Mobile Bay Magazine - October 2021

Mobile Bay THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE FOR MOBILE AND BALDWIN COUNTIES

October 2021

THE

ALABAMA PIONEER’S LOG CABIN DINNER WITH SAVANNAH’S MASHAMA BAILEY

GLAM

LIFE UP THE COUNTRY AT 3 HISTORIC HOMES

TRIED & TRUE TAILGATE RECIPES

+ STYLISH BAYAREA WEDDINGS

2 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 3

4 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

CONTENTS | VOLUME XXXVII / ISSUE 10

DREAMY BOUQUETS AT THE WEDDING OF HANNAH NICOLE MARKERT AND AUSTIN RYALS / PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU

OCTOBER 2021

50

Country Living

A trip to historic Camden in the Alabama Black Belt reveals breathtaking architecture with a deep Mobile connection

59

Mobile Bay Bride Get inspired with tips for hosting the perfect bridal shower and delivering that wedding reception toast — and don’t miss the nuptial announcements of 14 newlyweds

Once named Barboursville, Camden, Alabama, was incorporated in 1841 and given its permanent name by local physician John D. Caldwell in honor of his hometown of Camden, South Carolina.

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 5

CONTENTS | VOLUME XXXVII / ISSUE 10

OCTOBER 2021 20

46 ON OUR COVER A glamorous guest bedroom at RiverBend in Camden.

16

PHOTO BY SUMMER ENNIS ANSLEY

9

EDITOR’S NOTE

BLACKSMITHING WITH JERRY GARDNER / PHOTO BY LEIGH BANCROFT A CHAMPIONSHIP-QUALITY YELLOW HAMMER / PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU HONEY BEE WAFFLE FROM SOUL CAFFEINE / PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU

10 REACTION 12 ODDS & ENDS 15 THE DISH 16 TASTINGS Sample the delicious, expansive menu at Soul Caffeine’s new midtown Mobile location 18 LITERATURE Star Southern chef Mashama Bailey visits Mobile 20 BAY TABLES Seven local college football fans share the dishes that always win the day

35 DECORATING A Spanish Fort bathroom undergoes an inspiring renovation

46 SPOTLIGHT Daphne’s Jerry Gardner touts the therapeutic powers of blacksmithing

38 SPOTLIGHT Talking niche businesses with Fairhope brothers Ryan and Robbie Mueller

84 OCTOBER CALENDAR

42 TRADITIONS A long-forgotten log cabin in Grove Hill is painstakingly brought back to life

88 LEGENDS Relive the clash between Chief Tascalusa and Hernando de Soto 92 LITERATURE Writer Audrey McDonald Atkins has never turned down goober peas

94 ARCHIVES The wheel of the SS Gateway City represent’s Mobile’s role in transforming the shipping industry 96 ASK MCGEHEE What is the history of the recently removed fountain in Bienville Square?

98 BACK STORY Inspect a photograph from the 1930s of a local sportsman and his loyal English Springer Spaniel

While Yale University claims to have invented the concept of tailgating in 1904, a rival claim from Rutgers and Princeton universities asserts the practice was actually born at their first game in 1869. Turn to page 20 for tailgate tips from local superfans.

6 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 7

Mobile Bay VOLUME XXXVII

No10

PUBLISHER ASSISTANT PUBLISHER EDITORIAL CONSULTANT EXECUTIVE EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR/WEB EDITORIAL ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR

OCT 2021

T. J. Potts Stephen Potts Judy Culbreth Maggie Lacey Abby Parrott Amanda Hartin Laurie Kilpatrick

ADVERTISING SR. ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE SALES AND MARKETING

Joseph A. Hyland Jennifer Ray Joe Tetro Carolina Groom

ADMINISTRATION CIRCULATION

Anita Miller

ACCOUNTING

Keith Crabtree

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Audrey McDonald Atkins, Cart Blackwell, Margaret McCrummen Fowler, Jaimie Mans, Tom McGehee, Breck Pappas, John Sledge CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS

Summer Ennis Ansley, Leigh Bancroft, Elizabeth Gelineau, Anna Thornton ADVERTISING AND EDITORIAL OFFICES

3729 Cottage Hill Road, Suite H Mobile, AL 36609-6500 251-473-6269 Subscription inquiries and all remittances should be sent to: Mobile Bay P.O. Box 43 Congers, NY 10920-9922 1-833-454-5060 MOVING? Please note: U.S. Postal Service will not forward magazines mailed through their bulk mail unit.

Please send old label along with your new address four to six weeks prior to moving.

Mobile Bay is published 12 times per year for the Gulf Coast area. All contents © 2021 by PMT Publishing Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of the contents without written permission is prohibited. Comments written in this magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the ownership or the management of Mobile Bay. This magazine accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photography or artwork. All submissions will be edited for length, clarity and style.

PUBLISHED BY PMT PUBLISHING INC .

8 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

EXTRAS | EDITOR’S NOTE

Country Road, Take Me Home

PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU

I

miss travel. There is nothing I love more than planning a trip, thinking for weeks about what I am going to pack, making sure I have all the clothes and gear I might need or want, and then — oh, joy! — getting away somewhere and seeing the wide world.

One of the small, surprising joys of the past year and a half, however, was being forced to turn my focus on our own amazing area and experiencing everything it has to offer. On those occasions, when I needed to get away, I loved travelling to the sandy Alabama shores or checking out local state parks and wilderness beaches. Adventure need not die just because your passport isn’t getting any new stamps, after all!

As fall approaches, and with it a reprieve from the hot and steamy weather, my focus has turned north to explore our abundant countryside.

Since Alabama’s earliest days, pioneers have come to explore our woods and soak in the beauty of the landscape. (Perhaps the pioneers had more struggles than soaking, but I have no doubt they loved it here as much as we do.) So as the leaves turn brown and the sun dips lower, I am looking forward to hitting the highways and getting to know the tiny towns and the backcountry roads of Monroeville, Camden, Grove Hill and more.

We had the pleasure of exploring a number of historic properties in preparation for this issue— everything from log cabins on the point of collapse to majestic plantations and repurposed churches. While I adore antebellum structures steeped in history, we had just as much fun grabbing a bite to eat at the corner diner or picking up some roadside produce. Getting to know the towns, meeting locals and driving the country roads was good for my soul and makes me feel a connection to Alabama’s earliest pioneers.

How brave they were, and what a powerful history they have left us.

Now somebody pack a picnic, I’ve got the car gassed up. Let’s head out and enjoy a fall day in the country.

RAH RAH I LOVED MEETING SEVEN COLLEGE FOOTBALL SUPERFANS FOR THIS MONTH’S BAY TABLES. THEY BROUGHT ALL THEIR CHEER TO THE PHOTOSHOOT. MY OWN SHAKER IS BLACK AND GOLD — GO ‘DORES! PAGE 20

LOVE THIS ISSUE

THE GREY WE ARE SO EXCITED TO WELCOME SUPERSTAR CHEF MASHAMA BAILEY TO MOBILE THIS OCTOBER! BETWEEN NOW AND THEN, I’LL BE READING HER NEW BOOK, “BLACK, WHITE, AND THE GREY.” PAGE 18

HANDCRAFTED BEAUTY THIS EXQUISITE BASKET MADE BY A SHARECROPPER IN GOSPORT, ALABAMA, MAKES ME PONDER HIS DIFFICULT LIFE AND THE ABILITY TO PRODUCE SOMETHING OF BEAUTY FROM THAT DARKNESS. PAGE 42

A GREAT LADY THE ARCHITECTURAL DETAILS IN CAMDEN’S YAUPON ARE SIMPLY ELEGANT. AFTER OUR PHOTOSHOOT, I WAS READY TO MOVE INTO THE PERFECTLY RESTORED ANTEBELLUM HOME! PAGE 50

Maggie Lacey EXECUTIVE EDITOR

maggie@pmtpublishing.com

OLD MULE WE NEVER GATHER ON THE DOCK OR TURN ON THE GAME WITHOUT A BAG OF MULE MIX, AND IT WAS A TREAT TO GET TO KNOW THE MAN BEHIND THE ADDICTIVE SNACK! PAGE 38

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 9

EXTRAS | REACTION

Tell us how you really feel ...

THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT

SPILL THE TEA

TOOTING OUR HORN

On August’s “Wonder Kids”

On August’s Spotlight, “The Tea Garden”

On MB’s July’s issue

The photos are fabulous, as is the story of this Wragg Swamp jewel. I think I am going to go brew a cup of Mobile green tea and read the rest of the magazine.

- Pat McArthur Booker, Franklin, Tenn.

As always, the magazine has a very slick layout, great photography and, of course, good writing on interesting subjects. I particularly like the recurring articles about the area’s history.

Being a tea planter’s wife in Darjeeling, India, and Papua New Guinea, it was such a nice surprise to see this post.

THE PIRATES OF FAIRHOPE

Thank you for the article.

I love hearing good stories about our children — there are plenty to share. And the photography captured these kids and their personalities perfectly.

- Mary Miljak I’m so impressed by these students. Hats off to each of them.

- Mary Finger

On August’s Tastings of Pirates Pit BBQ

Let us know if they start to sell the tea.

Pirates Pit BBQ has awesome food and is owned by a great family.

- Courtney Hilley

Those of us at Mobile Ballet are incredibly proud. Can’t wait to see Reggie (pictured left) on Broadway! That’s the dream.

- Ashley Jones REGINALD TURNER JR. PHOTO BY MATTHEW COUGHLIN

- Manu Dewan, Hemet, Calif.

Great article! Thanks for letting us know about these awesome kids.

