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61-595: Known as the "angel of the prisons", Tutwiler pushed for many reforms of the Alabama penal system. In a letter sent from Julia Tutwiler in Dothan, Alabama to Frank S. White in Birmingham, Alabama , Tutwiler pushed for key issues such as the end to convict leasing, the re-establishment of night school education, and the separation of minor offenders and hardened criminals. Tutwiler's letter cites major controversies during her time such as

122-710: A Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses . Dothan is served by a daily newspaper, the Dothan Eagle , a weekly newspaper, the Dothan Progress , and a blog, Rickey Stokes News . It has four television stations, WRGX-LD 23 ( NBC ), WDFX 34 ( FOX ), WDHN 18 ( ABC ) and the oldest television station in southeastern Alabama, WTVY 4 ( CBS / MyNetworkTV / CW ). WOW! , Comcast and Spectrum (formerly Time Warner Cable ) provide cable television service. DirecTV and Dish Network provide direct broadcast satellite television, including local and national channels. The city

183-471: A bimonthly, people-focused viewpoint of the Dothan area keeping readers up to date on the latest community events, trends and issues. Archived issues of Dothan Magazine are online. Dothan hosted minor league baseball teams from 1915 to 1917, with the Dothan team (AL-FL-GA League and Dixie League ) and from 1936 to 1962 ( AL-FL League , GA-FL League and AL State League). Teams were known at varying times as

244-674: A cistern and sold him into slavery in Egypt. Dothan is the principal city of the Dothan, Alabama metropolitan area , which encompasses all of Geneva , Henry, and Houston counties; the small portion in Dale County is part of the Ozark Micropolitan Statistical Area . Together they form the Dothan-Ozark Combined Statistical Area. Coffee County and its Enterprise micropolitan area was originally combined as

305-508: A diverse economy. Agriculture is the largest industry, though retail sales and restaurants have experienced a rapid growth in recent years. Peanut production remains a mainstay of the agricultural sector, but cotton is gaining in importance. Tomato production is significant as well, especially in the nearby town of Slocomb , which styles itself "the Tomato Capital of the World". According to

366-619: A four-year term. Members of the commission serve part-time and are responsible for drafting all city ordinances and policies and appropriation of city funds. Dothan's mayor is elected at-large for four years and serves as a member of the board of commissioners. The city manager implements the board's policies and manages the city's day-to-day operations, including hiring, managing and firing the heads of city government departments. A total of 999 full-time and 215 part-time employees work for Dothan's city agencies, including police, fire, clerical, judicial, finance, public works and utilities. As of 2024,

427-536: A governor serving two consecutive terms can run again after waiting out the next term. The constitution had no set date for the commencement of a governor's term until 1901, when it was set at the first Monday after the second Tuesday in the January following an election. However, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled in 1911 that a governor's term ends at midnight at the end of Monday, and the next governor's term begins

488-503: A history of unabated staff-on-prisoner sexual abuse and harassment. The women at Tutwiler universally fear for their safety. They live in a sexualized environment with repeated and open sexual behavior, including: abusive sexual contact between staff and prisoners; sexualized activity, including a strip show condoned by staff; profane and unprofessional sexualized language and harassment; and deliberate cross-gender viewing of prisoners showering, urinating and defecating. [...] "Officials at

549-403: A means to market and transport their produce. The pine forests were harvested for turpentine and wood, which was transformed into ship masts, lumber and other wood products. As the pines were cut and land subsequently cleared, cotton was cultivated as a staple of the local economy. The crops were devastated by the boll weevil in the early 1900s. Farmers turned to peanut production, which

610-414: A part of a "complete transformation of the prison system," which would include the construction of new facilities. "The process" was due to start within the 2016 calendar year but, as of 2020, the prison remains open. Dothan, Alabama Dothan ( / ˈ d oʊ θ ən / DOH -thən ) is a city in and the county seat of Houston County in the U.S. state of Alabama . A slight portion of

671-525: A segregationist approach to the prison system, advocating the separation of prison inmates by race as it is "important for public welfare to separate them in all other relations- in schools, in travel, and in social life, it would be better for both races if this could be done here also." Construction on the current Tutwiler Prison was completed in December 1942. The prison, built for $ 350,000, originally held up to 400 female prisoners. The current Tutwiler replaced

