David Bagwell
Searching for the True Beginning of the Cowbellions
A local Mardi Gras historian digs deep into the myth and lore of the origins of the famous rake and cowbells.
Major Uriah Blue: Forgotten Legend of the Creek War and the War of 1812
Follow the escapades of the forgotten Forrest Gump of the War of 1812, Major Uriah Blue.
What Happened to the Cowbellions?
Mobile’s original mystic society, which reigned supreme over celebration and mirth in 19th-century Mobile, danced into oblivion some 60 years after it was founded.
Lafayette, We Are Here. Y’all Come!
American Revolutionary War hero Marquis de Lafayette was as beloved by Mobilians upon his visit to the area as he was one-hundred years later.
The Odd History of Cattle Dipping
Across the state, mysterious concrete trenches sit as silent evidence of a bygone rural practice — cattle dipping.
The Duval Scandal
This scandal of love and property is just as juicy 198 years after the fact.
Mobile’s King of Chess
Dig into Mobile’s connection to “The Queen’s Gambit” through the story of legendary player Paul Morphy.
Mobile Bar Association Celebrates 150th Anniversary
Take a glimpse into the lives of the incorporators and a few noteworthy attorneys throughout the Bar Association’s long history.
The Bonnie Blue Flag That Bears A Single Star
A flag often confused with the Confederacy instead represents a fascinating page in our local history.
Shanties by the Bay
Sea shanties (also known as chanteys) were slow-paced songs which gangs of working men — or “shantymen” or “shantyboys” — sang to pace the...