Dancing Dave Whatley A Mural, A Statue, an Unmarked Grave

By: Janet Kynard, It Happens in Alabama

My Heart was broken like a little child. Remember when we were children and things didn’t go according to our plans? It was the end of the World! It’s like getting skates or a bike on Christmas, only to open the door, and it’s raining in Alabama. That’s what happened to me! I cried like my favorite pet or toy was taken away. Let’s back up and let you know what happened.

I was on a business trip to Dothan, Alabama. I had not been there in years, as this was out of my territory. So while I was there, I decided to learn more about this town, for posts for my website and articles for a book I am writing. I had passed through there on the way to the beach for decades.
When I checked into the Clarion, I noticed a visitor guide. I picked it up and after getting settled in my room, I read it from cover to cover. After getting finished with my work the next morning, I began my journey. First stop was the Statue of Jonathan. Crazy place to start, right? The engraving on the statue read, “For I heard Them Say ‘Let Us Go to Dothan’” (Genesis 37:17). I titled my article about the murals of the Wiregrass based on this bible verse.

As I traveled around the downtown area, I noticed I was surrounded by nuts! Yep Peanuts! While researching the murals and peanuts on the internet, I discovered  an amazing person! Dancing Dave Whatley! He had a peanut that was donate in his honor and a mural of him is being painted. It is being painted on a historic building across from the G W Carver Interpretive Museum and is expected to be dedicated the first of November, during the Peanut Festival.


The more I read about Dave, the more excited I got. I felt an immediate kinship to him, as if I had known him forever. I found out where he lived; that he was always at every festival, parade and event, was a permanent fixture around town and could often be found walking down Hwy 431 or Hwy 52. After finding out on the internet that he had a peanut in Headland, Alabama, just outside of Dothan, I got, just like a child, so excited. I might be able to meet him. I knew I had to keep my eyes pealed, just in case I passed him on the four lane.

The next news release broke my heart, like a child on a rainy Christmas morning with a new pair of skates under my arm. I found out that the person I had developed a connection too was gone. I was almost a year late. Dave had died of cancer on September 19, 2015. I cried like a baby the rest of the night. I felt so empty, like I had just lost a member of my own family.

I stored his final resting place in my GPS and the next day, was off to Memory Hills Cemetery. I wanted to give Dave a present, so I stopped on the way, to pick up flowers for his grave. I wanted white roses because he always wore white, but I could not find white ones. Then I remembered a picture of him wearing a red tie. I purchased red roses and found white ribbon with rhinestones on it. How perfect I thought. Dave will get a smile from this. The rhinestones will sparkle like the twinkle in his eye, when he made others smile.

I walked into Ward-Wilson Funeral home with a tablet and a pen to get directions to his grave site. When I approached Dee and a gentleman at the desk, Robert Greathouse was coming down the hall to greet me. With a sympathetic, condoling look on their faces, skin in a shade of gray and a very quiet concerned voice, he was asked, “Can I help you.” I replied, “I hope you can. I am looking for the grave of Dancing Dave Whatley. I understand he is buried here.” At that very moment all 3 people got a twinkle in their eye, a huge smile on their face, their skin turned Alabama peach and the quiet voices turned into excitement.

Robert said, “I Know exactly where it is. Follow me. I’ll take to right to it.” I pulled my little blue Kia around the building to follow his big red truck and off we went.  As I followed him, I drew the directions to Dave’s final resting place, on my tablet laying in the seat next to me; first right past the funeral home, first left, first left, then Robert parked on the right near the corner. With a happy heart, I got out of my car with Flowers and camera in hand.

Robert walked back and forth, back and forth, forward and backwards for nearly 5 minutes looking for the headstone. I reminded him that Dave’s last name was Whatley. Not seeing a headstone with the name Whatley on it. I said “He was buried almost one year ago. How long does it take for the grass to grow back?” He continued to walk around, when the groundskeeper drove up and ask if he could help. He pointed to a small sunken spot in the dirt near to the curb. I burst into tears! We were standing on Dave and had been walking all over the top of him! Just like other people would have, when coming to visit their loved ones and not even realizing he was there.

Here I was with flowers that I was so excited to give to Dave, my camera and ready to meet the legend that I had connected with, only to find out he was buried in an unmarked grave? I broke down crying right there in front of both of those men! Without even thinking, the first words out of my mouth were “This is unacceptable, we have got to fix this!”

