Spanish Fort is a city in Baldwin County, Alabama, United States, located on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay. The 2020 census lists the population of the city as 10,049. It is a suburb of Mobile and is part of the Daphne-Fairhope-Foley metropolitan area.
History
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The city of Spanish Fort is rich in history dating as far back as 1702 with the founding of Mobile by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville of France. Spanish Fort was originally the site of a trading post established by French-occupied Mobile. One of the earliest known colonists that settled in present-day Spanish Fort was Louis Augustin Rochon, son of co-founder of Mobile Charles Rochon. Around 1750-1760, the younger Rochon founded a plantation on the bluffs overlooking the Blakeley River that became relatively wealthy. Following the French and Indian War, a large area on the Gulf Coast including the trading post was ceded to the British in 1763. During the Revolutionary War, Spanish forces under Bernardo de Gálvez took Mobile in the Battle of Fort Charlotte. Consequentially, the entire Mobile Bay area came under military administration, albeit challenged by British forces based in Pensacola.
At this time, the embattled Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay was subjected to raids from various native American tribes allied to both sides. On October 1, 1780, the Rochon plantation was raided and razed by Choctaw warriors, killing three members of the household, a young man named Trouillet, an enslaved African man, and an enslaved native woman. This action was met with scoff as the Rochons had remained cooperative to both British and Spanish authorities and General Campbell ransomed their release. Though historians and archaeologists propose that this was likely a small Spanish military post later in the colonial period, it is not the same that was defended in the 1781 battle and is backed by archaeological evidence. This community formed after the construction of the causeway connecting Mobile and Baldwin counties. Prior to this, no community existed on-site and the area that is now Spanish Fort was rural.
Since incorporating on July 19, 1993, Spanish Fort has seen significant growth. Eastern Shore Centre, an open air regional shopping complex, opened on November 17, 2004. Spanish Fort Town Center contributed to the municipality's substantial commercial development, despite having ongoing issues with vacancies.
On November 1, 2012, groundbreaking ceremonies were held at the northwest corner of Spanish Fort Boulevard and Blakeley Way, site of the new Spanish Fort Community Center. The administrative staff officially occupied the new facility in September 2015. The center is home to the city library, administrative offices, the mayor's office, and other city-run services.
Geography
Spanish Fort is located above the east shore of the Blakeley River where it enters Mobile Bay. U.S. Routes 90 and 98 (Battleship Parkway) lead west across the Mobile River and its distributaries to Mobile. Interstate 10 passes just to the south of Spanish Fort, with access from exits 35 and 38, and leads west across Mobile Bay to Mobile as well.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Spanish Fort has a total area of , of which is land and , or 14.08%, is water.
Schools
thumb|[[Spanish Fort High School]]
Secondary schools
- Spanish Fort High School (9-12)
- Spanish Fort Middle School (6-8)
Elementary schools (both K-5)
- Spanish Fort Elementary School
- Rockwell Elementary School
- Stonebridge Elementary School
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Spanish Fort had a population of 10,049. This represented a 47.8% increase from 2010.
87.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 12.4% lived in rural areas.
There were 3,876 households in Spanish Fort, of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 56.4% were married-couple households, 17.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 21.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
!Race
!Num.
!Perc.
|-
|White (non-Hispanic)
|8,295
|82.55%
|-
|Black or African American (non-Hispanic)
|610
|6.07%
|-
|Native American
|46
|0.46%
|-
|Asian
|179
|1.78%
|-
|Pacific Islander
|7
|0.07%
|-
|Other/Mixed
|491
|4.89%
|-
|Hispanic or Latino
|421
|4.19%
|}
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 6,798 people, 2,861 households, and 1,910 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,250 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.0% White, 4.8% Black or African American, 0.6% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 0.7% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. 2.4% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 2,861 households, out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city, the population was 23.0% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 28.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $65,244, and the median income for a family was $76,469. Males had a median income of $58,958 versus $36,695 for females. The per capita income for the city was $32,856. About 1.8% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.1% of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
Countywide dial-a-ride transit service is provided by the Baldwin Regional Area Transit System (BRATS).
See also
- Eastern Shore (Alabama)
Notes
External links
- City of Spanish Fort official website
- Historic Blakeley State Park, north of the city
- 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center