Mobile, Alabama
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
Editing of this article by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled. If you are prevented from editing this article, and you wish to make a change, please discuss changes on the talk page, request unprotection, log in, or create an account. |
 |
This article may contain original research or unattributed claims. Please help Wikipedia by adding references. See the talk page for details. |
| Mobile, Alabama | |||
 |
|||
|
|||
| Nickname: The Azalea City | |||
 |
|||
| Coordinates: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Country | US | ||
| State | Alabama | ||
| County | Mobile | ||
| Founded | 1702 | ||
| Incorporated | 1814 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Sam Jones | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 412.9 km² (159.4 sq mi) | ||
| - Land | 305.3 km² (117.9 sq mi) | ||
| - Water | 107.6 km² (41.5 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 3 m (10 ft) | ||
| Population (2005)[1] | |||
| - City | 191,544 | ||
| - Density | 463.90/km² (1,201.66/sq mi) | ||
| - Metro | 401,427 | ||
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) | ||
| Website: http://www.cityofmobile.org | |||
Mobile (IPA: [moʊˈbiːl]) (pronunciation) is a city located in Mobile County, Alabama, US, along the northwest shores of Mobile Bay. As of the 2005 US Census estimate, the city had a population of 191,544.[1] It is the principal city of the Mobile metropolitan statistical area (MSA), which had a population of approximately 401,427 and a population of 564,013 in the combined statistical area in 2005.[1]
Mobile is the third most populous city in the State of Alabama and the principal city of the second most populous metropolitan area of the state.
The city's name is derived from the presence of the Mobile (Mauvile or Maubila) Indians in the area at the time of founding. (See Mobilian.)
The city is the county seat of Mobile County. Mobile is the original home of Mardi Gras, a tradition that started in 1703, and is the second largest celebration in the United States.[2] Mobile is the only saltwater port in Alabama.
Beginning as the first capital of French colonial Louisiana in 1702, during the past 300 years, Mobile has officially flown six flags, including France, Britain, Spain, the Republic of Alabama (1861), the Confederacy, and the United States (see History below).
History
The settlement, then called by the French name "Fort Louis de la Mobile", was first established in 1702, at Twenty-seven Mile Bluff on the Mobile River, as the first capital of the French colony of Louisiana. Following a series of floods, the town was relocated downriver to its present location near the head of Mobile Bay in 1711, with another wooden Fort Louis.[3] The capital of Louisiana was moved to Biloxi in 1720 and to New Orleans in 1723,[3] and Mobile was relegated to the role of frontier town and trading post. In 1723, construction of a new brick fort with a stone foundation began, renamed as Fort Condé in honor of King Louis XIV’s brother.[3]
In 1763, the Treaty of Paris was signed, ending the French and Indian War. The treaty ceded Mobile to Great Britain and under British rule the colony flourished. The British renamed the city Fort Charlotte, after the English Queen, and reenergized the port. Major exports included timber, naval stores, indigo, hides, rice, pecans and cattle.
The immediate British enforcement of race codes threw the denizens of the French-derived culture into chaos. The French Creole world was noted for its laissez-faire attitude to racial matters and the stringent English codes chased some of Mobile's Creole residents westward into Louisiana.
The Spanish captured the port town in 1780 during the American Revolutionary War. The Spanish held Mobile until 1813 when, it was captured by the American General Wilkinson. By then it was the second largest seaport on the Gulf Coast.
The Cotton Boom of the early 19th century brought an explosion of commerce to what had been a sleepy frontier town. By the 1850s, Mobile was one of the 4 busiest ports in the US. The wealth created by this trade brought the city to a cultural high point. Mobile became known throughout the country and the world.
In another note of differentiation between the somewhat cosmopolitan port and the hinterlands of predominantly Protestant Alabama, Mobile was declared a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in this same period. What would become known as McGill-Toolen High School was also established during this time. In 1830, Bishop Michael Portier founded Spring Hill College, one of the oldest Catholic schools in the country. Control of the college was assumed by the Jesuit Order in 1847.
In 1860, Clotilde, the last known ship to arrive in the Americas with a cargo of slaves, was abandoned by its captain near Mobile. A number of the slaves escaped and formed their own community on the banks of the Mobile River, which became known as Africatown. The inhabitants of this community retained their African customs and language well into the 20th century.
