Now this was a pure pleasure!
The Bull received an eagerly anticipated package recently from the Turner Publishing Company. Inside was a pre-release edition of their latest ‘local interest’ books. This one was “Historic Photos of Mobile“. Right away they had my full attention as there is nothing closer to my heart than the history of our great nation and all the local flavor therein. Even better, this is all about my adopted home town.
The next two hours were lost deep in the 206 pages of black-and-white photos of Mobile from the earliest days of photography right on up to the ravages of hurricane Fredrick in 1979. Also included were descriptions of the town and its history from the city’s first days as an American town in 1812. Most folk have no idea that this city has existed under eight different flags. Mobile knows history! We have seen it all: French and Spanish explorers mapping out the New World, flood waters that forced the entire town to be relocated downriver to its current location, the rise of King Cotton and the fall of the Confederacy. Mobile witnessed the Fort Mims Massacre of whites, blacks, and Creek Indians as well, and then the Battle of Mobile Bay where cannons belched fire and steel and only Americans died. Mobile built ships for both World Wars and even now is building the latest in American Naval combat ships – the “Independence”.
Through it all the culture of Mobile has shown brightly. Here, the passage of time is acknowledged yet never allowed to taint that local flavor we hold so dear. This ‘picture book’ shows all of that clearly in its 216 pages. On page 63 is a photo of five US submarines tied up for the celebration of Mardi Gras in the year 1916. Every year since The Bull arrived there has been at least one Navy vessel in port during the celebration and from what I’ve been able to learn there always has been. I passed the book through the family and to some friends of the family that have reached those Golden Years and have lived here all of their lives. Universally, the book got the highest marks.
When the book finally arrived once more here at The Pasture, I opened it and found many little notes stuck in the pages. They had been left there by one Mrs. Doris Biggs Megginson – a life long citizen of Mobile. As I read the notes they seemed to bring life and color to the old photos in a way that it is hard to express in words. Let me share a couple with you…
- On page 89 is a photo of the Bay Queen, a ferry that shuttled folks across the bay for many years. Tucked in next to this picture was a tiny note that read “Mama, Willie Havard Biggs, danced across the bay many times aboard the Bay Queen“. Seems it was a common thing at one time for the girls to dance from the time the ferry left the dock on one side of the bay until the ferry reached the far shore. Can’t you just see it now in your minds eye?
- Another note was next to page 39 where is shown the old Mobile City Hall and the Southern Market. The note read: “‘Mammy’ Frances Lenora Thomley Havard came in from Cottage Hill to buy groceries here“. How cool!
- The final note I’ll share with you is concerning the photo of the northeast view of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. The picture shows clearly the crosses atop the spires of the Church. The note read: “During World War Two a Navy training plane clipped one of the crosses off the top of the Cathedral, took the kitchen off an apartment of one of my brother’s friends, and then hit yet another building. The young pilot died the next day. I enjoyed this book so much because it brought back so many memories…“.
Memories.
That is exactly what these books are about, and Turner Publishing has a hit with this one! Celebrate the history and flavor of Mobile – Get your copy today!
Bull, out! 