- Andie Bender

HERE’S THE STORY On August’s End Piece (seen at right)

- Phil Kirkland

- Scooter Pleasant

THOSE ROLLS, DOUGH On August’s Spotlight, “The Yeast Roll Lady,” on 100-year-old Marie Poiroux Wilson White I loved reading this article. What a legacy.

- Terry Boyett

The smells alone coming from their BBQ make you drive right over.

- Christian Harris Flynn Smoked Gouda mac and cheese? Say no more.

- Dawn Hoover

Thank you for writing a beautiful article about my Mawmaw. She was amazing.

- Lisa Gould Editor’s Note: Mobile Bay Magazine sends our heartfelt condolences to the Poiroux family on Marie’s recent passing. May her memory live on in the hearts of all she met.

TURNING THE TABLES On August’s Bay Tables, featuring four local stay-at-home dads This was a great feature — loved it.

- Lacey Smith

This photo dates from the 1920s and shows two Mobile policemen interviewing a group of boys at the corner of Madison and Hamilton streets, south of Downtown. The two were on “gang detail” and were investigating a gang calling themselves the “Mobile Toughs.”

No further information could be found about them, but that corner vanished beneath asphalt for the Civic Center, 35 or more years later.

- Tom McGehee As for the “Crawford” below the Smith’s Bread sign, my thought is that it represents Crawford Advertising.

PHOTO COURTESY ERIK OVERBEY COLLECTION, THE DOY LEALE MCCALL RARE BOOK AND MANUSCRIPT LIBRARY, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA

- Rosemary Johnson

Want to share your thoughts and reactions to this issue? Email maggie@pmtpublishing.com.

10 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

EXTRAS | ON THE WEB

More Ways to Connect We’re not just in print. Find us online, on social media and in your inbox. text by ABBY PARROTT

mobilebaymag.com

COZY UP Make your house a cozy oasis for fall. Check out our gallery of local homes boasting warm tones, rich textures and plenty of inspiring ideas to help you decorate for the season.

Already decorated? Be sure to tag @mobilebaymagazine in your photos on Instagram, and we’ll re-share some of our favorites!

SPOOKY STORIES To get in the Halloween spirit, we’re sharing the history of old local cemeteries and some real-life ghost stories.

JUST ENGAGED? Share your proposal story with us, and we’ll feature your engagement announcement online and on social media.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS As the weather begins to cool, the local social calendar starts heating up. Go online for our list of the Top 10 Things to Do in October, including movie nights in the park, spooky Halloween festivities, fundraisers, festivals and plenty of outdoor activities for the whole family. Get out and enjoy October!

COCKTAIL OF THE MONTH Maple Bourbon Smash: This tall glass of fall is served over ice but warms the spirit. Find this recipe and more seasonal favorites online.

JEFFRY CULBRETH AND TOM FARLEY’S HOME / PHOTO BY JUSTIN CORDOVA MAGNOLIA CEMETERY / PHOTO COURTESY LIBRARY OF CONGRESS MAPLE BOURBON SMASH / PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU

FRESH LOOKS FOR FALL

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST

Our new online store is stocked with gifts for the sportsman in your life! Scan the QR code or visit mobilebayshop.com to purchase.

Finally, an email you’ll actually love to read.

Get the latest in food, art, homes, local history and events delivered right to your inbox. You’ll also be the first to know about new contests and exclusive offers. Sign up online today!

REDFISH BELT $52 // DUCK SOCKS $20 TURKEY & QUAIL TIE $65

FOLLOW US!

MOBILEBAYMAGAZINE

@MOBILEBAYMAG

@MOBILEBAYMAGAZINE

MOBILEBAY

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 11

12 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

EXTRAS | ODDS & ENDS

I Ain’t Afraid of No Ghost text by MB EDITORIAL STAFF

TALL TAILS The lore surrounding black cats isn’t as clearcut as you might think. In Welsh tradition, a black cat was thought to bring good health.

In England, it was believed that a woman with a black cat would attract many suitors.

383

The age of America’s oldest log cabin, located in Gibbstown, New Jersey.

Venture up to Gosport, Alabama, on page 42, for a peek into a log cabin in our own backyard.

GARDEN REPORT Starting this month and through November is the best time to plant trees and shrubs in Lower Alabama.

“If you want something sweet, order the pound cake. Anybody who puts sugar in the cornbread is a heathen who doesn’t love the Lord, not to mention Southeastern Conference football.”

– Lewis Grizzard Turn to page 20 to read about two of our favorite things: food and football.

“GO, FETCH ME A QUART OF SACK; PUT A TOAST IN ‘T.” This line from Shakespeare’s “The Merry Wives of Windsor” alludes to the practice of putting spiced bread in a drink to lessen its bad odor. Eventually, drinking to someone’s health became known as “raising a toast.”

“FOO FOO” DEFINITION

An impromptu musical band known to come together on late 19th-century sailing vessels, consisting of members from the ship’s crew.

Pensacola hosts its own artistic mash-up with their annual Foo Foo Fest.

Learn more, page 30.

SCARY STUFF In Alabama, it’s illegal to dress up as a priest or other religious clergy member for Halloween.

Breaking the law could earn you a $500 fine and up to a year in jail.

[OCTOBER 16]

DAUPHIN STREET BEER FESTIVAL october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 13

14 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

FOOD | THE DISH

Bite of the Bay MB’s contributing food fanatics share their go-to local dishes.

RYAN REID, Insurance Agent & Owner, Coastal Insurance Group LLC

THREE-COURSE MEAL AT NOJA “On this particular evening, I ordered the sous vide pork cheeks, spinach salad and duck breast. They sous vide the pork for 20 hours with an array of Asian seasonings, and the spinach salad is topped with apple-smoked bacon, shallots, blue cheese crumbles and bacon-infused vinaigrette.

The duck breast was cooked to a perfect medium-rare and served with fingerling potatoes and Brussels sprouts.”

NOJA RESTAURANT • 6 N JACKSON ST. 433-0377 • NOJAMOBILE.COM

TOM KHA SOUP

WILLIAM PEEBLES, Agent, NAI Mobile

NEW BAR MENU AT AROY THAI “If you have ever overestimated your heat tolerance, then news of Aroy Thai’s bar menu couldn’t come soon enough. Aroy has long been a favorite of mine; the food is great, portions are generous, it’s always a comfortable setting, but sometimes BYOB doesn’t cut it. The new bar menu has a surprisingly extensive wine list and drinks cold enough to wash down your four chili Lad Nar.” AROY THAI • 966 GOVERNMENT ST. • 408-9001 FACEBOOK.COM/AROYTHAICUISINEMOBILE

CHRIS HALEY, Owner, Haley Development, LLC

HOUSE SALAD AT BAY BREEZE CAFE “When I want a nice healthy salad, my ‘go to’ is Bay Breeze Cafe in downtown Fairhope. Their simple house salad always has fresh ingredients, including crisp cucumbers and Baldwin County pecans, and the homemade balsamic dressing has just the right zing. I usually add the grilled chicken breast for some protein. The icing on the cake is the always friendly and consistent waitstaff.”

BAY BREEZE CAFE • 50 S CHURCH ST. SUITE D,

DANA FOSTER-ALLEN, Director of Finance, Mobile County Commission

TOM KHA SOUP AT SIAM THAI CUISINE “My favorite dish at Siam Thai Cuisine is the tom kha soup. I don’t know if I’m more impressed by the infusion of flavor or the plating. I love the soup’s potpourri of ingredients; there’s something satisfying about the combination of lemongrass, coconut milk, Thai spices and broth. My protein choice is tofu because it absorbs the flavor of the soup. The best part is that you are served enough to have leftovers the next day. Try it out — you’ll love it!”

FAIRHOPE • 990-0294 • FACEBOOK.COM/BAY-

SIAM THAI CUISINE • 915 HILLCREST ROAD C

BREEZECAFEFAIRHOPE

380-9111 • SIAMTHAICUISINETOGO.COM

What dishes made you drool and left you hungry for more? Share them on our Facebook page! october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 15

FOOD | TASTINGS

Soul Caffeine, Mobile text by AMANDA HARTIN • photos by ELIZABETH GELINEAU

WAFFLE-GATO

M

idtown Mobile is a little cozier these days, thanks to the coffeehouse tucked into the corner of Dauphin Street and Semmes Avenue. Just inside the glass double-door entry, a robust whiff of freshly ground coffee and the flickering glow of an electric fireplace extend an invitation to enter further.

It’s a comfortable place, and it’s the vibe owners Mallory and Eric Friese were looking to create in their beanery’s second location.

“We wanted a warm, community-oriented spot,” Mallory says, “a place you feel like you can hang out.” As she talks, she waves her arm past the massive counter, behind which a bevy of syrups line up like sweeteners-at-arm, and she points toward the Gathering Room, a separate meeting space the community can reserve for small groups or meetings.

But no matter who walks through the doors, all are welcome to sit a spell, and the business at hand — if there’s any to be had — won’t be all serious. The menu, full of must-try, over-the-top concoctions, makes sure of that.

Like its flagship in Daphne, Soul Caffeine serves hot and cold quenchers all day. But what’s unique about this location is the

kitchen, open until 2 p.m. daily. Every dish on the wall-sized chalkboard menu vies for attention, making the decision to choose between waffles, a salad or panini darn near impossible.

Mallory makes a strong case for the Belgian waffles, saying they are made with pearl sugar which, unlike granulated sugar, caramelizes as the waffles cook. The result is a contradictory mix of soft, fluffy, thick and crispy. Basically perfection.