Mobile grew substantially in the period leading up to the American Civil War, when the Confederates heavily fortified it. Union naval forces established a blockade under the command of Admiral David Farragut. The Confederates countered by constructing blockade-runners: fast, shallow-draft, low-slung ships that could either out-run or evade the blockaders, maintaining a trickle of trade in and out of Mobile. Also, the Hunley, the first submarine to sink an enemy vessel in combat, was built and tested in Mobile.
In August, 1864 Farragut's ships fought their way past the two forts (Gaines and Morgan) guarding the mouth of Mobile Bay and defeated a small force of wooden Confederate gunboats and the ironclad CSS Tennessee, in the famous Battle of Mobile Bay. It is here that Farragut is alleged to have uttered his famous "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead" quote. The city of Mobile later surrendered to the Union army in order to avoid destruction. Ironically, on May 25, 1865, weeks after Jefferson Davis had dissolved the Confederacy, an ammunition depot explosion -- called the great Mobile magazine explosion -- killed some 300 people and destroyed a significant portion of the city.
After the war, the harbor was substantially improved and deepened, and shipbuilding became a notable industry. However, the city languished as a result of Reconstruction and the general economic decline of the South.
The military buildup prior to and during World War II resulted in a massive increase in population. Shipyards were churning out vessels for the war effort and in 1938 the US Army bought the municipal airport (Bates Field was relocated about 10 miles west of the city and is now known as Mobile Regional Airport) and there developed the Brookley Army Air Field, later, Brookley Air Force Base. Brookley quickly became the area's largest employer. In the mid-1960s the Air Force Base was closed due to a Department of Defense "base realignment" and the airport returned to the city. Today, it is known as Mobile Downtown Airport.
During the war, the phenomenal influx of workers created a huge housing shortage. Citizens rented out extra rooms and also converted porches, garages and even chicken coops into rentals. Several federal housing projects were quickly built to house the new maritime and Air Force workers. Several of these are still to be found, notably the community of Birdville. "Thomas James Place" was the proper name for Birdville which was built just outside of Brookley Air Force base to provide relief for the housing shortage. The development consisted of a series of interwoven curving concrete streets named after various birds, hence the nickname Birdville.
By 1956, Mobile's square mileage had tripled to accommodate the growth. Brookley's closure in the mid-1960s sent economic tremors through the area which took many years to absorb.
Also, in the post-war period, the pulp and paper industry became a major industry in Mobile. Scott Paper Company and International Paper combined to have one of the area's largest workforces. However, the demise of these industries within the last decade also hurt the local economy. On the other hand, during the last 15 years, the chemical, oil and gas, tourism, maritime and aerospace industries have expanded significantly and provided a much needed economic boost.
In 1964, the University of South Alabama opened its doors and its tremendous impact on the community and economy was deeply felt in a variety of sectors. The university, the largest employer in the area,[citation needed] operates several hospitals and has a noted medical school.
Mobile's seafood industry rose to a position of note for a while, with Mobile Bay oysters acclaimed far and wide, but this waned almost to the point of extinction in the last quarter of the 20th century. A few shrimpers still hang on in the South Mobile County fishing village of Bayou La Batre, immortalized in the book and film Forrest Gump, but their future appears uncertain.
Four members of the Baseball Hall of Fame were born in Mobile: Hank Aaron, Willie McCovey, Satchel Paige and Ozzie Smith. A fifth Hall-of-Famer, Billy Williams, was born in the suburban community of Whistler. Notable yearly activities that take place in Mobile include the Senior Bowl, Mardi Gras (the oldest in the country), the GMAC Bowl, and the Azalea Trail Run. In addition, the Mobile BayBears baseball team play in the Double A Southern League.
The eastern shore of Mobile Bay periodically experiences an unusual phenomenon called a Jubilee. A jubilee, which usually takes place in the wee hours of warm summer nights, describes a massive upsurge of sea life from the bottom of the bay. This phenomenon has also been observed in a similar bay in Japan and is believed to be caused by low oxygen levels in the water. This upsurge to the surface usually consists of crabs, shrimp, flounder and other sea delicacies. Needless to say, a jubilee, when first realized, is quickly spread by word of mouth along the coast, providing an impromptu fishing party in the middle of the night. Jubilee Parkway (the I-10 bridge across Mobile Bay) is named after this phenomenon.
