Tag: Mobile

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Mobile’s Historic Magnolia Cemetery: Art, History, and an Iron Lady

Containing over 100,000 buried souls, Magnolia Cemetery is a hauntingly beautiful place of rest for many notable Mobilians from days gone by.  The cemetery was established in 1836 and making it Mobile’s third oldest graveyard.  It contains over 120 acres with beautiful old oak trees and two entrances lined with magnolia trees.  There is also National Cemetery with over 6,000 veterans including a Confederate Rest with its 1100 war dead and two Jewish cemeteries. A plethora of magnificent funerary sculptures keep watch over the graves.  Magnolia Cemetery is cared for by The Friends of Magnolia Cemetery.  This nonprofit organization was established in 1981 by the Historic Mobile Preservation Society to arrange for volunteer workdays to clear the grass that covered the graves and monuments.  Magnolia Cemetery was placed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. 

Magnolia Cemetery is a work of art with its beautiful cast iron work, mourning angels, crosses, lambs, and monuments. Many of these sculptures in Victorian funerary art represent symbols such as broken columns signify a life cut short while a full column means that a person led a full life.  Lambs signify childhood innocence.  Angels guard the tomb and direct the living to look heavenward.  There is one statue known as the Iron Lady located on the Rowan Family Lot in Square 17.  She is titled “Solemnity.”  She is different from any other statues in other cemeteries because she is made of cast iron.  The other cemetery statues are made from granite or marble. She was forged by the iron foundry of Wood and Perot of Philadelphia, Penn around the mid-1800s and is estimated to be over 100 years old.  The Iron Lady has a eerie legend attached to it.  She was positioned to face the ocean rather than the east.  The legend said she represents a woman who spent each day watching the sea for her lover who never returned.  If anyone tries to move her away from facing the sea, then Mobile is struck with violent storms until she returned facing the sea again.  So, please leave the Iron Lady alone, especially during hurricane season!

Some of the famous historical Mobilians interned here include Michael Krafft, founder of the Cowbellion de Rakin, forerunner to our many Mardi Gras mystic societies; Bettie Hunter, a former slave who became the first Black female carriage business owner; Mr. and Mrs. Walter D. Bellingrath, founders of Bellingrath Gardens; Gen. Braxton Bragg, U.S. Army officer and Confederate General; Battle House Hotel owner James Battle; Apache Indian Chappo Geronimo, son of Geronimo; Renown physician, Dr. Josiah Nott who was one of the first doctors who found the connection between yellow fever and mosquitoes. Dr. Nott lost 4 children and a brother-in-law to Mobile’s yellow fever epidemic.  Dr George Ketchum, Physician and Water Works president who brought safe drinking water to Mobile.  The fountain in Bienville Square honors this man.  That is just to name to few.  The historic figures interred here are from rich to poor, along with many ethnic groups and various military conflicts. There are so many extraordinary stories of our past Mobilians to explore and to keep their past alive.  I challenge you to explore the history of the person behind the grave.   I found one such woman whose story deserves to be told and a statue needs to be made in her honor at the foot of Government Street.  I will share her story in the next blog post.  To be continued…
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Mummies in Mobile

An incredible exhibition is making its first-time appearance in the United States in the city of Mobile, Alabama. I highly recommend seeing this exciting traveling exhibit, “Egyptian Mummies and Eternal Life.”  This exhibit from Italy has been all over the world and is about Ancient Egypt and their funerary rituals.  It includes over 100 artifacts from 2,000 to 4,000 years ago.  There are no reproductions. Did I mention it includes actual mummies?  This exhibition will be on view at The History Museum of Mobile from February 25 thru June 27, 2021. 

The exhibit will guide visitors through several shadowy rooms containing funeral trousseaus, sarcophagi, and votive objects.  Visitors will also learn about the Egyptian culture, afterlife, and the mummification process.  I want to warn the guests with weak constitutions that there is also a decapitated unwrapped mummy head and hand that are well preserved.  I could not bring myself to take a photo of those ghastly objects.   The decorated artwork on these funeral pieces is extraordinary.  I can not believe how well preserved these antiquities remain today.

