murals: Preserving Our Heritage and History Through Art on a Grand Scale in Historic Downtown Dothan, Alabama’s Mural City. Dothan: Wiregrass Festival of Murals, 2006.
Dothan Landmarks Foundation, Inc. Houston County: The First 100 Years. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2003.
Stepp, Wendall H., and Pamela A. Stepp. Dothan: A Pictorial History. Norfolk, Va.: Donning Group, 1984.
Gaines, Frank M. III. Preserving the Past for the Present: 100 Years of Photographs in Dothan, Alabama. Dothan: Dothan Printing and Litho Company, 2009
Watson, Fred S. Hub of the Wiregrass: A History of Houston County, Alabama, 1903-1972. Anniston: Higginbotham Publishing Co., 1972.
Kirkland, Scotty E. “’Bad, Bad Dothan!’: The Dothan Riot and Wiregrass Agrarianism.” Alabama Review 60 (July 2007): 163-85.
CELEBRATE DOTHAN’S 125th ANNIVERSARY WITH A PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY THROUGH Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow “Within the pages of Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow, you will find images that reflect the ebb and flow of change in our county. As you will discover, many of the structures may have been modified through the years, but many are still here, serving as visual reminders of our proud past. Dothan and Houston County is a great place to live, work and raise a family. I am confident that the next 125 years will be just as good as the first.” – William Holman, Executive Director, Dothan Landmarks Foundation