On 10 November 1993 the city formally twinned with the Japanese city of Ichihara, Chiba prefecture.
Hurricane Frederic, which struck the area on September 12, 1979, caused severe damage in Mobile. Many residents were without power, water, telephone and basic necessities for weeks. Fortunately, only one death was recorded. The economic boom that followed Frederic, in addition to the economic growth of the 1980s, vastly improved Mobile's overall economic picture.
Mobile and its suburbs suffered considerable damage when Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005. Although losing electric power for weeks, most of the city survived relatively intact compared to eastern New Orleans, coastal Louisiana, and coastal Mississippi, but the high winds and flooding destroyed homes in coastal areas and damaged some parts of the downtown area, and at least two people died in hurricane-related car accidents.
Historic Districts
Historical Gallery
 Mobile skyline 2006, with RSA Tower (far left) under construction. |
 Mobile skyline 2007, with RSA Tower topped by spire. |
 Fort Conde replica in downtown Mobile |
 Mobile and Mobile Bay from space, June 1991 |
Geography and climate
Mobile is located at 30°40'46" North, 88°6'12" West (30.679523, -88.103280).GR1 According to the US Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 412.9 km² (159.4 mi²). 305.4 km² (117.9 mi²) of it is land and 107.6 km² (41.5 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 26.05% water.
Mobile, as a central Gulf Coast city has a subtropical climate, which consists of mild, wet winters and hot, wet summers. Mobile is also very vulnerable to storm surge from hurricanes, which the area frequently experiences. Historically, it has the highest annual rainfall of any urban area in the United States.
Mobile suffered its worst disaster ever on September 12, 1979 when a strong Category 3 hurricane named Frederic slammed right into the heart of the city. The storm all but destroyed nearby Dauphin Island and Gulf Shores. The city took over 5 years to fully recover from the devastating hurricane.
On September 16, 2004, Mobile received a glancing blow from the former-Category 5 Hurricane Ivan which made landfall in Gulf Shores as a powerful Category 3 hurricane. Mobile was caught in Ivan's western eyewall and the destruction was eerily similar to 1979's Frederic.
In August of 2005, Mobile once again received yet another glancing blow from former-Category 5 Hurricane Katrina. The massive surge of Katrina sent a storm surge of over 12 feet into eastern parts of downtown Mobile. The surge was the highest recorded in Mobile in over 85 years.
Mobile has also received glancing blows from the following hurricanes in recent history as well: Camille, Elena, Georges, Erin, Opal, Florence, Cindy and Danny.
| Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures | ||||||||||||
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec High °F | 84 | 82 | 90 | 94 | 100 | 102 | 104 | 105 | 99 | 93 | 87 | 81 |
| Norm High °F | 60.7 | 64.5 | 71.2 | 77.4 | 84.2 | 89.4 | 91.2 | 90.8 | 86.8 | 79.2 | 70.1 | 62.9 |
| Norm Low °F | 39.5 | 42.4 | 49.2 | 54.8 | 62.8 | 69.2 | 71.8 | 71.7 | 67.6 | 56.3 | 47.8 | 41.6 |
| Rec Low °F | 3 | 11 | 21 | 32 | 43 | 49 | 60 | 59 | 42 | 30 | 22 | 8 |
| Precip (in) | 5.75 | 5.1 | 7.2 | 5.06 | 6.1 | 5.01 | 6.54 | 6.2 | 6.01 | 3.25 | 5.41 | 4.66 |
| Source: USTravelWeather.com [2] | ||||||||||||
Demographics
Mobile is the center of Alabama's second-largest metropolitan area, which consists all of Mobile county. Metropolitan Mobile (MSA) had a population of approximately 401,427 as of 2005 census estimates.[3] Mobile is a part of the Mobile - Daphne - Fairhope Combined statistical area (CSA) which had a population of 564,013 according to 2005 estimates. The population of the Mobile - Fairhope - Bay Minette Combined statistical area includes the counties and populations of Mobile (Mobile) and Baldwin (Fairhope and Bay Minette).
