Dothan History

The city of Dothan was incorporated in 1885 but its history goes back to the late 1700s. As pioneer families from southern towns moved west in search of a new life, they often stopped for water at a place known as Poplar Head, part of what is now known as Alabama.

Local Indians also stopped in Poplar Head. Many ancient Indian trails met and crossed there. The area gets its name from the poplar trees that grew there and because the origination or "head" of the cool spring waters was there.

In the 1830s, about 10 to 12 miles east of Poplar Head, a fort was built on the Barber Plantation for protection from the Indians. However, the Indian wars were over by 1850 and the fort soon disappeared. By the 1880s the area had grown into a village and a local governing body and law enforcement were soon organized. In 1885 the area was incorporated as the town of Dothan. In 1896, the first well was drilled.

Get more detailed information about the history of Dothan.

Read more about Houston County, including a quick statistical profile from the Census Bureau.