It’s evident the Frieses flexed their creativity developing the dishes. “We like to keep things light and fun,” Mallory says, pointing to the menu’s cheeky nods to TV shows like “The Office” (the Finer Things Club panini and salad) and “Parks and Recreation” (the Ron Swanson waffle). The creative nomenclature extends to seasonal beverages, too, like Bonfire, a salted caramel chai, and Sweater Weather, a vanilla brown butter latte.

Mallory wipes the counter and greets a couple walking in.

“This neighborhood has been so welcoming,” she says. And that’s what Soul Caffeine mirrors in service. “Coffee shops have a unique ability to bring all types of people together. Here, it’s not just about caffeine for the body; it’s for the soul.” MB

Soul Caffeine • Mobile: 1714 Dauphin St. • 408-9386 • Daphne: 2004 US Hwy 98, Suite B • 345-4156 • soulcaffeine.net Mobile: 6 a.m. - 6 p.m. M - F; 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sa - Su; Kitchen open until 2 p.m. • Daphne: 6 a.m. - 6 p.m. M - F; 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sa; 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. Su

16 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

FOOD | TASTINGS

FINER THINGS CLUB PANINI

[ON THE MENU]

FINER THINGS CLUB SALAD With fresh strawberries, goat cheese, and glazed pecans atop a bed of mixed greens, all drizzled with raspberry vinaigrette, this salad is a top seller — and it’s easy to see why.

FINER THINGS CLUB PANINI All the best sandwich fixings are included on this perfectly pressed, crispy and crunchy panini: turkey, bacon, creamy avocado mash, smoked Gouda, tomato and aioli.

HONEY BEE This waffle, smeared with peanut butter, drizzled with Southern Farms Honey, and topped with bananas and whipped cream, will have you saying, “Bee mine, honey!”

(It’s seriously that good.)

WAFFLE-GATO

FINER THINGS CLUB SALAD

A play on the Italian word “affogato,” this pick-me-up is topped with vanilla ice cream and chocolate drizzle. Served with a double shot of espresso — pour over waffle or enjoy separately.

THE ARTS | LITERATURE

Mashama Bailey and The Grey Walk with Mashama Bailey, acclaimed chef and co-owner of Savannah’s The Grey restaurant, on her journey to authorhood ahead of her visit to the Port City. text by JAIMIE MANS

I

n his book “Black, White, and The Grey,” co-author Johno Morisano recounts approaching a “dilapidated, Jim Crowera Greyhound bus terminal on the fringe of [Savannah, Georgia’s] Historic Downtown — the geographical line where the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’ bump up against each other regularly.” Straining, he opens the decades-old doors, leading into a piece of history that’s unlike anything he’s seen before: an old, segregated lunch counter; a “colored” waiting room, restroom, and rear entrance; and a whole lot of history. He smiles, taking in what he hopes to turn into a restaurant like nothing Savannah has ever experienced — a restaurant known for delicious dishes, seasoned with a sprinkling of culture and grit.

Mashama Bailey didn’t hesitate to jump onboard when Morisano called to ask her to be the chef at his restaurant-in-the-making, The Grey. “It was hardest in the beginning, it’s true,” Bailey states.

“We worked in a diplomatic fashion.” After much brainstorming, Morisano and Bailey eventually found their footing, agreeing to celebrate “the good aspects of American culture while exposing and shedding light on the bad.” This is displayed in their menu: a combination of flavors intended to transport diners through

Southern history, with its racial tensions and all.

Bailey’s work at The Grey has garnered national acclaim; her life and culinary journey were documented on Netflix’s “Chef’s Table,” and she’s the instructor of a brand new MasterClass. Add to that growing list of accolades a new book, “Black, White, and The Grey.” Much like their restaurant, the book explores racial and gender injustice through recipes and Southern ingredients. Morisano sets each scene, taking readers on a journey from his discovering what’s now The Grey restaurant to present day. Within each chapter, Bailey adds her voice to Morisano’s storytelling, resulting in a flavor-ridden novel. At the close of each chapter is a Bailey-original recipe, ending each deeply complex story with a satisfying taste.

To celebrate her co-authored novel and savory flavors, Bailey’s making an appearance at Southern National’s Chef ’s Dinner in downtown Mobile on October 19. Owner Reggie Washington is pleased to welcome such a celebrated chef to town. “Johno and Mashama reached out to Southern National’s Chef Duane Nutter about cooking together. We are both excited to have the chance to cook alongside Mashama and spread the love of food to other Mobilians.” Along with a stellar dinner, each attendee will receive a

For tickets to Mashama Bailey’s Chef’s Dinner, visit www.resy.com, or call Southern National.

VIP Ticket: $175 each, Regular: $125 each 18 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

copy of “Black, White, and The Grey.”

According to Washington, “Chefs love to cook with one another — it’s a way for them to show the artistry of cooking. This is just one of the reasons we love to host Chef’s Dinner. We also know the heart of Mobile lies in its culinary scene; Mobilians love to celebrate together, especially through food!”

Because of this shared love of food and adoration for Bailey’s journey, Southern National is pulling out all the stops for this dinner, bringing in two of Atlanta’s most innovative bartenders, Greg Best and Paul Calvert, where they’ll serve wines and signature cocktails throughout the four-course Bailey meal.

But Bailey meals are more than food; they’re a vessel for the storytelling of hundreds of years of a deeply complex Southern heritage. In hers and Morisano’s book, readers explore life outside of their taste buds, delving into a transformation from run-down bus station to revolutionary cuisine. Each page leaves readers with a new take on a shared experience, as Bailey and Morisano share their heritage, their struggles and, ultimately, their success. MB Opposite page, from left to right Johno Morisano and Mashama Bailey, co-restaurateurs and, now, co-authors. Photo by Adam Kuehl Chicken Country Captain at the Grey. Photo by Chia Chong The Grey restaurant in Savannah, Georgia.

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 19

text by BRECK PAPPAS • food photography by ELIZABETH GELINEAU

GOODIES FOR THESE SEVEN DIE-HARD COLLEGE FOOTBALL FANS, IT ISN’T GAME DAY WITHOUT THE RIGHT FOOD ON THE TABLE. HERE ARE THE DISHES — AND TEAMS — THEY CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT.

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA TIQUERA HALL Just about everyone knows that family — the one that’s always throwing the football watch parties. If you don’t, you might be that family. Or you might be Tiquera Hall.

“Growing up, my house was always the place of gathering for football games and events,” Tiquera remembers. “My mom loves to cook and always made sure she made everyone’s favorite dish. My absolute favorite is hot wings, and one day my mom didn’t have time to prepare my wings, so she prepared an alternate dish, the baconwrapped chicken-stuffed jalapeños. From that day on, that became the dish that everyone loved.”

20 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

Tiquera, who earned her undergraduate and masters degrees from the University of South Alabama, now works as an education and training specialist in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine. “Being a South Alabama fan is close to my heart,” Tiquera says, and it’s something she gets to share with husband Kadeem and their two children Roman and Kori.

“There are so many memories I have and look forward to creating with my family and friends this year,” she says.

These spicy, easy-to-grab snacks will be right there with her.

FOOD | BAY TABLES

BACON-WRAPPED CHICKEN-STUFFED JALAPEÑOS MAKES 12 12 jalapeño peppers, approximately 3 to 4 inches long 1 10-ounce canned chicken breast, drained 1 8-ounce block cream cheese, softened 1 cup Colby-Jack cheese 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon Slap Ya Mama Cajun seasoning 1/2 teaspoon Frank’s RedHot sauce 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 12 slices thin-cut bacon

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a sheet pan with foil and coat it with cooking spray.

2. Cut the jalapeños in half, lengthwise, and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and ribs.

3. Sautè the chicken in a medium pan greased with cooking spray.

4. In a medium bowl, mix chicken breast with next six ingredients. Fill each jalapeño half with the cheese mixture.

5. Cut the slices of bacon in half, crosswise and wrap each pepper half in a slice of bacon, using a toothpick to secure the bacon.

6. Arrange the peppers on a baking sheet and bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until bacon is crispy and browned.

Serve immediately with your favorite dressing.

GO JAGS

Left Tiquera poses with SouthPaw in front of Alumni Hall on the USA campus.

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 21

WAR EAGLE AUBURN UNIVERSITY DANIELLE NICHOLAS For Mobile’s Danielle Nicholas, Auburn football truly is a family affair.

Danielle and her Auburn alum husband Shane have three daughters who, you guessed it, are all Auburn Tigers themselves.

“Being an Auburn fan is truly like being in a great big family,” Danielle says. “We still have a huge group of college friends that we see several times a year. Some are our daughters’ godparents, and we are godparents to some of their children.”

When watching a game at home or attending a friend’s party, Danielle likes to prepare Tiger Toast, a recipe given to her by a family friend with three Auburn daughters of her own.

“I love this snack because it can be prepared ahead and frozen. The tray is usually empty before the first down!”

TIGER TOAST SERVES 15 - 20 1 tablespoon butter 1 1/2 mini loaves Arnold thin-sliced bread 1 pound sharp grated cheese 8 slices bacon, fried and crumbled 1 small onion, grated fine 1 package (about 3/4 to 1 cup) grated almonds 1 cup mayonnaise 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread butter evenly on all slices of bread. Mix remaining ingredients until blended, and then spread on mini bread slices.

2. Put slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, until spread is melted and bubbling. Serve hot or room temperature. This snack can also be frozen before baking and pulled out as needed (just bake) for a game day-ready appetizer.

War Eagle! Go Tigers!