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there are 210,915 people, 78,480 households, and 60,000 families residing in the city. The population density is 651.4/km² (1,687.1/mi²). There are 86,187 housing units at an average density of 282.2/km² (731.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 50.40% White, 46.29% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 1.52% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.53% from other races, and 1.00% from two or more races. 1.42% of the population are Latino.
There are 85,000 households out of which 30.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.1% are married couples living together, 19.9% have a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% are non-families. 30.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.46 and the average family size is 3.09.
In the city the population is spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 82.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $31,445, and the median income for a family is $39,752. Males have a median income of $31,629 versus $22,051 for females. The per capita income for the city is $18,072. 21.2% of the population and 17.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 31.4% of those under the age of 18 and 14.7% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Law and government
- See also: Mobile, Alabama/List of mayors of Mobile
The elected government of Mobile consists of a Mayor and a seven member City Council, which in theory operate on a weak Mayor/strong Council format. Municipal Elections are held every 4 years, and are non-partisan. The last elections were held on September 13, 2005.
Mayor
Sam Jones (2005-)
City Council
- District 1: Fred Richardson (1997-present)
- District 2: William Carroll (2005-present)
- District 3: Clinton Johnson (1985-present) (President 1993-2001)
- District 4: John Williams (2007-present)
- District 5: Reggie Copeland (1985-present) (President 2001-)
- District 6: Connie Hudson (2001-present)
- District 7: Gina Gregory (2005-present)
Economy
Mobile's Alabama State Docks is currently undergoing the largest expansion in its history by expanding its container processing and storage facility and increasing container storage at the docks by over 1,000%. Mobile is also in the race to become home to the nations largest military contract in history, a $200+ Billion air force tanker project which would generate over 5,000 high paying jobs in Mobile, pushing the city to very front of the nations most prosperous cities. The rapidly growing auto industry in Alabama has resulted in over 2,000 new jobs created in Mobile. Mobile also has benefited greatly economically from the Hurricane Katrina disaster with thousands of evacuees relocating to Mobile.
Since the Katrina disaster, Mobile has seen a housing boom of more than 2,200 new homes built in only the past 16 months, exceeding even the post World War II boom of the late 1940s. Mobile is also one of two finalist areas for the Thyssmen Krupp Steel Processing Plant, which when built, will be the largest steel plant in North America employing nearly 3,000 people.
Battle House project and downtown rebirth
Since 1852, the Battle House hotel has been a fixture of the Mobile landscape. Although the original hotel was destroyed in a fire in 1905, it was rebuilt and has remained a Mobile area landmark. It was the location of President Woodrow Wilson's famous speech in 1913 where he declared that the US would never again fight in a foreign war of aggression. In 1974, the hotel went vacant, as much of downtown was doing at the time.
In 2001, the Mobile City Council approved a deal with the Retirement Systems of Alabama for a complete restoration of the historic hotel, as well as construction of the Battle House Tower, a 35-story, 745-foot (227 m) tall skyscraper that will not only be the tallest building in Alabama, but also one of the tallest buildings on the Gulf Coast. Only sixteen cities in the United States will have one or more buildings taller than Mobile's tallest building.[citation needed]
The Battle House Project is the crowning achievement of the "String of Pearls" initiative undertaken by the administration of former Mayor Mike Dow (1989-2005), which saw the construction of the Arthur Outlaw Convention Center and the Cruise Ship Terminal, the approval of the soon to be constructed Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico, and the complete rebirth of Dauphin Street, Mobile's historic commercial corridor.
Other projects in the works include a number of high-rise condominium towers on Water Street in the heart of the downtown waterfront, as well as the construction of a historic Mardi Gras themed city park in downtown and a brand new state of the art federal courthouse. Large commercial ventures are in the works for the metropolitan area.
Transportation, media, and education
Transportation
The city's airlines are served by Mobile Regional Airport, which also serves Pascagoula, Mississippi. Additionally, Mobile Downtown Airport serves corporate, private and cargo aircraft and is home to a major maintenance, overhaul and repair facility.
