Mobile, Alabama

Image:Flag of Mobile.gif Flag Seal
Nickname: "The Azalea City"
Coordinates: 30°41′40″N, 88°02′35″W
Country	United States
State	Alabama
County	Mobile
Founded	1702
Incorporated	1814
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
- City (2004)	203,564
- Density	651.4/km²
- Metro	400,529
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
Website: http://www.cityofmobile.org

Mobile (IPA: [moʊˈbil]) is a city located in Mobile County, Alabama, United States, along Mobile Bay. As of the 2004 U.S. Census estimate, the city had a population of 203,564. It is the principal city of the Mobile metropolitan statistical area.

Mobile is the center of Alabama's second-largest metropolitan area, which consists all of Mobile county. Metropolitan Mobile (MSA) has a population of approximately 400,529.^[1] Mobile is a part of the Mobile - Daphne - Fairhope combined statistical area (CSA) which had a population 567,625 according to 2004 estimates.Note that the population of the Mobile - Fairhope - Bay Minette combined statistical area only includes the Counties and populations of Mobile(Mobile)and Baldwin(Fairhope and Bay Minette) Its 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. The city is the only saltwater port in Alabama. Mobile is home to the second largest, and is the oldest, Mardi Gras1703), predating New Orleans.

History

The settlement, then called by the French name "Fort Louis de lá 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 and named Fort Conde. The capital of Louisiana was moved to Biloxi in 1720 and to New Orleans in 1723 and Mobile was relegated to the role of frontier town and trading post.

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 United States. The wealth created by this trade brought the city to a cultural high point. Mobile became well 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. In 1830, Bishop Michael PortierSpring 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 the blockade 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 C.S.S. 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 Confederate gunboats and one ironclad, the C.S.S. 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, in May 1865, 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 ship-building became a notable industry. However, the city, once a world-famous cultural center, 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 U.S. 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 Defence "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 to provide relief for the housing shortage in Mobile. Birdville was built just outside of Brookley Air Force base and consisted of a series of interwoven curving streets all of which were built of concrete. All the streets were 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 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. Notable yearly activities that take place in Mobile include the Senior Bowl, Mardi Gras (the oldest in the country), the GMAC Bowl, the Azalea Trail Run, and the Junior Miss Pageant. In addition, the Mobile BayBearsSouthern 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.

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 and there were scarce reports of looting or lawless behavior. The economic boom that followed Frederic, in addition to the economic growth of the 1980's, 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. Most of the city survived relatively intact compared to New Orleans and Biloxi, 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.

Historical Gallery

Mobile skyline, with RSA Tower to the far left under construction

Mobile and Mobile Bay from space, June 1991

Downtown Mobile skyline (pre 2004).

Geography and climate

Mobile is located at 30°40'46" North, 88°6'12" West (30.679523, -88.103280)^GR1. According to the U.S. 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.

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, the city of 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. Ivan's 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.

Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there are 198,915 people, 78 480 households, and 50 776 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% African American, 0.24% Native American, 1.52% Asian American, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.53% from other races, and 1.00% from two or more races. 1.42% of the population are Hispanic American or Latino of any race.

There are 78,480 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

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)
• City Council District 2: William Carroll (2005-present)
• City Council District 3: Clinton Johnson (1985-present) (President 1993-2001)
• City Council District 4: Ben Brooks (2001-present)
• City Council District 5: Reggie Copeland (1985-present) (President 2001-)
• City Council District 6: Connie Hudson (2001-present)
• City Council District 7: Gina Gregory (2005-present)

See also: List of Mayors of Mobile

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%. The rapidly growing auto industry in Alabama has resulted in over a thousand new jobs created in Mobile, which has led to aerospace manufacturers to locate to Mobile in 2005, thus bringing in additional thousands of new high paying jobs to the city.

Mobile also has benefited greatly economically from the Hurricane Katrina disaster with thousands of evacuees relocating to Mobile. In addition, hurricane relief workers and contractors which all have been based out of Mobile since September of 2005 have resulted in Mobile's economy soaring to record levels including sales tax revenues which soared over 70% in the 4th quarter of 2005.

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's1913 where he declared that the United States 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 ten tallest buildings on the Gulf Coast. 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 proposed high-rise condominium tower 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.

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