I knew immediately what I had to do! It was at that moment that it became very clear why God had sent me to Dothan. “For I heard Them say ‘Let Us Go to Dothan'” took on a very different meaning that day.

We have now set up a GoFundMe account to raise $8000.   https://www.gofundme.com/dancingdavegrave

Please share this link with everyone you know on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and all your social media platforms.

The money raised will be used to purchase a wonderful head stone from Ingram Memorial Co. in Dothan.  They donated the marker at Dave’s Peanut statue in Headland, Alabama.  We want to have the same etching on his headstone and we want a story about him on the back so no one ever forgets the happiness he brought to so many and how special of a person her was.

Money will also be paid to the cemetery to make sure new flowers are placed on the grave each season for as many years as the donations allow. This is one of the headstones we are considering, with Susan Langley’s help at Ingram Memorial Co. in Dothan, Alabama.

We would like to raise the money as soon as possible, so hopefully, we can present Dave with his headstone to coincide with the dedication of his mural the first of November, 2016.

This means a great deal to me and so many others. When I mentioned Dancing Dave to people, around town, they lit up. Their eyes sparkled and they got a huge smile on their face. When I told them about my visit to the cemetery, all smiles were gone and sparkles where replaced with a tear.

Your help in keeping his legacy alive is so greatly appreciated. We thank you so very much!

If you’d like to know more about “Dancing” Dave Whatley, here are more links:
ARTICLE: Discussions begin to create Dancing Dave mural
ARTICLE: Dancin’ Dave in hospice care after advanced cancer diagnosis
ARTICLE: Dancin’ Dave now has his own Peanut statue

Be sure to check out our other posts about Dothan, Alabama: 

“For I heard Them Say ‘Let Us Go to Dothan’” (Genesis 37:17)….. So I Did!

I’m Seeing Peanuts Everywhere, Have I Gone Nuts?

 

I’m Seeing Peanuts Everywhere, Have I Gone Nuts?

By: Janet Kynard, It Happens in Alabama 

When I arrived in Dothan, Alabama, I began to notice peanuts everywhere; peanuts around town, in stores, in bushes and even in unusual places. I said to myself, “What’s going on here? Has Dothan been taken over by a bunch of nuts?” Those of you that know me know I was about to get right in the middle of this.

I made a stop at the Dothan Area Convention & Visitors Bureau to get information. That’s where I met Bob Hendricks. He gave me so much information and my official "Peanuts Around Town" map. That’s when it all began to make great sense.  

You see, Dothan is known as the “Peanut Capital of the World.” More than half of all the peanuts in the United States are grown within a 100-mile radius of this town. The average 1.5 million tons produced each year is often more than the production of peas and beans combined.
Dothan is the host to the National Peanut Festival, each year in November. It is a two week event that honors local peanut farmers and celebrates the harvest. So, I guess you can say peanuts are king in Dothan. This only makes it fitting to have a peanut statue of The King. That’s right! Peanut Elvis Presley is located right in the lobby of the visitor’s center.

The public art project “Peanuts around Town” started out as a fundraiser for the revival of downtown to provide funding for the addition of two new murals. In this project, local businesses, civic organizations and individuals purchased and decorate their peanut according to their own concept.

Currently there are an estimated 40 peanuts around Dothan with each sculpture being unique and having its own story. One story I really enjoyed was the one of Mr. Trawick. Byron “Cotton” Trawick was known in Dothan as “The Peanut Man.” For over 25 years, he sold peanuts at the busiest intersection to locals and travelers. A peanut statue has been placed in his memory on this very spot. I find it precious that he often told his patrons, “Have a good day and let the Lord ride with ya.” HIs parting remarks are printed on the barrel next to his statue.

After a long afternoon, on my scavenger hunt, I headed back to my hotel to check out the pictures I had taken and plan my attack for the next day. While doing research on the internet, I found out about a peanut that was NOT on my official map. It immediately became my favorite peanut of ALLl! It was one honoring “Dancin” Dave Whatley.


If peanuts are the king of Dothan, “Dancin” Dave was the King of the Wiregrass. Everyone knew Dave and he didn’t need music to dance his way into your heart. He could be seen all over town; at all festivals and events or just walking the streets. Dave was endearing and was loved by all who met him. He lived to bring a smile to everyone.

