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Interesting Facts
- One of Mobile's more intriguing residents "lives" in the historic Bragg-Mitchell Mansion on Springhill Avenue. Known only as the "Dark Man," the mysterious figure has made several public appearances at the mansion (usually at weddings or other special events), his long, dark coat and top hat indubitably setting him apart from other guests. Over the years, more benign spirits have also made appearances, including a mewing cat and a little girl.
- Although Mobile went without a professional baseball team between 1970 and 1997, the city and its surrounding communities have long had a strong affinity for the national pastime. Indeed, Mobile has been well represented in the Major Leagues over the years, thanks to all-time greats like the Braves' Hank Aaron, the Cubs' Billy Williams, the Giants' Willie McCovey, and even Leroy Robert Paige (more famously known as "Satchel").
- In August of 1864, Union ships led by Admiral David G. Farragut and Major-General Gordon Granger attempted to enter Mobile from a passage (protected by Forts Morgan and Gaines) just west of Dauphin Island. Farragut successfully led some eighteen ships between the two forts, enduring a deadly crossfire of cannons, and secured Mobile Bay by forcing the surrender of the Confederate Naval forces under the command of Admiral Franklin Buchanan.
- Every year since 1951, on a late January Saturday afternoon, the eyes of the football world have turned to Mobile and its North vs. South Senior Bowl, which pits top upperclassmen in Division 1-A football against one another in a game heavily scrutinized by pro scouts. Known as college football's premiere pre-NFL draft event, the Senior Bowl gives players one last chance to shine on a competitive stage before teams begin selecting their future stars.
- The date was March 27, 1865, and the tiny community of Spanish Fort was about to play its part in the Civil War. Union forces led by Major-General E.R.S. Canby began to lay siege to Confederates garrisoned at Spanish Fort. Canby's men barraged the fort with heavy artillery fire until April 8, when its defenders abandoned their post and fled to Mobile.
- Each summer, the Mobile Bay Bears, a minor league affiliate of baseball's San Diego Padres, celebrate our nation's national pastime in beautiful Hank Aaron Stadium, named after the Hall of Fame slugger of Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves fame. The stadium opened in 1997, bringing professional baseball back to Mobile for the first time since 1970. Hammerin' Hank threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the inaugural game, a 4-2 victory over the Birmingham Barons.
- Here's a little fact you probably never considered: What U.S. city has been celebrating Mardi Gras the longest? While New Orleans has the country's largest and – without question – most famously rambunctious party, Mobile has actually been celebrating longer. Legend has it that Mobile's pre-Lenten celebration dates to 1703, before New Orleans was even founded!
- "Parlez-vous francais or usted habla español?" The first Europeans to attempt a settlement at Mobile Bay were the French, who established Fort Louis De La Louisianne in 1702. Eight years later, they constructed Fort Condé near downtown Mobile's waterfront. In subsequent years, the area fell under both English and Spanish control. By 1813, though, American settlers finally claimed it as their own, and Mobile was incorporated some six years later.
- What's new in the news? Word has it that Mobile is an old city on the rise, a fact that hasn't gone unnoticed by national publications. Heaping praise and awards on the city for its revitalized downtown and high-energy arts and entertainment district in recent years are "Money Magazine," "U.S. News and World Report," "Time Magazine," and "Entrepreneur."
- A feat of modern engineering, Bankhead Tunnel opened to traffic on February 20, 1941, when nearly 100,000 fascinated Southern pedestrians entered at Government Street (downtown), walked under the Mobile River, and re-emerged in neighboring Baldwin County. The tunnel cut some seven miles off the "old" route, which had led travelers across 10-mile-long Cochrane Bridge, completed just 14 years earlier.
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