The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1876-09-10
MOBILE, ALA.
IT'S SITE AND HISTORY.
(Mobile Cycle }

poEt OF entry ana the capital OF Mobile
D Aiaphma, the largest city and only seaport
q Tue State, on the west side of the Mobile rive
\ immediately above its entrance into the bay
the same name. 30 miles from the Gulf of Ne
co, 1SU miles from Montgomery, and 140 mil
by rail eaet of New Orleans population
, 1920, 612; in 1880, 3 1914; in 1sI0 u 67
IN IN lo2g 2o,oi5; in 1850, 80 255 in 1870, 5;
o3i; These are the oficial figures, though
I more recent census taken by the Board
, Health makes the population 40 0001 OF who
IL 99l were colored and 239 foreigners. tt
NJ Der of families was 6,301 Of DIV ellings {
13S Tie corporate limits extend mil,
! norta ard south, and two or three miles fro
! the river.
The Tricky Inhabited part Of the city 8,
tends fer about a milo along the river, an
nearly the same distance back west ward. u
site is a sandy plain, rising as it reoedes frol
the water. The streets are generally regular
well paved and shaded.
Mobile s lighted with gas, and supple
| with water of unusal purity and excellence
which is brought little more than 5 mile
from the fooL CT Spring Hill. SIX lines o
| street cars traverse the city. The climate i
generally healthf9l, ex; ;ept for occasional visi
| tations OF epidemic yellow fever. High ant
heaithfnl hills within few miles north es
and south west afford permanent or summer
residences. Four lines of railroad furnish com
viz: The Mobile and Ono; Mobile and Mont
gomery New Orleans, MOBILE and Texas; nd
Alabama Grand Trunk.
The trade of Mobile is much hindered by
ing more than or 10 feet are Obliged to an.
chor in the bay, IS miles more from the city.
In 1873 congress appropriated 800 900 for
the completion OF improvements in the bsrboI
whlch 1t IS hoped will enable vessels of 13 feet
draught to reach the wharves. The chief bust
ness is the receipt and shipment of cotton.
Steamers run regularly to Montgomery and
other points on the Alabama, Tombigbee and
Black Warrior rivers The principal manu-
factories are two of sash, doors and blinds
one OF paper, several of carriages and cabinet
ware, two coopersges, a brewery, three saw
mllls, and four foundries and machine shops
There are two national banks, with joint cap
1tal of So0O,OOO; two state banks with 81 OOO,-
ooo capital; two savings banks and nine in
surance companies.
The principal charitable institutions are
fsur orphan ylums, the City Hospital, the
United States Marine Hospital, and the Pro-
Vidence lnfrmary. The Medical College of
Alabama was established here in 1889, and in
1873 ~ had 9 professors and e5 students
The number of public schools in the entire
county in 1874 was II, (42 white and 20
colored), with an attendance of about 4 500
ihe boys and girls High schools and num-
Der ottne lower grades are held in the Bar
ton Academy Ia the city there are seven Roman
Cathollc schools and academies. Two daily
aho We'kiy newspapers are published. There
are 80 chnrches, VIZ: Baptist, g coloredO
Episcopal. German Lutheran, l jewish 10
Methodist, {6 colored), 3 Presbyterian, and
Roman CATHOLIC. In the immediate vicinity
OF Mobile are the college of st. joseph at
Spring Hil, under direction of the Jssnit,,
and the Academy of the Visitation, Summer
vile, conducted by the Sisters of the Vista
ton.
Mobile was the original seat of French COL
on zation in the Southwest, and for many
years the capital of the colony of Louisiana
In 7o2 LIE Moyne de Bienville transferred the
principal colony from Biloxi to q point on the
river Mobile supposed to be about 90 miles
above the present site of the city, where he
established fort which he called st Louis
de la Mobile. At the same time he bu;lt a fort
and wRrShOu5o I6la
trance OF Mobile Bay Many of the first set |
tiers were Cansdians. In 17O5 an epidemic |
to be the first recorded visitation of |
yellow fever, carried off 35 persons The year |
7O6 was Eoted for the "petticoat nsurrectiou ;" |
a threatened rebellion of the women in conse-
lnence OF dissa isfaction with tne diet of In
nan corn. Inc colony suffered greatly from
anime, as we'll as from the attacks of Indians,
llthou8h relieved by occasional supplies from
he mother country. In I'LL the settlement
was nearly destroyed by hurricane and food,
present sltustion. In 1928 the seat of the col |
'nlal government was transferred to New Or
cans. In 1868, by the treaty Of Paris Mobilo
Sith =, "a al that portion of Louisiana lying east
u the Siisslssippi and north Of Bayou Iber.
ME, lakes Aaurepas and Pouch artrain passed
nto possession of Great Britain. In 1850 the
crt, the name of which had been CHANGED to
'ort Conde, and subsequently by the Brush
o ForS Charlotte, was captured by the Snan-
sh General Eon Galvez, and III 1888 it's occu.
'aney was c)i.6rmed to Spain by the cesai0D
y laIaL OHST Cl al the Butl1h possessions or |
ne Calf OF 2.exico. On April 13, 1913 the Span
n conmandant, Cayetano Perez, surrendered t
he t"=t and town to General Wilkinson A.
hat period the population which in 1885 had !
mounted to 7i6, Was estimated at 500 (exclu-
I've OF the gsrrIson), half of whom were blacks
II December, l5l7, Mobile was Incorporated {
city. :
OA January a 1861, the State authorities of L
labama took possession of the United States
rsenaI ~ Mount Vernon 30 miles from Mobile !
nj soon afterwards garrisoned Forts Morgan
nd Games at the entrance of the bay though >
le State did not secede until the 1Ith. Mobile .
az not seriously attacked until the summer !
1862, when the oity had been enoom passed | {
lth three lines of defensive works, while ten
AGterles commanded the channel below the 7
ty, which was also obstructed with rows of :
les and small Confederate feet carrying %
ms and 40 men, was anchored under the '
ms of Fort Morgan. Ga August S Admiral
Arraaut, with l8 vessels, carrying 1879 guns +
I'd 21OO 1nen, entered the bay under the fire of
c two forts, which he returned while passing 2
1t It without stopping. He was assisted by T
W soldiers, under General Granger, who were
trenohed on Dauphine Island, within half a |
lie OF Fort Gaines. Farraguts leading yes =