22 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

Left Danielle and husband Shane Nicholas cheer on the Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

YELLOW HAMMER 4 ounces vodka 4 ounces dark rum 4 ounces amaretto 18 ounces pineapple juice 12 ounces orange juice cherries, for garnish

Mix all ingredients in a pitcher. Serve over ice in glass mugs and garnish with a cherry.

Above Cheering on the Tide, from left to right: Largay Douglas, Mara Outlaw, Robbie Outlaw, Grey Cane and Mary Cane.

UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA MARY COURTNEY CANE You won’t find any passive football viewers in the Cane household in Point Clear.

“I’m standing up and screaming at the TV during ‘Bama games,” says realtor Mary Courtney Cane, “and so is the rest of my family.”

Mary and husband Grey, who both attended the University of Alabama, have two children who are currently enrolled at the University, making game day visits to Tuscaloosa even more special for the couple. But when they can’t make it to T-town, where the Yellow Hammers flow like water, Mary is forced to take matters into her own hands.

“I’ve been making Yellow Hammers for as long as I can remember,” Mary says. “I don’t

even measure out the ingredients anymore.

It’s just a lot of liquor and more pineapple juice than orange juice,” she says with a laugh.

The classic drink has been served at Gallettes, a bar near Bryant-Denny Stadium, since 1976. Besides the obvious appeal of a potent, delicious, sweet game day libation, Mary says she loves this recipe because it can be made quickly and in large quantities, depending on the size of the weekend’s crowd. One thing that never changes is the intensity of Mary’s family and guests.

“No one is going anywhere until the game is over,” Mary says. With a Yellow Hammer like this, can you blame them?

ROLL TIDE

MAKES 8 - 10

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 23

OLE MISS

COURTENAY ROCCONI

HOTTY TODDY

Parties on the Grove at the University of Mississippi have become even more fun (who knew that was possible?) for Courtenay and Rod Rocconi ever since their son Ty joined the football squad. Upon performing his first Walk of Champions through the Grove, Ty dished out high-fives to awestruck kids who reminded the family of another youngster they once knew. “I think our whole family cried over that moment!”

Courtenay says.

Courtenay and Rod met as students at Ole Miss and now live on Dog River with their two daughters, Isabella and Olivia. When hosting a day-long tailgate party or kicking back on the Grove, Courtenay breaks out this filling white bean chicken chili, which

has become a family favorite.

“This recipe is great for a cold November game because you can bring it in a crockpot and serve a warm meal prior to the game,” she says. And if the game is early enough, Ty might even be able to score himself a bowl of chili.

“As a mom, I get excited when we have day games because it means our family gets time with our son after the game!”

Left The Rocconi family enjoys some time on the Grove after an Ole Miss game. From left to right: Isabella, Ty, Olivia, Courtenay and Rod.

WHITE BEAN CHICKEN CHILI SERVES 8 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded 3 cans white beans, rinsed and drained 1 onion, diced 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons minced garlic 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chile peppers 1 teaspoon chili powder 2 teaspoons cumin 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/2 teaspoon oregano 2 (14.5-ounce) cans reduced-sodium chicken stock 1 package reduced-fat shredded Mexican cheese blend fresh cilantro, chopped (optional) reduced-fat sour cream (optional) corn chips (optional)

1. Add chicken (could use a rotisserie chicken) and white beans to crockpot.

2. Add onion to a large skillet with olive oil over medium-heat. Add minced garlic and chile peppers to the skillet and continue to heat.

3. Add in chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and oregano (if ingredients seem to be burning while heating, add a little chicken stock to the skillet). Once this mixture is heated well, pour it into the crockpot and add the rest of chicken stock. Stir ingredients.

4. Cook for 4 hours on high or 6 hours on low. Place chili in a bowl and serve with shredded cheese, cilantro, sour cream and corn chips, if desired.

GAME DAY JAMBALAYA SERVES 10 - 12 2 pounds uncooked chicken breast, chopped into bitesized pieces 1 pound uncooked Conecuh sausage, sliced 1 (10-ounce) can Campbell’s French onion soup 1 (10-ounce) can Campbell’s beef broth soup 1/2 cup green onions, chopped 1/2 cup white onion, diced 1/2 cup green bell peppers, diced 1 stick butter 2 cups uncooked Uncle Ben’s converted rice Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning, to taste

1. Put all ingredients into a Dutch oven or oven-safe stockpot with lid. Sprinkle Tony Chachere’s on top of the ingredients (can add more to taste later).

2. Cover pot and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Take out of oven, fold rice and ingredients over once, and place back into the oven, covered, for 30 more minutes.

3. Remove pot from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Season with additional Tony Chachere’s, to taste.

UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE MILLER CALLAWAY Growing up a Tennessee fan in the state of Alabama isn’t for the faint of heart. But according to Midtown resident Miller Callaway, who was indoctrinated

by Tennessee-dwelling grandparents, being a Volunteer in Mobile did have its perks. During Senior Bowl practices, Miller and his brother were always the lone speck of Tennessee orange on the sidelines, guaranteeing they’d leave the field with the autograph of every visiting UT player.

Though a graduate of Furman University, Miller has passed on

his Tennessee fandom to his two sons, Hunter and Gaines — with the permission of their mother Brittany, an Auburn Tiger. “I guess in marriage you make sacrifices for the one you love,” Brittany says. “My boys will be both Auburn and UT fans if I have anything to say about it.”

Left Miller Callaway with sons Hunter and Gaines at the 2021 Senior Bowl.

For game day at the Callaway house, it’s hard to beat jambalaya. Miller’s father-in-law Danny Rickert was more than happy to pass down this crowd-pleasing recipe.

“Once made, it’s a hands-off, serveyourself type meal that lets the hosts enjoy game day as much as their guests,” Miller says. “Serve with plenty of Tony’s and some crusty French bread, and you’ve got an easy meal to serve both kids and grown-ups.”

GO VOLS october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 25

26 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

BALSAMIC PORK & PEACH SKEWERS WITH PECAN BUTTER SERVES 6 - 8 2 tablespoons Georgia pecans 1 tablespoon maple syrup 5 tablespoons butter, room temperature 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar 1 lemon, juiced 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 (1- to 1 1/2-pound) pork loin, cut into 1-inch cubes 2 to 3 large Georgia peaches, sliced 1/2-inch thick 2 tablespoons mint, chopped

1. Make the compound butter.

Put pecans in a food processor and blend until they’re the consistency of dust. Add the maple syrup and the butter. Pulse until it all comes together. Dump the butter mixture onto plastic wrap and form into a log. Wrap it and refrigerate for at least one hour.

2. Whisk the balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt and red pepper flakes together in a large bowl. Add the pork and the peaches and press down so they’re covered in the liquid.

Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

3. Heat a grill pan or grill to medium-high. Alternately thread the pork and peaches onto the skewers. Each skewer should have roughly three pieces of pork and three peaches. Grill the skewers for about 3 minutes on each side or until pork is cooked.

4. Cut the butter into small pieces and place all over the warm pork and peaches. The heat will melt the butter over the top. Garnish with the chopped mint.

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA BRANT RICHERSON “One of my favorite parts of being a Georgia fan is just being in the city of Athens, the Classic City,” says attorney and Georgia fanatic Brant Richerson. “Athens is the best college town in the country, in my humble opinion.”

Though Brant’s married to a Florida State Seminole, Taylor, he’s adamant that their two daughters Sibley and Mamie “will have no choice but to be Georgia fans.”

When they can’t make it to Athens for game day, Brant does his best to impart the UGA lifestyle on his girls in Daphne. He helps his case

by serving his family a recipe that showcases what the state of Georgia is known for: great peaches.

“Everyone likes a kabob off the grill on game day,” Brant adds.

As for the 2021 Georgia football season? “Dawgs on top,” he predicts.

Above Brant and wife Taylor cheer on the Bulldogs at the 2018 Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

GO DAWGS

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 27

LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY BRIAN WARD

CRAWFISH CASSEROLE SERVES 6 - 8 1/2 cup butter 1 bunch green onions, chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons flour 1 1/2 cups half-and-half 1 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning 1/4 cup white wine 1 teaspoon lemon juice 6-ounce roll jalapeño cheese 1 pound frozen or fresh crawfish tails, cooked and shelled toast or corn chips, for serving

1. Melt butter, then saute green onions and garlic. Add flour and mix well. Slowly add half-andhalf, stirring constantly.

Add Creole seasoning, wine and lemon juice. Stir well. Add cheese to mixture and blend well.

Cook for 15 minutes.

2. Add crawfish and cook an additional 15 minutes. Serve with toast points or corn chips in a chafing dish.

put this together,” he says, and it’s been a feature of the family’s tailgate parties ever since.

“Jennifer likes making this dip because it’s guaranteed to disappear before the game is over.”

Right LSU superfan Brian Ward and wife Jennifer visit Death Valley.

GEAUX TIGERS

“College football is a staple for this family,” says Brian Ward, and that’s no exaggeration. The CEO of Mobile’s DocRx played football for the LSU Tigers in the early 1990s, and his brother-in-law backed up Brett Favre at Southern Miss.

Brian and wife Jennifer, who serves as president of DocRx, have also passed on a love for college football to their two children. Their son Brady plays football for Auburn, and their daughter Caroline has worked in recruiting for South Alabama.

In true Louisiana form, Brian’s favorite game day dish involves, of course, crawfish.