Mobile is served by Amtrak's Sunset Limited line which connects cities along the southern United States from Orlando, Florida to Los Angeles, California. However, due to problems associated with Hurricane Katrina, service east of New Orleans, via Biloxi and Mobile, have been suspended. The Amtrak Station is located at 11 Government Street. [4]
The city also has a remarkable highway network. Highways linking Mobile to the rest of the country include Interstate 10, Interstate 65, Interstate 165, US 31, US 43, US 45, US 90 and US 98.
Mobile is also served by the Wave Transit Bus System. Also, Mobile has several taxi services which can be called or generally picked up in the downtown area.
Media
Mobile is served by WPMI (NBC), WKRG (CBS), and WALA (FOX) television stations. The area is also served by WEAR (ABC) based in Pensacola, Florida. WJTC, also known as UTV 44, is an independent station serving Mobile and Pensacola.
The Press-Register of Mobile is Alabama's oldest remaining newspaper, dating back to 1813;[4] the newspaper focuses coverage on two Alabama coastal counties, Mobile and Baldwin, and the port city of Mobile, but also serves communities across southwest Alabama and in nearby areas of Mississippi.[4] Mobile's alternative newspaper is the Lagniappe.
The Mobile area is served by 12 FM radio stations, including independently owned AAA station WZEW (92/The ZEW) for listeners of delta blues alternative jam & mainstream, FM sports station WNSP (Sports Radio 105.5), country stations WKSJ (95KSJ) and WYOK (KICKS 104.1), adult contemporary WMXC (Lite Mix 99.9), classical music station WHIL, classic rock WRKH (96.1 The Rocket), and Top-40 WABB. Both WBLX and WDLT serve the area's African-American community. Notable AM radio stations include news/talk WPMI and gospel WGOK. WMXC and WZEW are streaming online.
Education
Public schools in Mobile are operated by the Mobile County Public School System. The State of Alabama operates the Alabama School of Mathematics and Science, which boards advanced Alabama high school students. There is also a large number of private institutions, most of them belonging to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mobile. Mobile is home to the University of South Alabama, Bishop State Community College, Spring Hill College and the University of Mobile. The Mobile school system recently finished a $175 million new construction project in 2005, the largest such school construction project for any city in Alabama's history.
In addition to the public school system, Mobile also has private college preparatory schools, including St. Paul's Episcopal School and UMS-Wright School.
The Mobile Public Library system serves Mobile and consists of over 5 new modern state of the art libraries across Mobile County.
Sports
Mobile is home of Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Originally named Ladd Stadium, opened in 1948 with the University of Alabama and Vanderbilt playing a football game to a 14-14 tie. With a capacity of 40,646, Ladd-Peebles Stadium is the 4th largest stadium in the state.
Ladd-Peebles Stadium has been home to the Senior Bowl since 1951, featuring the best college seniors in NCAA football. The GMAC Bowl has been played since 1999 featuring opponents from the Mid-American Conference and Conference USA. In 1988, the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star game was founded. Each June, the top graduating high school seniors from their respective states clash in this event.
For golfers, Magnolia Grove, part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, has some of the best courses to play. There are 36 holes, The Crossings and The Falls, of championship golf and an 18-hole short course, which was recently named the best par 3 course in America.
Since 1999, the LPGA Tournament of Champions has been played annually at Magnolia Grove. The Crossings is home of this Tournament.
According to Golf Digest, Mobile is a top ten golf area that offers year-round golfing.
Mobile is also home to the Azalea Trail Run, which races through historic midtown and downtown Mobile. This 10k run has been an annual event since 1978. The Azalea Trail Run is one of the premier 10k road races in the U.S., attracting runners from all over the world.
Mobile has been home to many different teams over the past century. Here is a look at some of those teams.