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732-585: A statistical area with both Dothan and Ozark as well, but is now split off as its own statistical area by the US Census Bureau . Together they form the Alabama portion of the Wiregrass region, of which Dothan is that portion's largest city. The combined population of the entire Dothan metropolitan area in 2020 was 151,007. The city is the main transportation and commercial hub for a significant part of southeastern Alabama, southwest Georgia, and nearby portions of

793-514: Is Republican Kay Ivey , who took office on April 10, 2017 following Robert J. Bentley 's resignation amidst a corruption scandal. She is the second female governor of Alabama. Alabama Territory was formed on March 3, 1817, from Mississippi Territory . It had only one governor appointed by the President of the United States before it became a state; he became the first state governor. Alabama

854-632: Is also served by several radio stations; among the oldest is 560 WOOF-AM , which went on the air as an AM station in 1947; 99.7 WOOF-FM went on the air in 1964. As of 2020, the radio formats in Dothan are top 40/CHR/pop (106.7 WKMX ), adult contemporary (107.7 W299BX , 99.7 WOOF-FM ), classical (88.7 WRWA ), Christian (94.3 WIZB ), rock (100.5 WJRL-FM ), classic hits (102.5 WESP ), country (95.5 WTVY-FM , 105.3 WECB ), rap/hip hop/urban (700/105.9 WARB/W290DG ), urban adult contemporary (93.1 WBBK-FM ), talk radio (103.9 WDBT ), and sports (560/101.1/107.1 WOOF-AM/W261AT/W296DQ ). Dothan Magazine offers

915-533: Is an Antiochian Orthodox Church , serving the orthodox community in Dothan and the Wiregrass. St. Columba Catholic Church serves Dothan's Roman Catholics . Dothan hosts a Reform Judaism synagogue, Temple Emanu-El, which became nationally famous in 2008 when the congregation offered Jewish families as much as $ 50,000 to relocate to Dothan to build up the community. The city is also home to two mosques , two Wards of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints ,

976-412: Is an ongoing project offering historic murals painted by nationally and internationally acclaimed muralists on walls of buildings in the downtown historic district. Guided tours are available upon request. The Dothan Opera House , built in 1915, features theatre performances, concerts, symphonies , ballet performances, and other cultural events. Tours are available upon request. Music South, formerly

1037-532: Is held the last weekend of September in Dothan at the same location as the Peanut Festival. The US Army Aviation Museum , at nearby Fort Novosel , houses one of the largest helicopter collections in the world. The museum focuses on the role of fixed and rotary-wing flight in the U.S. Army. The exhibits depict over 100 years of Army aviation, and include a number of life size dioramas , films, and interpretive material. The George Washington Carver Museum relates

1098-674: Is land and 0.31 square miles (0.8 km ), or 0.36%, is water. It is located in the Wiregrass region of southeastern Alabama, near both the Florida and Georgia state lines. The topography is generally flat and forested, with few small hills that gradually slope downward towards the Chattahoochee River to the east and the gulf coastal plain to the south. Dothan has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cfa ). This produces hot, humid summers and generally mild winters, with daily average temperatures ranging from 83.0 °F (28.3 °C) in

1159-527: Is the head of government of the U.S. state of Alabama . The governor is the head of the executive branch of Alabama's state government and is charged with enforcing state laws. There have officially been 54 governors of the state of Alabama; this official numbering skips acting and military governors. The first governor, William Wyatt Bibb , served as the only governor of the Alabama Territory . Five people have served as acting governor, bringing

1220-490: The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine . Dothan Regional Airport is served by Delta Air Lines and Aero-One Aviation as of September 2017. The airport was established at the former Army airbase at Napier Field in 1965, after then-Mayor Richmond McClintock started a push to move the airport in the early 1950s. Jet services began in 1968 with Southern Airways ' acquisition of DC-9 aircraft, and continue today using