“Jennifer was looking for ways to use crawfish tails in a dip and

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 29

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FOO FOO FEST

HOW TO DO FOO FOO A 12-day cultural celebration in Pensacola beckons folks from south Alabama to day trip across state lines for art, live music, food and fun — all during the Gulf Coast’s most beautiful time of year. text by MAGGIE LACEY

HOW IT STARTED Everyone along the Gulf Coast is familiar with the summertime bumper-to-bumper traffic down I-10 with folks headed to the beaches, but for years, only locals have known about the perfection that is fall in the Deep South. Mild temperatures, bluebird skies and a fresh breeze make the shoulder season truly the best time of year to enjoy our area.

In 2014, a group of forward-thinking folks in Pensacola decided to make a reason to enjoy the fall during the Foo Foo Festival. With generous underwriting from Escambia County and the City of Pensacola, Foo Foo Fest issues grants to arts organizations asking them to think outside the box and put on events and activities to dazzle and inspire. Over a 12-day period, concerts, art installations and performances are punctuated by wine and beer festivals, a half marathon and more.

30 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

Brian Stewart of Legal Services of North Florida, who plans Jazz for Justice, explains that, when you come to Foo Foo, you’re “not just going to hear music, you’re going to see the town, eat, shop, see art ... and oh, by the way, close it out with great jazz!” He laughs that if you don’t have fun, we can’t help you.

HOW IT’S GOING Now in its eighth year, Foo Foo Fest is poised to offer locals and tourists alike a chance to get outside, safely social distance and take in some culture — something that has been sorely missed these last 18 months. “Seeing people together and celebrating outdoors this year will be especially exciting,” says Jerry Shannon of the Pensacola Opera, who is hard at work planning a Veteran’s Day extravaganza at Wahoo Stadium. So pack your bags — whether for a day trip or an overnighter — because it’s time south Alabamians do Foo Foo.

DETAILS Foo Foo Fest is the biggest thing happening in our Gulf Coast backyard that you’ve yet to experience. Here’s what you need to know:

WHAT Foo Foo Fest is a 12-day celebration each fall, with culturally creative happenings, events and moments under one banner. Foo Foo Fest is big fun, with events of high artistic and cultural caliber, delivered with a hefty dose of Southern sophistication.

WHEN Nov. 4 - Nov. 15, 2021 WHERE All over Escambia County, with the majority of events taking place in downtown Pensacola.

WHO Foo Foo Fest is for all ages and most events are free! (Some events will require a fee or ticket for entrance.)

WHERE TO START

THE BLUE ANGELS WILL FLY OVER THE BEACH THIS YEAR FOR THE ANNUAL HOMECOMING SHOW

Everybody’s version of Foo Foo Festival is different, depending on what strikes your fancy. The best way to get started is to visit the Foo Foo Festival website and click on the calendar. Some events take place over the whole 12 days and some only one evening or afternoon. Hone in on what interests you, and build your itinerary around that. The big events, listed at right, are many people’s anchors, but it’s also fun to be flexible! Sometimes the music you hear wafting around the corner will draw you into something amazingly unexpected.

GREAT GULF COAST ARTS FESTIVAL FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 6, 7 One of the best-regarded arts festivals in the United States, this three-day juried art show draws more than 200 of the nation’s best painters, potters, sculptors, jewelers, graphic

artists, craftsmen and more.

The festival is punctuated by exciting live music ranging from bluegrass to Cajun and blues to jazz, as well as performances by local theater companies, dance schools and community groups. Live demonstrations of traditional arts, crafts, and trades, including blacksmithing, engraving, spinning and weaving will enthrall, while free children’s hands-on art activities and a student art show will keep the youngest visitors entertained.

BLUE ANGELS AIR SHOW FRIDAY & SATURDAY NOVEMBER 5 & 6 The annual NAS Pensacola Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show celebrates the return of the beloved jets as they close out a jam-packed season.

Due to COVID-19, the air show will be moved from the NAS base to the beachfront this year. Alabama residents can go by boat or drive to Pensacola Beach to catch the excitement. In addition to the Blue Angels, there will be a handful of aerobatic and stunt plane pilots performing.

PENSACOLA BEACH ART & WINE FESTIVAL SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 14 The Pensacola Beach Boardwalk will transform into an artist and wine lover’s paradise!

SUNDAY’S CHILD UNITY PROJECT AND COURAGE WALL, FOO FOO FEST 2018

Come stroll in the magnificent fall air while sampling more than 30 wines and perusing the works of some of the Gulf Coast’s most talented artists. october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 31

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FOO FOO FEST

THERE’S MORE TO IT

CUBED LIVE PAINTING EVENT IN PALAFOX MARKET, FOO FOO FEST 2017

FRANK BROWN INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITER’S FESTIVAL NOVEMBER 4-14 The 37th annual festival will bring more than 200 nationally acclaimed songwriters to more than two dozen venues along the FL/AL Gulf Coast, including the FloraBama.

GULF COAST QUILT TRAIL NOVEMBER 4-15 The Pensacola Quilter’s Guild has created 20+ public folk art installations across Escambia County, bringing public art to roads less traveled. Download the map and let the hunt begin!

SON ET LUMIÈRE NOVEMBER 4-7 Son et lumière — “Sound & Light”— is a 3D augmented reality experience where projections explode across the old County Courthouse on historic Palafox Street. The show is a spectacular mashup of technology and history, where imagery from 200 years ago will come to life in a dazzling, modern experience.

SCIENCE OF STRATEGY NOVEMBER 6, 11, 13 & 14 Join the Pensacola MESS Hall for pop-up games where you can face off against your friends or puzzle it out together.

Discover classic and modern games of chance, science and skill.

JAZZ FOR JUSTICE NOVEMBER 7 A full day of live jazz to benefit Legal Services of North Florida, featuring the Crescent City’s Tuba Skinny and New Breed Brass Band.

FIRE & RAIN MULTI-BLOCK OVERHEAD INSTALLATION PRESENTED BY FRIENDS OF DOWNTOWN PENSACOLA, FOO FOO FEST 2019

FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA: A SALUTE TO SERVICE NOVEMBER 11 Set against the backdrop of the beautiful Pensacola Bay on the Hunter Amphitheater stage, Pensacola Opera presents a special Veterans Day concert to celebrate and honor our community’s veterans.

STAMPED: LGBTQ FILM FESTIVAL NOVEMBER 12 & 14 Highly-vetted films from around the globe open the dialogue about the LGBTQ experience, building a stronger and more open Pensacola.

ATLAS OYSTER HOUSE HOSTS THE A.B.C. BEVERAGE PAIRING CLASSES DURING FOO FOO FEST, CREDIT MATTHEW COUGHLIN. 32 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

PENSACOLA WOMEN’S HALF MARATHON NOVEMBER 7 A Mile Dash, a 5k and a Half Marathon create an experience like no other.

EAT & DRINK PENSACOLA EGGFEST NOVEMBER 14 BBQ teams and backyard cooks from all over the US come together to share a love of cooking and the joy of giving back to their communities, all while cooking on the Big Green Egg. WINTER BREWFEST NOVEMBER 13 Sample some of the best “wintery” craft beers available at O’Riley’s Irish Pub. BOURBON, BACON, BREWS & CIGARS NOVEMBER 13 Ticket purchase includes a flight with one cigar, three spirits and one brew!

Premium flights are also available!

LOCAL STAPLES Don’t forget these top-notch attractions while on the other side of the state line.

THE BEACHES Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key boast some of the most pristine beaches in the world, including the longest stretch of federally protected seashore in the U.S. at the Gulf Islands National Seashore.

NATIONAL NAVAL AVIATION MUSEUM Experience hands-on history with more than 4,000 artifacts and over 150 beautifully restored aircraft representing Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard aviation.

Flight Simulators, the Giant Screen Digital Theater and The Flight Deck Store round out the perfect visit.

GULFARIUM Delight in watching dolphins leap and sea lions play during the spectacular shows with beautiful ocean views.

GULF BREEZE ZOO Get up close and personal at this awardwinning zoo, home to over 800 animals from around the world!

Visit FooFooFest.com for times, locations and ticket prices for all events and activities.

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 33

34 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

HOMES | DECORATING

A dated 1990s bathroom in Spanish Fort went from drab to dazzling with an improved layout, a fresh pop of color and

freshening up text by MAGGIE LACEY photos by SUMMER ENNIS ANSLEY

HOMEOWNER SKYE FELL IN LOVE WITH THE VISUAL COMFORT CHANDELIER AND HAD TO HAVE IT. “IT STILL MAKES MY HEART FLUTTER,” SHE GUSHES.

THE TUB IS THE FIRST THING YOU SEE WHEN YOU ENTER THE ROOM. THE TUB AND FAUCET ARE

BY SIGNATURE HARDWARE AND THE ROMAN SHADE FABRIC IS

BY LEE JOFA.

“IT WAS REFRESHING TO WORK WITH A CLIENT WHO WASN’T AFRAID OF A LITTLE COLOR!”

I

n 2014, Skye and Michael Blair settled their family of five (and dachshund Rhysie) into a new construction home in Spanish Fort. The couple are both busy engineers, and extra time was in short supply, but they began to renovate the house themselves little by little. “The home had the basic builder package with lots of wasted space,” Skye explains, so she wanted to overhaul as much as possible. “When it came to the kitchen and bath, though, I knew I needed help, so we brought in the big guns.”

Mobile’s design duo March+May, made up of sisters Rachel Anderson and Natalie Roe, were called in to transform the space.

“We wanted to fit a bigger shower and bigger tub in the same floor plan,” Skye says, “and to use the unused space with a smarter layout. And, of course, we wanted it to be beautiful.” Something about which March + May are experts.

“Skye had a wish list for the project — and a tight budget to work with — but the result was a total transformation,” Anderson says. “A vanity was a must, so we made sure to add that in.”

