Historic US highway endpoints in Dothan AL

Highway	Approx. time period
US 84	1926-1934
US 241 [II]	1930-1954
US 431	1954-present

Research: Robert Droz; Adam Froehlig. Photo credits: Brent Ivy; Alex Nitzman; Steven Nelson

When the US routes were first commissioned in 1926, US 84 began in Brunswick GA and went only as far west as Dothan. There, it ended at its junction with US 231. The photo below is looking north on Oates Street at Main Street:

Nelson, Aug. 2005

Oates (now Business 231) used to be mainline US 231. Originally US 84 began to the right on Main, which is now Business 84.

At the time there was no US 431. But its precursor, US 241, was commissioned in 1930. Its south beginning was probably straight ahead, co-signed with US 231 along Oates (it would've made sense to begin signing this north-south route from the east-west US 84). Otherwise the beginning would've been about two miles ahead, where Oates splits into Reeves Street (today's Business 431) and Montgomery Highway (Business 231).

US 241 was eliminated in 1954 - most of it was replaced with the US 431 designation. For its first 40 years or so, US 431 probably began straight ahead, at the same place US 241 began. Eric Plier describes it as follows:

"I used to live in Dothan and remember the history of its terminus there quite well.  Sometime between 1994 and 1999, the highway was rerouted.  From as early as 1978 (perhaps even earlier -- this was when I first became aware), US 431 passed beyond the Ross Clark Circle as Reeves Street, then was co-signed with Business US 231 on North Oates St.  Its official terminus was at the intersection of Business US 84/Business AL 52, the intersection of East & West Main Street and North & South Oates Street -- almost at the very center of town. Up until 1994, there was an "End" sign posted for US 431, and in the other direction there was a "Begin" sign (up until 1980, when it was replaced with a "North" sign)."

The photo below was taken from the perspective of eastbound Main:

Ivy/Nitzman, Sep. 2008

Until 1934, US 84 began straight ahead. The historic south beginning of US 241 was to the left on Oates, and later it was US 431 that began to the left. But in about 1997, US 431 was rerouted such that it bypasses downtown via Ross Clark Circle, ending on the south side of Dothan at its junction with US 231. You can view photos from the current terminus on my main US 431 page.