fbpx
  • About Us
  • Advertising
  • Legal Notices
Lagniappe Mobile
  • News
    • Cover Story
    • Latest
    • Serial Stories
    • Bay Briefs
    • Community News
    • Open Documents
    • e-Edition
  • Baldwin
  • Commentary
    • Damn the Torpedoes
    • Hidden Agenda
    • Beltway Beat
    • The Real Deal
    • Weather Things
    • The Gadfly
    • Letters to the Editor
  • Cuisine
    • The Dish
    • Word of Mouth
    • Beer and Loathing
    • Cuisine Directory
  • Arts
    • Artifice
    • Art Gallery
    • The Reel World
    • Calendar
  • Music
    • Music Feature
    • Music Briefs
    • Music Listings
    • Submissions
  • Sports
    • The Score
    • The Starting Line-Up
    • From Behind The Mic
    • Upon Further Review
  • Style
    • Media Frenzy
    • Mobile Magnified
    • Horoscopes
    • Master Gardeners
    • Style Feature
  • Lagnia-POD

Select Page

Mobile has weathered previous outbreaks

Posted by Dale Liesch | Apr 1, 2020 | Bay Briefs | 0 |

Generations ago, Mobile was in the throws of multiple yellow fever outbreaks and those epidemics helped shape the city we know today. 

The city had been dealing with yellow fever outbreaks since the year after its 1703 founding at 27 Mile Bluff. Local historian John Sledge writes in his book “The Mobile River,” that ever since the first Pelican ship brought both young women for the settlers to marry and the disease from France in 1704, Mobile became leary of foriegn vessels entering its shores. 

“It’s a problem we’ve been dealing with for centuries,” Sledge said in a phone interview. “It has given me a sobering respect for earlier Mobilians.” 

Yellow fever ravaged Mobile through much of its early history. And helped shape it, History Museum of Mobile Director Meg McCrummen Fowler said. In fact, that 1704 outbreak forced the early settlers of Mobile to move the city from 27 Mile Bluff to its current location, Fowler said. 

“[Yellow fever] wiped it out,” she said. “That’s why it’s here now.” 

In “The Mobile River,” Sledge writes that many “suspect” vessels in the 1800s were routinely quarantined in the “lower bay” to protect the city from “tropical” diseases. 

One of those vessels was The Florida, whose crew was subject to quarantine on a return trip from Cuba, Sledge said. 

“It was quarantined off of Montrose,” he said. “A dozen men got yellow fever and at least two died. They are buried in Montrose Cemetery.” 

The city then faced 11 yellow fever outbreaks from 1819 to 1853, Fowler said. The city also faced the disease in the 1870s and into the 1930s, she said. 

“It absolutely gripped Mobile with fear,” she said. “Houses inhabited with residents with the disease were marked with yellow flags.” 

Much like the vessels discussed by Sledge, trains carrying travelers from places like New Orleans were not allowed to disembark. We know now that yellow fever is transmitted from mosquitoes, but Mobilans in the 19th century believed “bad air” caused the disease. Because of this, Mobilians built summer homes out west to get away from the “bad air.” Ironically, because Spring Hill is at a higher elevation than parts east, it did seem to alleviate some of the issues, Fowler said. This westward movement led to the founding of the village of Spring Hill, she said. 

In the 1920s, a quarantine station was set up on what is now called McDuffie Island, Sledge said.

“Prior to that they did quarantine on Fort Morgan, which was an active military post,” he said. 

Known as Sand Island at the time, it was perfect for holding those in quarantine because the comings and goings to the mainland could be easily controlled, Sledge said. 

The station had 12 buildings, including dormitories, barracks, a library and doctors’ offices, Sledge said. Any foriegn ship coming to the coast was inspected and sick crewmembers were placed at the station. 

The station was in use from 1927 to 1950, Sledge said. The old brick buildings were visible from downtown until the 1990s when they were torn down to make way for the coal terminal that sits there now.

This page is available to our subscribers. Join us right now to get the latest local news from local reporters for local readers.

The best deal is found by clicking here. Click here right now to find out more. Check it out.

Already a member of the Lagniappe family? Sign in by clicking here

Share:

Rate:

PreviousFinger-licking barbecue — for after you wash your hands, of course
NextAlabama’s state parks provide options for COVID-19 restrictions

About The Author

Dale Liesch

Dale Liesch

Dale Liesch has been a reporter at Lagniappe since February 2014. He covers all aspects of the city of Mobile, including the mayor, City Council, the Mobile Housing Board of Commissioners, GulfQuest National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico and others. He studied journalism at The University of Alabama and graduated in 2007. He came to Lagniappe, after several years in the newspaper industry. He achieved the position of news editor at The Alexander City Outlook before moving to Virginia and then subsequently moving back a few years later. He has a number of Alabama and Virginia Press association awards to his name. He grew up in the wilderness of Baldwin County, among several different varieties of animals including: dogs, cats, ducks, chickens, a horse and an angry goat. He now lives in the Oakleigh neighborhood of Mobile with his wife, Hillary, and daughter, Joan. The family currently has no goats, angry or otherwise, but is ruled by the whims of two very energetic dogs.

Related Posts

City looks to use reserves as tax revenue falls

City looks to use reserves as tax revenue falls

April 1, 2020

Bay Minette police monitoring helps quell illegal dumps

Bay Minette police monitoring helps quell illegal dumps

March 27, 2019

Proposed changes to EPA coal ash rules draw criticism

Proposed changes to EPA coal ash rules draw criticism

November 13, 2019

ADEM director claims power utilities comply with coal ash regulations

ADEM director claims power utilities comply with coal ash regulations

October 30, 2019

Recommended Stories

Cittàgazze delivers shoegaze with modern attitude 

By Stephen Centanni

Living in the land of the free?

By Ashley Trice

Alabama’s recipe for corruption

By Rob Holbert

Café 219 back in business

By Andy MacDonald

Local cultural icon honored nationally

By Kevin Lee


  • Advertising
  • About Us
  • Contacts
  • Jobs
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Join the Sunday Brunch Newsletter

Search This Site

Browse the Archives

© Lagniappe Mobile 2022