Custom-framed art and a pop of color on the fresh new cabinetry pulled the look together. The Blairs might still dash in and out in the mornings on their way to work, but the evenings now beg them to linger in their refreshing space designed to rejuvenate.

THE SCONCES, MOUNTED DIRECTLY ON TOP OF THE MIRROR, ARE BY GABBY HOME.

ANDERSON, MARCH + MAY

BATHROOM MAKEOVER BANG FOR BUCK A great way to save money on a renovation is to use basic sheet mirror, trimmed out and painted to match the cabinetry. Sconces

by Gabby Home are mounted on top. The installer can cut holes for the electrical, allowing for a seamless installation of the two.

This also maximizes the amount of mirror, making the space seem even larger!

METALLURGY More often than not, March + May say they mix metals in spaces. It is important, however, to consider the un-

36 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

dertones of the metals when mixing them. In this space, they combined polished nickel plumbing (which has warm undertones) with the brass finish of the lighting (also a warm undertone).

This allows for the two finishes to be complementary.

POP OF COLOR The Blairs’ old bathroom combined several neutral shades, and nothing showcased the homeowners’ vibrant and colorful personalities.

A white bathroom just wouldn’t do!

March + May set out

to create a classic look that would last the years but also provide a punch of joy for the Blairs as they get ready for their day or unwind while getting ready for bed.

ARTFUL TOUCHES The two works of art above the dressing table are prints that March + May custom framed. Artwork will elevate a bathroom and can inspire the color scheme for cabinetry. If your budget doesn’t allow for original art, look for works on paper or prints that can fit in a standard-sized frame.

PHOTO BY WENDY WILSON

MARCH + MAY PICK A FEW MORE FAB BLUES AND GREEN

OVAL ROOM BLUE The most blackened of Farrow & Ball’s blues, this subtly aged hue is shaped rooms of the late 18th century.

VAN COURTLAND BLUE An old-world blue, this Benjamin Moore color feels coastal and pairs well with whites and grays.

NIEBLA AZUL Hints of green undertones add Sherwin-Williams.

CALDWELL GREEN Any room will feel cyan-green color, part of Benjamin Moore’s Historic

SILVER MARLIN This gray by SherwinWilliams is perfect

no natural light.

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 37

PEOPLE | SPOTLIGHT

Healthy Competition Snack mix, marquee letters and how two local brothers, Ryan and Robbie Mueller, each took the leap to become his own boss. text by BRECK PAPPAS • photos by ELIZABETH GELINEAU

I

f you had asked them just three years ago, brothers Ryan and Robbie Mueller of Fairhope never would have imagined that, today, each would manage his own niche business. Sure, there were some entrepreneurial childhood schemes in the past, including an ill-fated attempt at raising money from their friends’ parents to build a tree fort in their Fairhope neighborhood.

“There weren’t even any trees in our backyard,” Robbie, above left, remembers with a laugh. “So I was building this tree fort on the ground.”

Older brother Ryan certainly didn’t envisioned himself running a successful snack mix operation. After studying industrial design at Auburn, he returned to Fairhope where he designed and built cabinets for a couple of years before getting the opportunity to learn commercial architecture under his father, Rich. He spent nine years at Watermark Design with Rich, learning the ins and outs of the industry. “But my heart wasn’t in it,” Ryan admits.

All the while, Ryan was making snack mix in his leisure hours for holidays and road trips. The recipe came from his mother Patti, who served it throughout his childhood.

“She quit doing it for a couple of years, so I grabbed it and said, ‘No, we’re going to keep this going.’ Then it kind of grew from there. I concocted a batch for a friend’s

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 39

wedding, and they said, ‘Man, you’ve got something here.’”

When a friend offered Ryan the opportunity to use a commercial kitchen to get his snack mix off the ground, he “pretty much took it and ran with it.” That was in December of 2018.

Today, Mule Mix — Mule was Ryan’s childhood nickname — under the banner of Ryan’s business Fairhope Snack Company, can be found in 70 locations across seven states. The snack combines eight ingredients: Rice Chex, Corn Chex, Wheat Chex, pretzel sticks, Cheez-Its, Honey Nut Cheerios, unsalted peanuts and honeyroasted peanuts (not to mention some secret spices). Ryan hand-seals 500 bags of the snack per week. Locally, hungry readers can find Mule Mix at Piggly Wiggly, Rouse’s and Greer’s, but Ryan also ships orders across the country.

Letter Perfect “My story’s a little different,” younger brother Robbie says. After studying industrial design at Auburn like his brother, Robbie went to work for his mom in medical billing for almost 10 years.

“It wasn’t really my thing,” he says. “I always loved doing woodwork on the side, and I had some experience building cornhole sets and selling them on Etsy. In No-

40 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

vember of 2020, I started seeing pictures of people throwing parties with marquee letters, and I thought, ‘Man, I could do something like this.’”

Robbie used his savings to purchase the materials to construct the four-foot letters and numbers in his garage, often working into the wee hours of the morning since he still worked for his mom by day.

“I launched my business Rent the Lights in mid-January of this year,” he says. “My first rental was the first weekend of February, and I’ve had a rental every weekend since.”

Robbie, who has since jumped into the new venture full time, hasn’t paid for any advertising; photos on social media of his letters and numbers at birthday parties, weddings and every occasion in between have allowed Rent the Lights to grow organically. The hand-crafted quality of his marquees, complete with built-in lightbulbs, is a point of pride for Robbie.

“I’m kind of a perfectionist,” he says.

“I built every marquee myself — wired it, tested it, painted it.”

“We’re usually pretty critical of each other,” Ryan says, laughing. “But I will say, the craftsmanship of his letters is top-notch.”

For those with a business idea, the brothers offer advice that is both encouraging and realistic.

“Definitely know what you’re getting into financially,” Robbie says. “We’ve been lucky to have a mom who has shown us how to manage our books, but in terms of getting a business license and business insurance, it’s important to do your due diligence.”

“If an opportunity comes along, take it,” Ryan adds. “The hardest part for me was making the decision to do it.” MB

Above Left Robbie constructed all of his 75 marquee letters and numbers by hand. “I’m kind of a perfectionist,” he says, adding that he will soon begin building marquees for a wider range of parties, including football tailgates.

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 41

GUMBO | TRADITIONS

Hand-hewn T History An 1830s log cabin discovered new life and new purpose on a Grove Hill hunting property.

text by MAGGIE LACEY photos by SUMMER ENNIS ANSLEY

he cabin was almost completely obscured by vines and overgrowth, sitting back off the road in Gosport, Alabama. Mobile’s Billy Bixler told Cindy and Gil Gilmore where to look, promising it was indeed a log cabin. Gil was skeptical. Having grown up and lived in the area most of his life, he was sure he knew all the antebellum log cabins in Clarke County. The dilapidated cabin had evaded much notice, however, because lap siding added perhaps 50 years ago was obscuring much of the original pine timber. As the Gilmores treaded gingerly through the brush and debris, they confirmed the find and set out to see if they could preserve it.

“I’ve always wanted an old cabin,” says Gil, who embarked on the restoration in April 2019. Fairhope architect and friend of the family Clay Adams gave the cabin a look and offered advice on how best to preserve and update it, while local contractor Josh Turner took on the work. “Josh had never restored a log structure before,” Cindy remembers, laughing, “but he said he had seen it on YouTube.” The builder thought the project would be fun and poured himself into education about such things.

After clearing away the overgrowth, trash and wildlife (rattlesnakes and a nest of baby buzzards were among the full-time residents), every piece of wood was meticulously labeled, catalogued, disassembled and moved to the Gilmores’ hunting property about 15 minutes away.

“The whole family hunts,” Cindy says, “and Gil comes out here almost daily to check on things or do some work.” The cabin was to be an addition to what their 1,000-acre property already offered — a lovely four-bedroom home overlooking a lake, with a large outdoor entertaining porch and a bunkhouse in what was once the Sunflower, Alabama, post office. (Cindy’s ancestors were postmasters.)

The log cabin was moved to a spot just next to the main house and repurposed as an equipment room.

“This cabin exceeded our expectations,” Gil says, Cindy nodding in agreement.

“We’ve enjoyed it more than we thought,” she adds. “If it had been a bunkroom, we would have only used it two to three times a year, but as an equipment shed, we use it every time we get dressed and go out. We don’t keep any hunting stuff in the house anymore.

We come out here to put on our boots or to get our guns. We are out here a lot and enjoying it.”

It is believed that the cabin, as well as a handful of other ones in close proximity to where the Gilmores’ structure was found, was built by slave labor in the 1830s. All are assumed to have been constructed by the same skilled hands.

In the 1950s, a sharecropper by the name of Ben Williams moved the cabin to the property on Gosport Landing Road. Williams lived in the dark, two-room cabin with his wife and 11 children, one of whom is still living today. As the chinking fell out of the walls through the years, the cracks were filled with newspaper, covered with wallpaper or patched with boards to keep out the cold. It would have been a hard life in the cabin, either as a pioneer in early Alabama or as a sharecropper in the 20th century, but the Gilmores are pleased they have preserved a small part of their local history and found a way it can have a new and happy life.

Making a plan to bring the cabin back to life State of Disrepair The cabin was in bad shape when the Gilmores purchased it. The back wall had a lot of rotten wood that needed to be replaced, and they planned to close up the back doors, so there was some patching to do. Hunting lockers on the inside and fake shutters on the outside conceal areas where the wood could not be salvaged or patched.

Floor Plan The cabin was originally two rooms with doors on the front and back, windows on each side, a small front porch, a tin roof and a lean-to out back that was added probably in the 20th century.