The peanut in his honor, located on the square in Headland, Alabama, was made in his image, wearing his signature white suit, parade gloves and sailor hat with “DAVE” in black letters. From all I have learned about Dave, this is extremely fitting.

If you love a great scavenger hunt, Peanuts around Town is the one is for you! It was a blast darting all over town with great excitement and anticipation to see the next design. It will take you all day, if not two to complete your hunt. You’ll visit some very interesting locations along the route.

I will share only a few photographs of my peanuts around town, so no one overdoses on too many legumes.

 To see a bunch of nuts, visit out article on It Happens in Alabama

Check out our article 

“For I heard Them Say ‘Let Us Go to Dothan’” (Genesis 37:17)….. So I Did! about the Murals of Dothan, another exciting thing to do in Dothan and learn more about “Dancin” Dave. Join us on Facebook and Twitter for a surprise follow up to this story.

“For I heard Them Say ‘Let Us Go to Dothan’” (Genesis 37:17)….. So I Did!

by: Janet Kynard, It Happens in Alabama

Having the opportunity to spend several days in Dothan while on a business trip, I decided to take my free time and learn more about this town that I have passed through, on the way to the beach, for the better part of my life.

Dothan, Alabama was originally named Poplar Head. Since there was already a town in Alabama named Poplar Springs, the postal authorities assigned the name “Dothan” to the community to prevent misdirected mail. Early Maps and documents showed two spellings for the town: Dothan or Dothen. When the town was incorporated in 1885, the spelling was chosen to coincide with the Bible.

Dothan has long been known as the “Peanut Capital of the World.” Now it is also known as ”Alabama’s Mural City”. Having heard a little about the Murals of the Wiregrass, I decided to check them out and am glad I did. With the completion of the newest Mural, Wildlife of the Wiregrass, there are now 23 murals on the walls of businesses across the city.

The exterior walls of many of the most historic building, in downtown, are professionally painted with beautiful scenes. The scenes depict the rich history and noteworthy citizens of the Wiregrass Area. While driving down St. Andrews Street, my head was on a swivel trying not to miss any of the beautiful murals on both sides of the street and down alleyways. I finally had to park and walk. This is really the best way to see and appreciate them. To one side of each mural, there was a sign that explained its significance.

The next mural will be located across from the G W Carver Interpretative Museum on N. Foster Street, according to Murals of the Wiregrass. The mural that is already in the works and is slated to be reviled during this year’s Peanut Festival the first of November, 2016.

This new mural will be dedicated in honor not only a legend but someone most people in the Wiregrass either knew personally or at least heard about. It is common for each of us to have a person we call our hero or we consider to be a legend. “Dancin” Dave Whatley was a hero for the entire community. Dave could be seen walking local highways or showing up at festivals, parades and events, for decades. He was always dressed in a white sailor suit and for a little change or a smile, Dave would dance for passersby. As one niece said, at his funeral, “All he wanted to do was dance and make people happy. He lit up a lot of lives.” I am really looking for to this one being completed.

A free map of the locations of the Murals of the Wiregrass can be picked up at the Dothan Visitor Center, 3311 Ross Clark Circle, and at the Wiregrass Museum of Art, 126 Museum Avenue. The murals are a top tourist attraction that will both educate you and show you great scenes from this city’s history. There are plenty of shops and places to eat along the route, so relax, enjoy and take your time.

I Hope you'll sit back and enjoy some of the Murals of the Wiregrass:

Cotton and Railroad Eras

Dream

Logging Era

Salute to the Peanut Indusrty

Steamboat Era

Tribute to Sherman Rose and the Tuskegee Airmen

Wiregrass Contemporary Music

Wiregrass Country Music

Women of the Wiregrass

You won't want to miss the Mural City Artwalk. It is an arts festival that transforms Dothan’s downtown area into an arts district, featuring the work of more than 50 visual artists, live musicians, food and drink vendors, and children’s activities. It takes place each year in March. When snapping and sharing your pictures to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, be sure to add #VisitDothan. The Dothan Area Convention & Visitors Bureau loves to see how you are enjoying their city.

To enjoy more of our articles, check out the blog on our website.

Rare Swallow Tailed Kite Spotted in Alabama

by: Steve Kynard, It Happens in Alabama

Today, July 11 is my oldest friend's birthday. Ray Hearon turned 65 today. He lives in Selma, Alabama. I saw this as a great opportunity to take a ride, on my Harley Davidson, and go see my dear friend, on his special day.