1281-495: The Banner Mining Incident of 1911 , where 125 of the 128 dead miners were convicts, predominately guilty of minor offenses, leased by state prisons. Tutwiler additionally suggested medical and psychological treatment for convicts such as rehabilitation for drug addicts, sanitation, and nurses to care for dying inmates who lack families to visit them. Despite her progressive stance on prison reform, Tutwiler also pandered to

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1342-534: The CRJ-200 regional passenger jet. Unlike many municipal airports in the U.S., the Dothan airport is entirely self-supporting, operating without tax-generated funding. All airport revenue is generated by rental and other user fees charged to patrons and tenants of the facility. The airport serves as the local National Weather Service's weather observation station. U.S. Routes 84 , 231 , and 431 run through Dothan along various parts of Ross Clark Circle (AL-210),

1403-553: The Florida Panhandle . Since approximately one-fourth of the U.S. peanut crop is produced nearby, much of it processed in the city, Dothan is known as "The Peanut Capital of the World". It also hosts the annual National Peanut Festival at the Peanut Festival Fairgrounds. Between 1763 and 1783, the region that is now Dothan was part of the colony of British West Florida . European-American settlers moving through

1464-467: The U.S. Constitution . In 2012, the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), a nonprofit that provides legal representation to indigent defendants and prisoners, filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice saying that "[i]n interviews with more than 50 women...EJI uncovered evidence of frequent and severe officer-on-inmate sexual violence." In May 2013, Tutwiler ranked as one of

1525-401: The 1830s. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 71,072 people, 27,103 households, and 16,607 families residing in the city. Dothan is governed by a mayor and city council (called the "board of commissioners"), with a city manager employed to manage city affairs. The city is divided into six council districts, with one commissioner elected from each single-member district to

1586-618: The 1840s, after the end of the Indian Wars in Alabama and Indian Removal in the 1830s, when most members of the Five Civilized Tribes were forcibly taken to Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River . Those members of the tribe who stayed in the southeast were considered to have given up their tribal memberships and became state and U.S. citizens. The first permanent white settlers consisted of nine families who moved into

1647-685: The 1907 Dothan station still stands. Greyhound Bus Lines maintains a station in town. Dothan does not have regularly scheduled public transportation, but offers dial-a-ride service through its nonprofit Wiregrass Transit Authority. The largest Christian denomination in Dothan is the Southern Baptist church. There are also Anglican , Churches of Christ , Methodist , Presbyterian , Lutheran , AME , Freewill Baptist , Episcopal , United Pentecostal , Assemblies of God , Seventh-day Adventist and various Evangelical churches serving Dothan's Protestant community. Saint Michael's Orthodox Church

1708-471: The Alabama Department of Corrections ("ADOC") and Tutwiler have failed to remedy the myriad systemic causes of harm to the women prisoners at Tutwiler despite repeated notification of the problems. ADOC and Tutwiler have demonstrated a clear deliberate indifference to the harm and substantial risk of harm to women prisoners. They have failed to take reasonable steps to protect people in their custody from

1769-581: The Boll Weevils, Dothan Browns , Rebels, Cardinals and Phillies. Major League affiliations were maintained in later years with the St. Louis Cardinals and the Philadelphia Phillies . All teams played at the "D" league level, a defunct minor-league classification that represented the entry or "rookie" level in the minors. Ballparks included Baker Field, City Park, Stadium Park, Jill Alexander Miracle Field and

1830-701: The Cultural Arts Center, as well as at Dothan's historical landmark Opera House. Patti Rutland Jazz operates as a nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization whose core mission is to offer its dancers to the Wiregrass Region to assist underserved youths with free dance classes. This mutually beneficial program hopes to make Dothan a destination for, and a source of, future professional dance talent in the United States. 31°13′37″N 85°24′25″W  /  31.227°N 85.407°W  / 31.227; -85.407 Alabama governor The governor of Alabama

1891-652: The Southern Alabama Symphony Association, offers a wide variety of musical performances, from classical symphony performances to jazz, African and other musical styles. "Music by Moonlight" offers four free concerts per year at Dothan's Landmark Park, featuring classical, jazz, Celtic and bluegrass musicians, among others. Patti Rutland Jazz is a professional contemporary jazz and hip-hop dance company in Dothan. The company produces two full-length jazz and hip-hop theatrical dance productions yearly (one in late February and one in early June) at its home in