The two rooms each had a fireplace that shared one chimney, but the Gilmores did not reconstruct that, as they planned to use the cabin as one large room.

Work in Progress Contractor Josh Turner labeled and tagged every log, disassembled and restacked them, and put a new roof on in just one week. With no wiring or nails, nothing but the logs themselves, the task was really straightforward.

Bigger the Better The 32-foot longleaf pine beam running the length of the cabin is purely decorative, placed there simply to preserve and display it. It was the original floor joist on the front of the cabin, which was in good shape because it had been protected under the front porch all those years. The smaller crossbeam was the header of the original interior wall. Although the size of the pine logs making up the walls vary some, most are 14 inches tall and 6 inches thick. “We’ve counted as many as 160 rings in some of these logs,” Gil says.

“They could be older than that.”

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 43

Putting all the pieces back together Tiny Details The craftsmanship is still visible in the tiniest of ways, like perfectly dovetailed corners or notches in the logs where the interior wall once attached.

Repurposed Hunting lockers were crafted from the pine siding that had once covered the logs.

Fairhope’s Will Street sourced the new flooring from the old Bryce Hospital in Tuscaloosa.

21st Century The Gilmores wanted to preserve a piece of history but also make it functional. They added heat and air as well as overhead lighting. The contractor didn’t want to drill into the logs, so the ductwork is in the floor and the wiring comes down the wall in metal piping that was etched with acid to make it look aged.

“We don’t have the right kind of soil here for good chinking. Our soil is too sandy, so it breaks down over the years.”

- Gil Gilmore

44 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

Craftsman While the Gilmores may never know anything more about the skilled person who built this and other cabins in the area, they do know a decent amount about sharecropper Ben Williams. He was a talented basket weaver, and his white oak cotton pickers’ baskets are sought after today by collectors. When a friend found out the Gilmores were restoring the cabin, they gifted the couple a chair whose white oak seat was woven by Williams himself. The chair now resides in the restored cabin of its crafter. MB

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 45

PEOPLE | SPOTLIGHT

The Blacksmith Experience Daphne’s Jerry Gardner turned a passion project into a career. Now it’s his way of forging bonds with veterans. text by JAIMIE MANS • photos by LEIGH BANCROFT

T

o my left stand two men. Flames descend from their hands, cascading down in sheaths to the slag-ridden floor. A group of boys huddle together, deeply immersed in conversation. One holds an object while the others look on in awe, voicing how excited they are to finally see their hard work come to life.

“Come on boys, sit down and I’ll bring your pieces to you,” a man — obviously the head honcho — calls out between a break in the flames.

The boys sit in their respective chairs, eager to hold their finished products. Each receives something shiny and sharp. I glance over, trying not to stare too wideeyed. In their hands, they hold knives, glistening in the light of the bulbs above. The man notices me and smiles, calling me over: “Hi, and welcome to The Blacksmith Experience!”

Jerry Gardner, founder and owner of The Blacksmith Experience in Daphne, took a winding path to the 3,500-year-old craft. After serving in the military and working in construction, he discovered blacksmithing quite by accident. Living in Oil City, Pennsylvania, at the time, he and his wife were strolling down the street when they heard the clank of metal. They immediately set out to find the source. After following the sounds, they discovered what’s called a “hammer in,” or a group of individuals who come together to work on their blacksmith pieces. As soon as he spotted the sparks flying off the anvils, Gardner was in love.

“I swear, sparks were quite literally flying!”

After this magic moment, Gardner searched for a mentor and connected with Jim Hoffman, a colonial ironwork expert.

46 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

Above Jerry Gardner of The Blacksmith Experience hammers out a glowing-hot piece of metal that he will transform into a bowl.

“I loved being able to get a solid background in ironwork that most people aren’t familiar with,” Gardner says. “It opened my eyes to how far blacksmithing has come — moving away from solely function to a combination of function and artwork.”

Post-colonial studies, Gardner set out to discover his niche in the blacksmithing world, settling on functional art.

“I made everything from railings to gates, even intricate furniture,” he says. “One of the favorites my team and I created was a mirror with steel woven in and around to form a wineglass holder. Basically, we took a piece of glass and drew a super random pattern and roughed up the edges of the mirror. We drilled holes and manipulated steel so that it resembled tree branches. From there, we wove the branches through and around the mirror.

Once it was completed, there were places on the steel tree to hang dozens of wineglasses.”

Gardner’s passion for intricate, functional art was put on pause during the 2008 recession. He moved it to the back burner and returned to “the real world.”

“My business took a turn for the worse, so I had to get a ‘real job.’ I knew I wanted to get back to blacksmithing, but I wasn’t sure if that would be possible. I needed to provide for my family, so I did what I had to do.”

Despite putting a pause on his passion for a few years and returning to construction management, Gardner never really stopped blacksmithing. Though not physically practicing the trade, blacksmithing was always at play in his mind. In 2018, when he saw the opportunity to jump back in, he took it.

“Because of the rising popularity of the History channel show, ‘Forged in Fire,’ more and more people became interested in blacksmithing.” Gardner started teaching classes out of the space in his backyard.

Aiming to be more cautious than the first go-round, he taught night classes at first. “I knew people needed to change after work, so classes started at 6:15 p.m. I didn’t want to disturb the neighbors, so we’d wrap up around 9:15 p.m.” Pretty soon, there was more demand than there was Gardner!

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 47

“People wanted weekend classes, so I gave them weekend classes … but then they wanted more hours than there were in the day, so I decided to just go for it.”

Six weeks ago, Gardner made the transition from “real world job” to his longtime passion project. “The Blacksmith Experience is all about having a good time,” he says.

“I’m not here to teach people the ‘right way’ of doing things. I want everyone to learn about themselves while they do something really cool.”

This month, The Blacksmith Experience is moving into a new location in Spanish Fort. Currently, Gardner offers a three-hour class, but they can last longer — if students can stand the heat. “If we went up to six hours, it’d be a near-death experience!”

Healing Handiwork Along with the blacksmithing classes, Gardner initiated Forging a Difference, a nonprofit organization that offers a creative outlet for veterans, service members on active duty or law enforcement officers. When asked how the idea came about, Gardner smiles, tears glistening in his eyes.

“One night, a man named Michael Jacob Bailey called me and asked to talk in person.

He told me that he was a veteran who suffered severe brain damage while overseas that developed into brain cancer. Rather than give up, Michael wanted to celebrate his 20th wedding anniversary with his wife, Tina. Gardner welcomed both of the Baileys into his shop, where they decided to make knives. Despite putting up a hard fight, Michael never finished his blade, passing away in February 2020.”

Opposite, top to bottom Sparks fly as Jerry Gardner polishes a knife blade in his steamy Daphne workshop. Several finished products show the craftsmanship produced from The Blacksmith Experience. A glowing hot round of metal is hammered repeatedly between heatings until it takes on the shape of a bowl.

Gardner says he must be careful not to hammer so hard as to remove the rough surface pattern, seen above in the finished product.

48 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

The Baileys inspired Gardner to do something for all veterans. “I saw that there was something about The Blacksmith Experience that helped to heal those in need, even if temporarily. And so, I created a space to share experiences — whether it be talking about war or just being around people who’ve gone through similar things.”

The loved ones who share lives with those who serve also find support at Forging a Difference for the struggles they go through behind closed doors. Though the nonprofit is in its infancy, Gardner hopes to have the organization fully self-sustainable in the next two to three years.

From braving the “real world” to the stock market crash to a global pandemic, Jerry Gardner has come out better than ever before.

“There’s something about this that just clicks. I want to be the guy that guides people, teaches them and helps to create an outlet. And spreading awareness of what we’re doing is the biggest help. At the end of the day, we just want people to try this out and see what it can do for them. Who knows? It could become something of a steel sanctuary.” MB

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 49

COUNTRY LIVING

WITH THEIR DISCERNING EYES AND RESTORATIVE HANDS, THREE MOBILE COUPLES REDEFINE RURAL RETREATS IN WILCOX COUNTY.

text by CART BLACKWELL photos by SUMMER ENNIS ANSLEY

M

ABOVE Behind Yaupon, featured on page 56, there are numerous old outbuildings. These two were relocated to the property to save them from demolition in Butler County.

OPPOSITE RiverBend’s bedrooms are a blend of Southern tradition, contemporary chic and old-world charm.

50 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

obile and the Alabama Black Belt are linked by myriad economic, social and familial connections. As Mobile’s prospects continue to flourish, the custom of having a place “up the country” is experiencing its own renaissance. Arguably, the town of Camden and its environs have drawn more Mobilians to the Black Belt than any of the region’s many other charming hamlets. A close look at three distinctive Camden properties, and the Mobilians behind them, affords a glimpse into the richness of the Black Belt’s architecture and the variety of approaches to preserve it.

Camden, located two hours north of Mobile, is the county seat of Wilcox County. While small in size and population, the town has an atmosphere and energy. The built environment is a literary ideal in the real. A columned courthouse presides over the town square. Vendors selling fruits and vegetables from the back of pickup trucks surround it during the growing months. An old hardware store, the type where you can find everything under the sun and then some, overlooks the square. Church steeples, an ancient Greek Revival Masonic lodge, and the 1840s Female Institute populate the two principal residential streets, both of which are lined with houses that are approaching 200 years in age.

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 51

St. Mary’s: A Carpenter Gothic Gem Clifton Street is one of Camden’s two main thoroughfares.