When I visit, we always hang out in his shop ( man cave ) and come out occasionally to look around. On one of those "look around's",  this morning I spotted a bird I had never seen. I asked Ray what kind of bird is that. He said he didn't know. Now Ray and I have been hunting and fishing together since we were teenagers. We thought we knew all the critters in this part of the world but this one had us stumped.

I called Ray's son, Jason Hearon, and  described the bird to him. Jason is pretty good with this sort of thing. A short time later Jason texted me the answer and a picture. It was a Swallow Tailed Kite. In just a short time, Ray and I saw two more circling close by.  This was a Pretty cool birthday present to see these beautiful birds for the first time.

In doing my research on this bird, I found out a lot of interesting information. The Swallow Tailed Kite is also known by Fork-tailed Hawk, Swallow-tailed Hawk, Snake Hawk or Fish Hawk. It is highly unusual to see these birds in Alabama because they rarely come north of the Florida panhandle.

Here is a more scientific write up, from  Audubon:

The Swallow Tailed Kite is "our most beautiful bird of prey, striking in its shape, its pattern, and its extraordinarily graceful flight. Hanging motionless in the air, swooping and gliding, rolling upside down and then zooming high in the air with scarcely a motion of its wings, the Swallow-tailed Kite is a joy to watch. At one time it was common in summer over much of the southeast, but today it is found mostly in Florida and a few other areas of the deep south."

Conservation status	Formerly more widespread in southeast, north as far as Minnesota, but disappeared from many areas in early 20th century. Current population apparently stable.
Family	Hawks and Eagles
Habitat	Wooded river swamps. Requires tall trees for nesting and nearby open country with abundant prey. In North America found mostly in open pine woods near marsh or prairie, cypress swamps, other riverside swamp forest. In tropics, also found in lowland rain forest and mountain cloud forest.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology calls the Swallow Tailed kite “the coolest bird on the planet.” They went on to say,

"With its deeply forked tail and bold black-and-white plumage, it is unmistakable in the summer skies above swamps of the Southeast. Flying with barely a wingbeat and maneuvering with twists of its incredible tail, it chases dragonflies or plucks frogs, lizards, snakes, and nestling birds from tree branches. After rearing its young in a treetop nest, the kite migrates to wintering grounds in South America."

I am very happy to have shared the sighting of these special birds on Ray's special birthday.


To read more posts about the Outdoors in Alabama, go to our blog, or filter our blog for other categories.

Alabama Location Makes 15 Weird Abandoned Places to Explore

By: Janet Kynard, It Happens in Alabama, July20, 2016

Which Alabama location makes 15 weird abandoned places to explore list? Congratulations, Sloss Furnaces in Birmingham, who weighed in at number six. It is always exciting when anything in Alabama makes a list and gets national coverage.

 

Monica Beyer, of the Cheapism editorial team, just wrote an article “15 Weird Abandoned Places to Explore.” Her article was picked up by MSN and posted on their home page slider on July 20, 2016.

Here is what she had to say:

The allure of exploring unusual and abandoned places is hard to resist,and many curiosity-seekers make it a hobby. Such sites, however, may contain hazards, so it’s important to heed posted warnings and avoid spots where entry is prohibited. Still, even viewed from afar, these 15 locales are filled with wonder and can be quite haunting. Most are free to visit, but some do require a small entry fee.
   #6 SLOSS FURNACES: The Sloss Furnaces in Birmingham, Alabama, had a strong 90-year-run producing iron beginning in the late 1800s. Since ceasing production in 1970, the plant has been designated as a National Historical Landmark and now operates as a museum — the only one of its kind in the nation. Free tours (both self-guided and public-guided) are offered, but visitors are relegated to viewing the furnaces from outside.

More About the History of  Sloss Furnaces:
The furnaces produced iron for nearly 90 years, beginning in the years following the Civil War, and gave rise to the city of Birmingham. Now it is recognized as a National Historic Landmark. It offers a glimpse into the great industrial past of the South and our nation.

Exciting Activities:
 With its web of pipes and tall smokestacks, Sloss is a unique setting for all types of photography, for photographers of all levels. The location has many areas that can be rented out for weddings, parties, festivals, concerts and other events. The furnaces can even be rented out for a paranormal investigation. Now that sounds really exciting.

We thank Monica for the selection.  Click here to see other locations that made the list.
Find more exciting places to see and things to do in Alabama.