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1952-542: The Union on July 14, 1868. The first Alabama Constitution , ratified in 1819, provided that a governor be elected every two years, limited to serve no more than 4 out of every 6 years. This limit remained in place until the constitution of 1868, which simply allowed governors to serve terms of two years. The current constitution of 1901 increased terms to four years, but prohibited governors from succeeding themselves. An amendment in 1968 allowed governors to succeed themselves once;

2013-726: The Wiregrass Memorial Stadium. The city served host to the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 7, 1997, at the Dothan Civic Center Arena. Dothan was selected as one of 11 Alabama sites for a course on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. In 2007–10, Dothan was recognized as part of the "Playful City USA" initiative by KaBOOM! , created to honor cities that ensure that their children have great places to play. Dothan has

2074-431: The alliance's men led to a riot that left two men dead and others seriously wounded. Chief of Police Tobe Domingus was found guilty of murder and sentenced to ten years in prison. Appeals to the Alabama Supreme Court resulted in a new trial, and Domingus was acquitted. In 1893, Dothan secured a stop on the first railroad to be built in the region. This development brought new prosperity and growth, as local farmers had

2135-541: The area during the early 1830s to harvest the abundant timber. Their settlement, named Poplar Head after the spring, failed to thrive. It was all but abandoned by the time of the Civil War . After the war, a local Pony Express route was founded; together with other developments during the Reconstruction Era , the town began to grow. On November 11, 1885, the citizens voted to incorporate , naming their new city Dothan at

2196-522: The area during the late 18th and early 19th centuries discovered the Indian spring, naming it "Poplar Head". Most felt that the sandy soil common to this region would be unsuitable for farming, so they moved on. A crude stockade was constructed on the Barber Plantation, where settlers could take refuge whenever they felt threatened. Gradually the area received more white settlers. This fort disappeared by

2257-441: The bypass encircling the city. U.S. 84 runs along the northern part of the bypass from west to east, leading east 55 mi (89 km) to Bainbridge , Georgia and west 30 mi (48 km) to Enterprise . U.S. 231 runs along the western part of the bypass from south to north, leading northwest 56 mi (90 km) to Troy and south 83 mi (134 km) to Panama City , Florida . U.S. 431 begins its path northward at

2318-418: The city extends into Dale and Henry counties. It had a population of 71,072 at the 2020 census , making it Alabama's eighth-largest city by population and the 5th largest in Alabama by total area. It is near the state's southeastern corner, about 20 miles (32 km) west of Georgia and 16 miles (26 km) north of Florida . It is named after the biblical city where Joseph 's brothers threw him into

2379-447: The city's 2011 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are: According to records available on a police violence tracking website, police have killed 20 people directly or indirectly between 2000 and 2020. Most of the victims were shot, tasered or asphyxiated. Particularly brutal was the killing of a man at a local animal shelter over his refusal to show proper identification to police. A federal judge cleared

2440-490: The city's history occurred in 1973, 1977, 1989, and 1993. Tornadoes are a frequent risk during the spring, summer and fall; the city's tornado activity is slightly below the Alabama state average, but 79% above the U.S. average. The state-recognized Cher-O-Creek Intra Tribal Indians were in Dothan. They descended from members of the Cherokee and Creek peoples who occupied this area and resisted removal to Indian Territory in

2501-529: The city. Porter Hardware , the oldest hardware store in the state of Alabama, was located in Dothan from 1889 to 2014. In 2018 it reopened as a museum. Dothan is in northwestern Houston County in southeastern Alabama. The city limits extend north into Henry County and northwest into Dale County . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has an area of 89.7 square miles (232.4 km ), of which 89.4 square miles (231.5 km )

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2562-747: The city. Dothan also sought out industrial development, with textile and agricultural concerns being joined by manufacturing plants for the Sony, Michelin, and General Electric corporations in the 20th century. The Southern Company constructed the Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Generating Station near the city between 1970 and 1981; this 1,776-megawatt facility currently generates approximately 13,000 GW-h per year. In 2010, Sony announced its closure of its Dothan plant. Pemco Aviation declared bankruptcy in March 2012 and in May that year announced

