Mobile is Alabama’s oldest city, which became part of the state in 1819. Mobile is filled with magnificent historic districts and dozens of landmarked homes and buildings. During its first 100 years, Mobile was a colony of France, Great Britain, and Spain. During the American Civil War, Mobile was a Confederate city. The turn of the 20th Century brought rapid economic boom, shipbuilding, steel, cotton, iron, and several other new industries were built, which attracted a large number of immigrants and doubled the population. During this time, the city received $3 million in federal grants for harbor improvements to deepen the shipping channels. Mobile was one of eighteen United States cities producing Liberty ships. And the shipbuilding industry grew significantly during World War II, which resulted in a considerable increase in the city’s white middle-class and working-class population. The postwar era saw a rapid decline of jobs in the shipyard, and the defense industry and chemical industries began to expand.
Here below are some old pictures of Mobile, Alabama from the early 20th Century that capture streets, roads, cityscapes, and everyday life.
Indeed, Mobile is a stunning and historic city.
It’s disheartening that we dismantled all of our streetcars in the United States. Hopefully, we can work towards reconstructing some of them someday.
I live in Mobile now. It’s sad seeing some of the buildings we lost but I’m amazed at how many buildings in these pictures are still intact and being used today.
I’m so glad we’re seeing a post on Mobile here. We’re the oldest city in the state (as far as I know), and definitely the most unique city in the state. When Alabama became a state we were already 117 years old. But people in other parts of the state seem to forget we’re down here.