Baseball
Mobile is hometown to five baseball Hall of Fame members and rates as the third city with the most players honored in Cooperstown, New York, home of the Hall of fame. Only New York City and Chicago lead Mobile in this distinction. [5]
Mobile Hall of Famers
List of baseball teams
- Mobile Swamp Angels, Southern League (1887) [5]
- Mobile Blackbirds, Southern League (1892-1893, 1896) [5]
- Mobile Bluebirds, Southern League (1894-1895) [5]
- Mobile Sea Gulls, Cotton States League (1905-1907) [5]
- Mobile Sea Gulls, Southern Association (1908-1917) [5]
- Mobile Bears, Southern Association (1918-1930, 1944-1961) [5]
- Mobile Marines, Southern Association (1931) [5]
- Mobile Red Warriors, Southeastern League (1932) [5]
- Mobile Shippers, Southeastern League (1937-1942) [5]
- Mobile A's, Southern League (1966) [5]
- Mobile White Sox, Southern League (1970) [5]
- Mobile BaySharks, Texas-Louisiana League (1994-1995) [5]
- Mobile Bay Bears, Southern League (1997-present) [5]
Mobile Bears
Originally known as the Sea Gulls, Mobile changed its name to the Bears in 1918. In just two seasons, the Bears won the Southern Association Championship and the Dixie Series Championship over the Fort Worth Panthers, the Texas League Champions. The Bears relocated to Knoxville in 1931. In 1944, the Southern Association's Knoxville Smokies moved to Mobile and were renamed the Mobile Bears. The Mobile Bears won the 1947 Southern League Championship. After the 1961 season, the team was dissolved. Actor Chuck Connors was a former player for the Bears.
Mobile BaySharks
After 30 years, baseball returned to Mobile in the form of The Mobile BaySharks of the Texas-Louisiana League. The BaySharks played at Eddie Stanky Field at the University of South Alabama. This team played from 1994-1995. The team folded after the announcement was made that Southern League baseball was returning to Mobile.
Mobile Bay Bears
On April 17, 1997, baseball returned to Mobile in the new Hank Aaron Stadium. In just the 2nd year, the Mobile BayBears won the Southern League Championship over the Jacksonville Suns 3 games to 1. The BayBears were also named 1998 Minor League Team of the Year.
The BayBears were awarded their 2nd Southern League Championship in 2004 when the Southern League cancelled the Championship Series due to Hurricane Ivan. Both the BayBears and The Tennessee Smokies were named Co-Champions.
The Baybears were affiliated with the San Diego Padres from 1997-2006 seasons. Starting with the 2007 season, the Baybears will be affiliated with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Basketball
Mobile Revelers
The Mobile Revelers of the NBA Development League (NBDL) played in the 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 seasons in the Mobile Civic Center. The Mobile Revelers won the NBDL Championship of the 2002-2003 season defeating the Fayetteville Patriots 2 games to 1. The team folded after the season suffering from very poor attendance. The name was originally used for a minor league soccer team based in Mobile.
South Alabama Bounce
There is an ABA basketball team based in Mobile. It is an expansion team that was announced on August 4, 2006.
Football
Mobile Admirals
The Mobile Admirals played during the 1999 season in Ladd-Peebles Stadium, which was the only season for the ill-fated RFL. Mobile sold 6,000 season tickets for their only season. Mobile finished the shortened season 6-2. The Admirals Defeated the Ohio Cannon in the first playoff game, then defeated the Houston Outlaws 14-12 to win the only RFL championship. Most famous of the players was Sherman Williams, formally of the 1992 NCAA champions Alabama Crimson Tide and Super Bowl champions Dallas Cowboys. Williams earned $80,000 with the Admirals.
Mobile Seagulls
The Mobile Seagulls played two seasons in Mobile: the 2000 season in the Indoor Professional Football League (IPFL) in the Mobile Civic Center, and the 2001 season in the National Indoor Football League(NIFL) at the Mitchell Center. The team folded after the AFL2 announced it was coming to town.
Mobile Wizards
The Mobile Wizards played in AFL2 during the 2002 season in the Mobile Civic Center. The Wizards failed to win one game, finishing 0-16.
Port City Monarchs
They are the NAFL football team in Mobile. Their rival is the Alabama Lightning based in Orange Beach in Baldwin County. In 2006, the Monarchs beat the Lightning to be crowned the best NAFL Gulf Coast team. This year every team in the Monarchs division made it to the playoffs.
Hockey
Mobile Mysticks
The Mobile Mysticks played 7 seasons in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) from 1995-2002 in the Mobile Civic Center. The Mysticks averaged 33 wins per season and made the playoffs 5 out of 7 seasons. The team ceased operations for the 02-03 season, then began play as the Gwinnett Gladiators in the 03-04 Season. Jason Elders holds the record for most career goals in Mysticks history. Jason Elders was also the 1999 MVP of the ECHL All-Star game. Jason Clarke is the all-time PIM record holder in ECHL history. Dave Van Drunen played in one game in the NHL for the Ottawa Senators.
