Salute to the Peanut Industry Because of its significance to the entire Wiregrass region, the peanut was selected as the subject of the first mural commissioned and features Dr. George Washington Carver and the National Peanut Festival.

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Click image for larger view.

Fort Scott A crucial factor to the settlement of the Wiregrass area was safety. Until the construction of Fort Scott, erected on the banks of the nearby Flint River, settlers steered clear of the Creeks and Red Sticks who roamed the area. This mural is a fitting testament to hard work, dedication and progress.

Mules in the Wiregrass Mules were introduced to the area in the late 1800’s quickly replacing horses and oxen in the fields and woods. While considered stubborn and meaner than horses and oxen, mules played an important part in the growth of farms and the logging industry in the Wiregrass Region.

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Johnny Mack Brown Once recognized throughout the world by millions of youngsters and grown-up as the cowboy hero who always triumphed over gun-slinging villains.

Chief Eufaula—Creek Indian Removal This mural depicts Chief Eufaula as he looked in 1836, as he spoke his farewell words to the Alabama Legislature, before leading the last of the lower Creeks to the reservation of Oklahoma.

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Click image for larger view.

Dothan Riot In October of 1889, just after Dothan was incorporated, a riot erupted at the public well and bell-tower over a tax levied on commercial drays traveling city streets.

Tribute to Sherman Rose & the Tuskegee Airmen This mural pays tribute to the ten black students who were the first class in the Civilian Pilot Training Program at the Tuskegee Institute in 1939. Sherman Rose became the only black flight instructor at Fort Rucker, a position he served until 1974.

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Women of the Wiregrass This mural is a tribute to the timeless qualities and characteristics of the women in the history of Dothan and the Wiregrass. It is to honor the women who helped mold this city into the unique place that has come to be known as the “Wiregrass.”

Fort Rucker This mural commemorates the Fort Rucker Army Base. The installation was originally named Camp Rucker and its primary mission was to train soldiers in the use of heavy weapons, pilots to fly small reconnaissance and artillery spotting planes, and nurses for overseas duty.

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Early Commerce (Railroad, Logging, Turpentine, and King Cotton) This mural depicts the early involvement of the railroad and Wiregrass industries of logging, turpentine and cotton. This mural is considered the largest, and counts as 4 different murals. Railroad Turpentine Logging King Cotton

Wiregrass Music Visit the latest mural on the tour! This mural is the first in a series of murals honoring people that lived in the Wiregrass area that found success in the music industry. This mural features contemporary writers and artists: Ray Charles, Dean Daughtry, Buddy Buie, David and John Rainey Adkins, and many more!

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The Steamboat Era This mural pays homage to one of the Wiregrass’s prominent forms of transportation in the 1800’s—the steamboat. Along with freight hauling, some boats did a booming vacation business. Many boats such as the John W. Callahan, owned by Mr. Callahan, had their vessels outfitted to offer the best amenities available for their passengers.

Cherry Street A.M.E. Church Cherry Street AME has a unique place in the history of the Wiregrass Region and in the State of Alabama. It was founded in the 1860’s as The Colored Methodist Church. It is the oldest African Methodist Episcopal Church in Alabama.

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DeSoto’s Journey Throughout the Wiregrass Region This mural commemorates the journey of Hernando DeSoto and his exploration party as they traveled from the Gulf of Mexico, north through Georgia touching on the edge of the Wiregrass Region east of the Chattahoochee River.

Camp Recovery This mural is dedicated to the recuperation area for soldiers taken ill. Camp Recovery was set up on a high bluff overlooking the river three miles southeast of Fort Scott.

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Click image for larger view.

The Abduction of Elizabeth Steward Dill This dynamic mural shows a Creek Indian attack on a supply boat and the subsequent abduction of Elizabeth Stewart Dill, the future wife of a local military officer.

Dothan Opera House—Dothan’s Hidden Mural This mural was actually painted on the backdrop of the stage to the Dothan Opera House. The Mural portrays early stage plays in Dothan. Unfortunately, the Dothan Opera House is only open for performances, which is why this mural is nick-named the “Hidden Mural.”

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The Wiregrass Symphony was composed by Richard Pearson Thomas for the Tri-State Community Orchestra (TCO) www.tristatecommunityorchestra.org. The TCO chose to paint the Dothan murals with music to help convey the rich heritage of our Wiregrass Area.

All images and narrations on this web page are copyrighted by the Wiregrass Festival of Murals Committee (WFOMC). Please do not copy any images or narrations without receiving prior permission from the WFOMC. The DACVB would like to thank the WFOMC for giving the right to use the above images and narrations in this project.