Named after the Native American Indians called the Maubila people that inhabited the land before the city’s founding in 1702, the area became settled as ‘Fort Louis de la Mobile’ by the French colonialists. The city was to be the first capital city of the French colony of Louisiana. It has flown a few flags over the years, from the French, Spanish, Confederate and finally that of the USA.
Subsequent moves to Biloxi in 1720 and then New Orleans in 1723 left Mobile to survive as a quiet outpost on Mobile Bay. In 1780 the town flew the Spanish flag after being once again conquered, but the Americans took the city in 1813. After the American Civil War, the town that had become the second largest port in the Gulf was declared part of the state of Alabama.
Recent times have seen Mobile become a center of industry and its reputation has helped propel it into the top ten most prosperous cities in the US today. Post-Katrina Mobile is seeing a housing boom that has already surpassed that which followed WWII. You may not think of Mobile as a cultural center, and you could be forgiven for thinking such thoughts, but surprisingly enough there are a few offerings to satisfy most tastes on a day out.
Highlights
Mobile Museum of Art: catch a glimpse of local history and contemporary views through the eyes of the artists shown here.
Battleship Memorial Park: both a pleasant place for an amble and a window into the area’s military history, the park holds the USS Drum submarine.
Mobile Opera: no dueling banjoes are played here; over 1,200 people come to take in this sophisticated art form every year.
National African American Archives: those interested in the history of African Americans can see the only library available to black residents up until the 1960s.
Mardi Gras: has been celebrated here annually since long before New Orleans was on the map.
Fort Conde: built in 1976, the fort is a reconstruction of the original which was constructed on the same site in 1724 by the French.
USS Alabama: fancy yourself as a WWII soldier for a day? Try touring this mighty battleship.