One of the things I learned was the person’s journey in the afterlife. Not only were they entombed with all the necessities such as food and personal items, but they were provided with a Book of the Dead containing magical spells to help them traverse the underworld.  These spells helped a person overcome various obstacles such as monsters and gave one protection from dangerous forces on the way through the Duat (the Egyptian spirit realm) to the place where they would be judged to live among the gods.  A page from the Book of the Dead is on display. Another interesting artifact was a long sleeve tunic with the underarm section cut out for ventilation.  That was a clever design to keep one cool and protected from the Egyptian heat.  Ahh…a Southern fashion opportunity given our hot and humid climate😊.  Come and explore while you go back in time to the mysterious land of Ancient Egypt.  It is well worth the $10 price of admission. 

The History Museum of Mobile is open from 9 to 5 Monday through Saturday and 1 to 5 on Sunday.  The museum is free to the public on the first Sunday of every month.  Due to the pandemic and high attendance on the free Sundays, visitors need to reserve a time slot to view the exhibition.  The museum is located at 111 South Royal Street in downtown Mobile.  This exhibition was organized by Contemporanae Progetti in Florence, Italy in collaboration with the National Archeological Museum of Florence.    

For additional information or to reserve a spot for Free Sundays, please go to www.historymuseumofmobile.com
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The Historic Battle House Hotel – Murder, Mystery and Elegance

Battle House Lobby

What I consider to be one of the best places in Mobile, Alabama to rest your head and to go back in time to experience the extravagance and artistic beauty of Mobile’s oldest hotel is The Battle House Hotel dating back to 1908.  It replaces an earlier Battle House that was originally built in 1852, but unfortunately burnt down in 1905.  The first Battle House was originally built by James Battle and his half-nephews, John, and Samuel. In its heyday it was known as Mobile’s Living Room.  The current Battle House reopened in 2007 with major renovations after being closed for 30 years.  This full restoration of the hotel and the construction of the RSA Battle House Tower made this building the tallest in Alabama. It stands at 745 feet with 35 floors.  The Battle House was named America’s best historic hotel by the Historic Hotels of America, an online booking website in 2020.  It is located on 26 North Royal Street in the heart of downtown Mobile, Alabama.  A hotel this old holds some colorful history, folklore, and murder and a ghost or two.

The site on which the hotel was built was a former military headquarters for Andrew Jackson during the war of 1812.  I also discovered that the first Mardi Gras ball was held at the Battle House in 1852 called the Strikers Ball.  Another fun fact is that the Mobile’s oldest radio station broadcasted from this hotel on February 7, 1930.  Its call sign was WODX before they changed it to WALA in 1933.    The hotel has seen some famous guest such as Oscar Wilde, poet and playwright known for writing such works as The Importance of Being Earnest and The Picture of Dorian Gray and two U.S. Presidents: Millard Fillmore (13th President) and Woodrow Wilson (28th President).  It was also popular with the Hollywood folks when they were in town filming their movies.  Nicolas Cage and Robert De Niro have been spotted in the hotel. Spying on guest’s conversation is easy in the lobby with its Whispering Arches. Just ask the hotel staff on where to stand to hear the conversation on the opposite end.

But what about murder you ask?  Did you know it was the site of Mobile’s most infamous honor killing?  It was called the “Battle House Honor Killing.”   Mr. Henry Butler, a former Mardi Gras King, had been caught fooling around with Mrs. Raymond Dyson, his Mardi Gras Queen.  They were both in the same Mardi Gras court of King Felix III of 1929.  Mrs. Dyson’s husband, Raymond and his brother found out about the affair and wanted revenge. They talked Mr. Butler into following them to room 552, where they eventually beat him to death.  It was the top news story in 1932 by the Mobile Press Register. Raymond and his brother were acquitted of this crime of passion.  It is said that Mr. Butler’s ghost has haunted the hotel’s fifth floor ever since.  I will not be staying in that murder room.

Another ghost story I have heard at The Battle House Hotel involves a young newlywed. In 1910, shortly after the young woman’s wedding, her husband was called away on business and he never came back. She became very depressed and hung herself in the hotel’s Crystal Ballroom.  Guests and hotel employees have reported seeing apparitions and hearing strange voices. Lights and faucets have also been known to turn on and off by themselves and some guests have experienced feelings of someone sitting on their bed.  I hear that the fourth floor is the place to be to encounter such a haunting.  I stayed on the 7th floor in the historic section but did not experience anything out of order other then our missing cocktail glasses.  Hmmm.   When construction workers were working to restore the building, they reported missing tools.   Some specters have sticky fingers.

