Spanish Fort veterans’ cemetery moving forward

SPANISH FORT, Ala.—Spanish Fort officials can expect a legislative progress report on construction of a state-run veterans cemetery as soon as the session ends in two weeks.


State Rep. Randy Davis, R-Daphne, petitioned the City Council during Monday’s regular meeting to approve a resolution supporting an honorary renaming of a portion of U.S. Highway 98 to honor the area’s veterans and said that action coupled with the advent of the new cemetery “will enhance this area for our veterans.”

Davis promised a personal update on the project’s progress when the session ends, but noted a tremendous amount of work has gone into supporting the cemetery and fighting to have it named the Alabama State Veterans Memorial Cemetery at Spanish Fort.

The cemetery cleared its latest legal hurdle Tuesday when the final mineral rights for the needed property were secured.

The process began in 2006, when Spanish Fort dentist Dr. Barry Booth sold the Baldwin County Commission 100 acres of land for construction of the cemetery that federal officials ultimately declined to pursue. Instead, the Alabama Legislature approved a bill to create a state-run cemetery that would rely, in part, on federal grants, for its construction.