Dothan City Cemetery in Alabama, established the same year as Dothan in 1885, has a rich and meaningful history reflecting the growth of the city and its people over more than a century. As the city of Dothan began to develop from a small settlement called Poplar Head into a more established town, the need for a municipal burial ground grew with it.
Since it was built near downtown Dothan, the cemetery steadily expanded as the population increased and it became the final resting place for many of the earliest settlers, civic leaders, veterans, and everyday citizens of Dothan which makes it an important historical landmark for the area. While not having any nationally famous people buried there, Dothan City Cemetery contains the graves of many folks that played important roles in Dothan and the Wiregrass Region’s history and development.
Several notable burials there include:
William Henry Morris – W.H. Morris earned the title “Father of Dothan” for being instrumental in the early development of Dothan by operating one of the first general stores and establishing key businesses that supported the town’s early economy.
John Jacob Flowers – J.J. Flowers was a pioneer that donated land for public use and got involved in various civic improvements when Dothan was transitioning into a city from a small crossroads community.
Confederate Veterans – The distinctive Southern Cross of Honor placed by local chapters of the United Daughters of the Confederacy marks the graves of several Confederate soldiers who fought in the Civil War and were laid to rest here.
World War I & II Veterans – Local soldiers from both world wars who either died in service or returned home after the conflicts and died later are interred here.
Early Mayors and Civic Leaders – this includes various early mayors, city commissioners, and business leaders from Dothan’s early 20th-century boom period.
Dothan City Cemetery was listed on the Alabama Historic Cemetery Register in 2006 by the Alabama Historical Commission, helping to recognize and preserve cemeteries with significant historical and cultural value to Alabama.
Over the years, the cemetery has undergone work to preserve and document it by local historical groups like the Dothan Landmarks Foundation, as well as local chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). These efforts have included restoring headstones, improving the landscaping, and documenting burials in an effor to keep the history of this cemetery alive.
Today, Dothan City Cemetery stands as both an active burial ground and a historical site often being visited by local historians, genealogists, and families trying to trace their own roots. Sometimes, historical event or walking tours are organized to highlight Dothan’s past and to share the stories of the people buried here.
Click here to see all of my photos from this stop.
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