Historic Photographs of Mobile Gallery

The port city of Mobile is Alabama's third most populous city and is the seat of Mobile County. Founded during the early eighteenth century on the western shore of Mobile Bay, it was the site of the first capital of French Louisiana until 1763, passed through British and Spanish control, and became a part of the United States in 1813. Mobile was a highly contested property during the Civil War and became a significant shipping and manufacturing center during the 1940s and 1950s. Today it is a hub of business, tourism, and education in the state and the birthplace of Alabama's Mardi Gras celebrations.