When I step into the lobby of this grand hotel, I feel like I stepped back in time.  It is very elegant, and the artwork and details are beautiful.  It is my hope that you visit the Battle House or if you are on the street, then step inside and check out this beautiful lobby and the Crystal Ballroom.  I was thrilled to stay for a couple of days after Christmas when it was decorated in grand fashion for the Holidays.  Also, ask one of the employees to share stories of their most notorious guests that have walked these corridors if you dare. 

  • The Battle House
    The Battle House
  • Crystal Ballroom
    The Crystal Ballroom
  • Crystal Ballroom
    The Crystal Ballroom
  • Battle House Lobby
    Battle House Lobby
  • Battle House Christmas Tree
    Battle House Christmas Tree
  • Battle House Lobby
    View to Battle House Lobby

https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/mobbr-the-battle-house-renaissance-mobile-hotel-and-spa/

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USS Alabama – Mobile’s Own Gray Lady

USS Alabama

The pride of Mobile, Alabama and a part of our skyline is the U.S.S. Alabama Battleship also know as The Mighty “A”.  This South Dakota – class battleship came to rest in the Mobile Bay in 1964 after a campaign in raising enough funds to bring her to her new home as a museum ship. The people of Alabama wanted possession of the ship after hearing of the Navy’s plans to scrap it.  The U.S.S. Alabama had been sitting dormant for many years in a mothball fleet.  This special ship has a proud history serving for three years in World War II.  

The Alabama was commissioned August 16, 1942.  She had an assigned crew of 127 officers and 2,205 enlisted and earned 9 Battle Stars.  The ship is 680’ in length and 108’2” in width with a maximum speed of 28 knots or 32 mph. She does have a lot of fire power:  Nine 16”/45 caliber guns accurate to 21 miles, twenty 5”/38 caliber guns, Forty-Eight 40mm guns, and Fifty-Two 20mm guns. Her crew shot down 22 enemy planes during service in World War II. The U.S.S. Alabama battleship was a veteran in the Pacific Ocean Theater and took part in the Battle of the Philippine Sea.    Surrender documents were signed aboard the U.S.S. Missouri on September 12, 1945 by the Japanese envoy.  The U.S.S. Alabama had an honorable roll the day after these documents were signed.  She led the American Fleet into Tokyo Bay.   The Mighty “A” is also known as The Lucky “A” because she did not receive any damage nor lose any crew member during battle. 

The USS Alabama was decommissioned in 1947 and eventually in 1962 the Navy decided she was to be scrapped.  The legislation in Alabama passed a bill on Sept. 12, 1963 to create the USS Alabama Battleship commission and the fundraising began in the Spring of 1964 to buy her from the Navy and bring her to Mobile.  School children alone helped raised about $100,000 to bring the ship to Mobile Bay.  The children earned a free admission ticket if they contributed any amount of money to tour the battleship once it arrived.  Around 300,000 tickets were issued.  The Navy finally gave permission to give the ship to the State of Alabama. The State took control of the ship on June 16, 1964.  $800,000 was collected to bring the ship to Mobile Bay and the newly created USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park.  The Park opened January 9, 1965 to the public.   

The USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park boast a statewide economic impact of about one billion dollars to the State of Alabama with over 15 million visitors worldwide.  It is dedicated to all Alabama citizens who have proudly served in all the branches of the armed forces of the United States.  Also, no taxpayer money is used to support the park.  It is funded by admission fees, souvenir sales and voluntary contributions for current operating expenses and expansions.  In 1986 the ship was appointed a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service United States Department of the Interior. The Memorial Park also has a plethora of military artifacts including a submarine, tanks, and planes.  There are also memorials on the grounds honoring our men and women who fought and died in service to our Nation.  Come explore and learn about our history and military and the dedicated men and women who served that made this Country great.

For additional information on how to explore the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park go to:

www.USSAlabama.com