Awards
In 1995, Mobile received the All-America City Award. In 2005, Mobile was designated a Preserve America City.
Surrounding suburbs
|
|
Cultural influence
Mobile is mentioned in the following songs:
|
|
Many scenes in director Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind were filmed in Mobile: in the Bankhead Tunnel; in a large hangar at Mobile Downtown Airport (alien mothership arrival) and some exterior shots near the hangar; and in a West Mobile suburb (exteriors at the Neary residence). Nearby Bay Minette stood in for Moorcroft, Wyoming in the rail-station evacuation scene.
Mobile ranks third on the list of cities that have produced the most members of the Baseball Hall of Fame (Five: Hank Aaron, Billy Williams, Willie McCovey, Satchel Paige, and Ozzie Smith). New York City and Chicago are first and second, respectively.
Among some Mobilians, there is a certain prestige associated with being a native. Those residents consider themselves blessed by the fact that they were "conceived under an Azalea Bush and raised in the shallow waters of Mobile Bay."
The local pop band, The Ugli Stick, performs a song written by lead singer Eric Erdmann, called "The D.I.P. Song" which references his blue collar neighborhood in Mobile ("DIP" is Dauphin Island Parkway).
Several people migrated from Mobile to an area in Arizona which was then named "Mobile". It was founded in the early 1900s as an area for African-Americans to live and some of its early residents were sharecroppers from Mobile, Alabama.
Early portions of the novel "Red Sky at Morning" by Richard Bradford are set in Mobile.
Mobile elected its first black mayor, Sam Jones, in 2005.
The Red imported fire ants now infesting the southern United States first arrived in Mobile from Brazil.
The Regional Football League had one football season before going bankrupt, its champion for the year was the Mobile-based Admirals, which was the only franchise in the league which did not default.
Pronunciation: As pronounced by long-term residents, the second syllable of "Mobile" is emphasized "mo-BEEL" when ending a phrase ("American Mardi Gras began in Mobile"); however, within a phrase, both syllables get similar stress, as in "Mobile County." This is similar to emphasizing "York" in "New York, New York" versus "New York City" stressing City ("Hear how to properly pronounce Mobile").
Sister cities
According to Sister City International, Mobile has the following sister cities http://www.sister-cities.org/icrc/directory/usa/AL
Havana, Cuba
Ichihara, Japan
Katowice, Poland
Košice, Slovakia
Worms, Germany
Málaga, Spain
Constanţa, Romania
Pyongtaek, South Korea
Veracruz, Mexico
Gianjin, People's Republic of China
King Shaka, South Africa
Rostov-on-Don, Russia
And (unbeknownst to the web site mentioned above):
References
- information on metropolitan statistical areas and Mobile MSA
- Michael W. Fitzgerald. Urban Emancipation: Popular Politics in Reconstruction Mobile, 1860–1890. (Baton Rouge: LSU Press, 2002. 301 pp. ISBN 0-8071-2837-6.)
- ^ a b Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places over 100,000 (CSV). 2005 Population Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division (June 21, 2006). Retrieved on November 9, 2006.
- ^ "Gulf Coast's oldest Mardi Gras", USA Today, 2004-01-26. Retrieved on February 8, 2007.
- ^ a b c "Other Locations: Historic Fort Conde" (history), Museum of Mobile, Mobile, Alabama, 2006, webpage: MoM-Other.
- ^ a b "Newhouse News Service - The Press-Register" (description), Newhouse News Service, 2007, webpage: NH-Register.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "Mobile's Baseball History", The Business View, Mobile Chamber of Commerce, 2006-09, pp. 21-22.
External links
- City of Mobile
- Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce
- David Rencher's Pictures of Mobile
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
Categories: Semi-protected | Articles which may contain original research | Articles with unsourced statements since March 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | 1702 establishments | All-America City | Cities in Alabama | Hurricane Katrina | Mobile, Alabama | Mobile County, Alabama | U.S. colonial and territorial capitals | County seats in Alabama | Port cities in the United States | Gulf of Mexico
