Hump Day History - The Naming of Dothan
October 31st, 2007 - Categories: Dothan area information, Historic Markers around Dothan, Just for Fun
By: Charles Woodall
Managing Broker
http://www.dothanhomesearch.com
We like to have some fun around here about mid week, so here is this week’s addition to Hump Day.
Here is one of the many historic markers in and around the Dothan area. This one is located next to the Wiregrass Museum of Art, on Museum Street, just behind the Dothan Civic Center.
Most of the historic markers you see around the Dothan area are erected by the Historic Chattahoochee Commission.
Side 1 reads as follows
Near the location of Poplar Head Park (200 feet west of this marker) was once a large spring surrounded by poplar trees. Two well-beaten trails crossed near the spring and the area was often used as a camping and resting place for Native Americans and early settlers. In the early 1800’s William Cawthon, from Georgia, built a corral for his cattle near the spring and the area first became known as “Cawthon’s Cowpen.” Later, several families built log cabins nearby and dubbed the little settlement “Poplar Head” due to poplar trees and spring.
Side 2 reads:
In 1858, the tiny Poplar Head Community requested a post office. Since there was a town called Poplar Spring in the state, the postal authorities arbitrarily assigned the name Dothan to the new post office to prevent misdirected mail. Early maps and documents show the town name was spelled two different ways: Dothen or Dothan. The city fathers finally settled on the spelling to coincide with the Bible passage “For I heard them say ‘Let us go down to Dothan’ ” (Genesis 37:17) when the town was officially incorporated on November 10, 1885.
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