2623-485: The closing of its Dothan facility. Originally part of Henry County, Alabama , Dothan became the county seat of the newly formed Houston County on May 9, 1903. The city continued to flourish and grow throughout the twentieth century, with the Dothan Regional Airport being constructed in 1965 and Wallace Community College in 1969. Troy University established a Dothan campus in 1961 in the northwestern part of

2684-634: The known and readily apparent threat of sexual abuse and sexual harassment. Officials have been on notice for over eighteen years of the risks to women prisoners and, for over eighteen years, have chosen to ignore them. [...] "We have made the following factual determinations: "For nearly two decades, Tutwiler staff have harmed women in their care with impunity by sexually abusing and sexually harassing them. Staff have raped, sodomized, fondled, and exposed themselves to prisoners. They have coerced prisoners to engage in oral sex. Staff engage in voyeurism, forcing women to disrobe and watching them while they use

2745-686: The largest parade in the area are featured attractions. On the last day of the fair, a peanut festival parade takes place in downtown Dothan. Dothan is also home to two professional barbecue competitions. The Tri-State BBQ Festival is held the second weekend in April, and is sanctioned by the Florida Bar-B-Que Association. It was begun in 2006 and is currently put on at the Houston County Farm Center. PorktoberQue, an Oktoberfest and Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) sanctioned event,

2806-895: The mayor was Mark Saliba and the city manager was Open. Larry H. Williams served as city fire chief and Will Benny was police chief. Dothan is in Alabama's 2nd congressional district ; its representative (as of 2021) is Barry Moore . The city is divided among three different state senate districts (28, 29 and 31) and four state representative districts (85, 86, 87 and 93). Most K-12 students in Dothan and Houston County attend Dothan City Schools or Houston County Schools . Others attend local private schools, such as Houston Academy , Providence Christian School, Northside Methodist Academy, Emmanuel Christian School, and Westgate Christian School. Institutes of higher education include Fortis College , Troy University Dothan Campus, Wallace Community College , Bethany Divinity College & Seminary, and

2867-432: The next day, regardless of if they were sworn in on Monday. The office of lieutenant governor was created in 1868, abolished in 1875, and recreated in 1901. According to the current constitution, should the governor be out of the state for more than 20 days, the lieutenant governor becomes acting governor , and if the office of governor becomes vacant the lieutenant governor ascends to the governorship. The governor and

2928-542: The police officer after body camera footage showed that the man had taken the officer's taser and attempted to use it on the officer during an altercation. In 2021, the city of Dothan settled a lawsuit with a payment of $ 250,000. The National Peanut Festival occurs annually in November and attracts up to 200,000 visitors. The festival hosts a wide variety of carnival rides, games, live music, and competitions. A large midway, entertainment by nationally known recording artists, and

2989-553: The previous Wetumpka State Penitentiary , which was the first state prison. Tutwiler has room for about 700 prisoners. The death row has room for four prisoners. The prison has a clothing factory. Privacy curtains were installed in showers and toilets of one dormitory in 2014. One dormitory has walls painted pink in order to soothe prisoners. The Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women housed 992 inmates in 2003, when U.S. District Judge Myron Herbert Thompson found that its overcrowded, underfunded conditions were so poor that they violated

3050-544: The public school system. The Joseph statue at Millennium Park is a ten-foot cast bronze sculpture in the downtown area. It represents the Bible verse "For I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan" (Genesis 37:17), on which the town based its name. Peanuts Around Town is a public art project organized by The Downtown Group, consisting of 5-foot-tall (1.5 m), life-sized peanut sculptures decorated in various fashions and displayed around Dothan. "Wiregrass Festival of Murals"

3111-503: The shower and use the toilet... [...] "Prison officials have failed to curb the sexual abuse and sexual harassment despite possessing actual knowledge of the harm, including a federal statistical analysis identifying sexual misconduct at Tutwiler as occurring at one of the highest rates in the country." On February 2, 2016, Alabama Governor Robert J. Bentley announced in his State of the State speech that Tutwiler prison would be closed as

