Mobile (Alabama)

History

In 1702, Jean-Baptiste LeMoyne, the sior of Bienville, leaves Biloxi, the first capital of Louisiana, and discovers a suitable building site for the new capital of Louisiana. This event starts the first chapter of the history of Mobile. The first building site had been forsaken because it was near quarrelsome Indiens. In 1711, the French government is installed on the site of the current city to almost “thirty miles” in the south. This building site was easier to make sure, essential thing, because it was necessary to push back the Spaniards who had cut off themselves with Pensacola in Florida. The city grows quickly and becomes more the big city of the Louisiana before the expansion of the Orleans News as from 1750. Harbor big city of the confederation of the South during the American Civil War, it falls to the hands from the federal forces in 1865.

The religion, and not only Catholicism, is an important phenomenon in Alabama. The influence of Catholicism was strong, but the majority of Alabamiens are Protestant since the nineteenth century. In 1800, French Mobiliens gave a great amount of money for the construction of a church huguenote to Charleston in South Carolina. The church with Charleston is today the oldest church huguenote of all the nation. The Gaillard family, that which still lives in Mobile, was one of the benefactors of this construction. Today, if the church is visited, one can see plates on the walls which thank these families for Mobile for their great contribution.

Mobile is today a beautiful town of large houses Southerners and green gardens. Animated tourist city, Mobile organizes each year a great carnival of Fatty Tuesday. It was in Mobile that Fatty Tuesday, the famous festival, made its beginnings in the new world. Fatty Tuesday of the Orleans News is most famous, but first place with Mobile had, sixty years before. Joe Cain remains the legendary hero responsible for the rebirth of this extraordinary festival. In spring, the day before the Lent, more than one million people come to Mobile during two weeks to see processions, assembled by mystical companies. It is a good-naturedness and festive atmosphere for everyone. The members of the mystical companies launch confectioneries and gifts since the tanks which pass. The spectators try have just and caught candies, collars of pearls, commemorative cups, and, the most wished thing, the “moonpie”. The “Moonpie” (the tart in the shape of the full moon) is a made confectionery of a very soft and very thin bread distinct laterally, and between the two sections, there is a cream of delicious marsh mallow. The whole is coated out of chocolate. Sometimes, these small “moonpies” has two or three layers.

The town of today

The name Mobile always decides with the française : “word bile” or /mobil/. The city is named according to Indians who were called the “Maubilles” and who lived close to the Mobile river.

The Mobile of today is a city which embraces its French heritage greedily. The city knew in turn French, Spanish, English and confederated modes. However, in fact the vestiges of the French culture remain most widespread. Since the same citizens until his architecture, the French presence is visible everywhere. In the center town, there is a place which is called “Bienville Square”. There is a fountain with decorative sculptures in the French style, and a stone cross, commemorating the two LeMoyne brothers. In front of the principal college of the city, “S.S. Murphy”, draw up two statues of the brothers. They are sheltered in a tower in the middle of the campus. There is another place which bears the name of Henry de Tonti, Mobilien famous for its acts and institutions humanitaries.

The city has a cathedral indicated by the Pope like “minor basilica”, that of the Immaculate Conception. It is one of the largest cathedrals of south-east. The first évéque one of Mobile, Michel Gatekeeper, of Lyon, was responsible for the construction of this large building, which was very important in the history of its city. The plan of the cathedral was drawn by the architect Claude Béroujon in 1833. It is monseigneur Portier also who founded the first university Jesuit in south-east, Spring Hill College (1829).

In Mobile, there are many streets which bear French names: Beauregard, Delchamps, Design, Saint-Francis, Saint-Louis, Dolphin, Chamberlain, Lafayette, LeMoyne and Demuoy. The phone book is filled with French patronyms everywhere in the city. Many buildings are named according to famous citizens, particularly the LeMoyne brothers.

Also, like the Orleans News, the Fleur of lily is very widespread in Mobile. It is a very French symbol which the government of the city retains to safeguard the French culture. Mobile is called “the city with the six flags”, six because the city was controlled in turn by six countries: France, Spain, England, Confederated States, Alabama and the United States. On the flag of the French time, there are three flower-of lily.

Another name for Mobile is “the city of the azalea”. This name comes from all the flowers which brighten the streets. In spring, these flowers are of a red shining and very, very beautiful. These flowers embellish Mobile thanks to the efforts of Mister Fifise Langlois, which brought azaleas of the garden of his/her father to Toulouse. Today, the azalea is the most important flower of all the city. There is a race each year which attracts many runners of whole world: it is called “Azalea Trail Run”.

The museums of Mobile provide to those which wish to visit them an impressive quantity of information on the history of Alabama and of Mobile.

Geography

Mobile is located at 30°40' 46" NR, 88°6' 12" West. According to the Office of the census of the United States, the city has an total surface area of 412.9 km ² (159.4 semi ²). 305.4 km ² (117.9 semi ²) of grounds and 107.6 km ² (41.5 semi ²) of water, are 26,05% of the total.

Its geographical position in the center of the Gulf of Mexico gives to the city a subtropical climate which consists of summers soft and dry, and wet and hot summers; but makes it vulnerable to the hurricanes which are formed in the area.

Administration

The city is controlled by a mayor and seven city council men according to a weak system of mayor and strong council. The elections take place every four years.

The city is twinned with:

Education

Mobile off accommodates the University South Alabama , the Bishop State Community College , the Spring Hill College and the University off Mobile .

Transport

Air transports are ensured by the Mobile Regional Airport , and the Mobile Downtown Airport .

The city has also a remarkable highway system, including/understanding the Interstate 10, the Interstate 65, the Interstate 165, and the roads 31, 43, 45, 90 and 98. There exists in Mobile three roads crossing the river Mobile towards the county close to Baldwin: the I-10 by the George Wallace Tunnel and the US 90 and the US 98 (coupled) by the Bankhead Tunnel. The trosième passage is the Cochrane-Africatown the USA Bridge which gathers branches of the US 90 and US 98 specialized for the trucks ( U.S. Road 90 Truck and U.S. Road 98 Truck ).

On the level of transport in commun runs, the city is served by Wave Transit Drunk System.

External bond

Official site of the town of Mobile
Site town of Mobile

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