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3172-466: The southern end of Ross Clark Circle, and runs along the eastern part of the bypass, leading north 51 mi (82 km) to Eufaula . Other highways that run through Dothan include Alabama State Routes 52 and 53 . Dothan is currently the only city in Alabama's top ten largest that does not have Interstate access, with the closest Interstate being Interstate 10 that runs 32 miles to the south. Although passenger trains no longer operate through Dothan,

3233-731: The story of the African-American genius and offers information on African cultures and their influences on the world, prominent African-American scientists, explorers and inventors, and the positive contributions African Americans have made in military affairs and social development. The Wiregrass Museum of Art , in the city's original power and water plant (1913), features ongoing exhibitions of visual and decorative art. Its permanent collection includes works by contemporary Southeastern artists such as Dale Kennington , Frank Flemming, Dale Lewis and Cal Breed, as well by nationally recognized artists including Frank Stella and Jim Dine . The museum

3294-411: The suggestion of a local clergyman after discovering that "Poplar Head" was already registered with the U.S. post office for a town in northern Alabama. On October 12, 1889, Dothan was the scene of a deadly altercation resulting from a dispute over a tax levied on wagons operating within city limits. Local farmers opposed the levy and united in a body called the "Farmers Alliance". The arrest of some of

3355-566: The summer to 50.8 °F (10.4 °C) during winter. Precipitation is plentiful throughout the year, ranging from 6.17 inches (157 mm) in August, the wettest month, to 2.70 inches (69 mm) in October, the driest month. Snowfall is extremely rare; a two-inch snowfall occurs about once every ten years, which results in a yearly average of 0.2 inches (5.1 mm); the last major snow event occurred on February 12, 2010. Other significant snow events in

3416-697: The ten worst prisons in the United States, based on reporting in Mother Jones magazine. On January 17, 2014, the U.S. Department of Justice released a report of their findings of their investigation into the allegations of ongoing sexual abuse of inmates by prison guards . "We find that the State of Alabama violates the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution by failing to protect women prisoners at Tutwiler from harm due to sexual abuse and harassment from correctional staff. "Tutwiler has

3477-432: The total number of people serving as governor to 59, spread over 63 distinct terms. Four governors have served multiple non-consecutive terms: Bibb Graves , Jim Folsom , and Fob James each served two, and George Wallace served three non-consecutive periods. Officially, these non-consecutive terms are numbered only with the number of their first term. William D. Jelks also served non-consecutive terms, but his first term

3538-636: Was admitted to the Union on December 14, 1819. It seceded from the Union on January 11, 1861, and was a founding member of the Confederate States of America on February 4, 1861. Following the end of the American Civil War , Alabama during Reconstruction was part of the Third Military District , which exerted some control over governor appointments and elections. Alabama was readmitted to

3599-454: Was in an acting capacity. The longest-serving governor was George Wallace , who served 16 years over four terms. The shortest term for a non-acting governor was that of Hugh McVay , who served four and a half months after replacing the resigning Clement Comer Clay . Lurleen Wallace , the first wife of George Wallace, was the first woman to serve as governor of Alabama, and the third woman to serve as governor of any state. The current governor

3660-638: Was organized in 1989 by private citizens and the City of Dothan; it is operated by the Wiregrass Museum of Art, Inc., a 501(c)3 organization. Southeast Alabama Community Theater offers live entertainment and theatrical productions for the Dothan community. Spark Theater Company is a nonprofit theater company and performing-arts educational program. Spark Theater offers several public theater productions each year by Dothan-area youth and teens, an after-school theater program, as well as supplemental theater classes for

3721-537: Was successful and brought financial gain to the city. It became a hub for the production and transport of peanuts and peanut-related products. Today, one-quarter of the U.S. peanut crop is harvested within 75 miles (121 km) of Dothan. Dothan also became a hub for industrial development in the 20th century, with textile and agricultural concerns being joined by manufacturing plants for the Sony , Michelin , and General Electric corporations which began operating facilities in

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