As the street heads toward the river, the houses become fewer in number and blocks transition to villa estates and, ultimately, plantations. The picturesque steeple of St. Mary’s, an 1850s deconsecrated Episcopal church, rises serenely within the tree canopy of one of Clifton Street’s innermost blocks. Unlike so many of Camden’s buildings, St. Mary’s is defined by neither classical columns nor white clapboard walls. The board-and-batten-sided edifice, with its pointed arch windows, has been an architectural departure from the time of its completion in 1856. Designed and constructed by master builder Alexander Jackson Bragg (a brother of Judge John Bragg and General Braxton Bragg of Mobile), St. Mary’s originally served a small yet genteel flock of Episcopalians.

St. Mary’s numbers dwindled during the early 20th century, and the church hosted its last service in the 1920s.

During the early 1940s, a Mobile-born resident of Camden adaptively reused the sturdy church building, making it into a personal residence. The upper portions of the steeple were removed, and what remained of it was converted into a porch. The chancel was also removed. St. Mary’s served as a residence for the next 75 years.

In 2015, Palmer and Amy Hamilton acquired the property. Palmer, a Mobile attorney, has restored almost

52 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

100 historic structures in Mobile. Amy has been an unofficial realtor and ambassador for Oakleigh Garden District for four decades. With the aid of Mobile restoration architect Douglas Burtu Kearley, the Hamiltons artfully restored St. Mary’s.

Gothic and Gothick blend flawlessly within and without. With balancing measures of erudition and whimsy, new features take their inspiration from the old with flair.

Amy and Palmer reconstructed the steeple, restoring the original appearance of St. Mary’s.

They also took what had been a converted garage and created a charming guest cottage which is linked to St. Mary’s by a breezeway, affording a walk through the beautiful grounds designed by Mary Palmer Dargan by way of Charleston and Cashiers.

A visit to St. Mary’s has become a communion with good taste and soothing spirits.

ABOVE The chancel cottage at St. Mary’s is connected to the old church by a covered walkway and fronted by a charming fenced garden.

OPPOSITE St. Mary’s, with its jaunty steeple, is a layering of original Gothic Revival elements and artful “Gothick” details. The staircase’s new pinnacled newel posts and breakfast / sitting room’s bookcases seem as if they were always there.

ST. MARY’S Historic Name St. Mary’s Year Built 1855-1856 Style Gothic Revival Built by Alexander Jackson Bragg Current Owners Palmer and Amy Hamilton of Mobile Number of Bedrooms Two in main house and one in chancel cottage (a house on an adjoining lot is being renovated as a guest house) Ceiling Height 18 feet Number of Fireplaces One Number of Outbuildings Three Architecture St. Mary’s is among the most distinctive of approximately two dozen Gothic Revival churches constructed in the Black Belt prior to the Civil War. Lore Tradition holds that when St. Mary’s was deconsecrated, the original church bell was given to another congregation. It is missing. If you know of the bell’s whereabouts, come forth!

RiverBend: A Villa Estate RiverBend, the old Bell-Moore Place, is located in the suburban fringes of Camden. The estate was once the seat of a large plantation. The house, which dates from the 1840s, once perched on a bluff overlooking the Alabama River.

The residence was moved to its present site not long after its completion. The house had fallen on hard times when Ryan Dunagan and Chris Bailey purchased it in 2018.

The owners of Ryan Studio in Mobile fell in love with the house at first sight. With two large formal rooms flanking a front hall and four bedrooms situated beyond an infilled breezeway, there was much to capture their creative minds. The 16-foot-tall ceilings alone are inspirational! There were also the remains of formal gardens, which were best viewed from the large L-shaped porch. That gracious gallery is a Carolina porch, an umbrage in which the columnar supports rest not on the porch deck but on independent piers.

As a result, Ryan and Chris had great bones with which to work. They not only restored the main house, they constructed two large rear wings, built new ancillary buildings and reinstated formal gardens and grounds. The interiors evoke an instant ancestral feel, albeit with contemporary chic and modern conveniences.

Ryan and Chris also have restored two downtown buildings for use as The Pecan, their gourmet market-restaurant, and they are currently renovating three more buildings, one of which will be a high-end clothier named the Fox and Hen.

ABOVE RiverBend has a glorious wrap-around gallery and elegantly appointed guest rooms.

LEFT Rear wings housing a kitchen and oversized living room were added to the main house in recent years.

OPPOSITE The dining room at RiverBend features murals and original Greek Revival woodwork.

RIVERBEND Historic Name Bell-Moore Place Year Built Circa 1840 Style Greek Revival Built for Martha and Thomas Moore Current Owners Chris Bailey and Ryan Dunagan Number of Bedrooms Four Ceiling Height 16 feet Number of Fireplaces Seven (indoors) Number of Outbuildings Five Architecture RiverBend is a classic example of “Southern Country Greek Revival” architecture. Classical and classically inspired details are adapted to the climactic and social conditions of the Deep South.

Lore During the Civil War, the records for Wilcox County were buried behind the house. After the war, the documents were returned safe and sound.

54 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

Yaupon: The Plantation Ideal When most people imagine a Southern plantation house, the image they have in their minds is probably something like Yaupon, the Mathews-Tait-Rutherford House. Dating from the mid-1840s, it is the Chatsworth of Wilcox County. The grandly proportioned, two-story frame residence is elevated atop a raised brick basement and fronted by a monumental pedimented portico. Very few houses, especially of the scale of Yaupon, survive with their raised basements intact.

Two octagonal pavilions once flanked the house. One was lost to fire and the other relocated to the rear of the house to serve as a kitchen. There are four main rooms on each floor — two to either side of a central hallway. The principal rooms of the main floor feature pocket doors. Sliding into the reveals of the interior walls, pocket doors allow for either connectivity or privacy in terms of space and circulation of people and air.

William T. Mathews, a wealthy planter / builder / saw mill owner, constructed Yaupon as his personal residence. His heirs owned the place until 1901, at which time it was sold to the Taits, a prominent old gentry family. In 1999, Laura and Schley Rutherford of Mobile purchased the house. The most conscientious of cultural stewards, the Rutherfords are in no way strangers to the Black Belt. They embarked upon a meticulous restoration of the landmark dwelling. The brick walls of the basement were repointed with lime-based mortar.

Plaster walls were repaired as opposed to being replaced with 56 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

sheetrock. Windows were made operable again, with working shutters. Outbuildings rescued from demolition on another Black Belt property were moved to the rear of the house and reconstructed.

The Rutherfords and their family have made a grand house into a welcoming and elegant home.

As the epicenter of landed holdings, upon which traditional sporting and equine pursuits are the name of the game, Yaupon is the beau ideal of country life. It is flawless in every respect.

St. Mary’s, RiverBend and Yaupon are unique unto themselves. Each property is at once a singular architectural gem, and each embodies a different approach to preservation. All three homes showcase the allure of the country and Mobile’s presence therein. MB

ABOVE The raised basement and Ionic portico are two of many defining features of Yaupon. OPPOSITE Yaupon’s hallways are incredibly wide — the main hall enters into a delicious screened porch. All rooms feature original mantels and other classical details.

An octagonal structure that was once freestanding was later added to the back of the house to serve as a kitchen. It is now a cheery sunroom.

YAUPON Historic Name Yaupon, Mimosa, and the Mathews-Tait House Year Built Circa 1845 Style Greek Revival with lingering Federal influences Built by William T. Mathews, first owner and master builder Current Owners Laura and Schley Rutherford Number of Bedrooms Four Ceiling Height 12 feet on main floor Number of Fireplaces 12 Number of Outbuildings Eight Architecture The main house is a sophisticated blend of Federal and Greek Revival elements with fanlights representing the former style harmonizing perfectly with the pedimented portico of the latter.

Lore It is said that the contractor overseeing the construction of the house neglected to include a staircase, resulting in his dismissal.

Now Yaupon has not one but two staircases!

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 57

58 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

61 RAISING THE TOAST Local experts share their advice for nailing the perfect toast 62 BRIDAL SHOWER Fairhope’s Rene Mashburn celebrates her niece’s upcoming nuptials

74 ANNOUNCEMENTS Fourteen blushing brides share the details of their big day

Katherine White-Spunner and her bridesmaids prepare to walk down the aisle at Chapel Farm, where she wed Barrett Trotter in March of 2021. To see more of this wedding, and all the weddings featured in this month’s Mobile Bay Bride, open your smart phone’s camera and hover over the QR code at the right. Tap the link that pops up to be taken directly to MB’s website where you can browse photo galleries of all the stunning weddings! october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 59

PHOTO BY ALISHA CROSSLEY

66 A STUNNING SOIREE Lindsey Steigler of Soiree Signatures ties the knot

60 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

BRIDE | TRADITIONS

TIPS FOR TOASTING One section of the Toastmasters International advanced manual covers specialty speeches.

From the experts, here are a few things to consider: 1. Introduce yourself. Not everyone at the wedding may know who you are. Also, this gives the audience a chance to quiet down and focus their attention to you.

2. Make it personal. Tell a short story about the bride or groom. This helps you to connect with your audience. Emphasis on the word “short.”

3. Try to add humor. If you do not have a personal quip on the bride or groom, make a quick pun on marriage in its entirety but NEVER be mean. Sarcasm is never appropriate.

Raising the Toast Before stepping to the microphone at a wedding reception, take the advice of some local experts from the downtown Mobile chapter of Toastmasters International. text by BRECK PAPPAS

F

or many, the idea of giving a wedding toast is a recipe for a pit in the stomach. In fact, public speaking consistently ranks among the greatest of Americans’ fears — even more than “snakes, stalkers or spiders,” according to the Wall Street Journal.

In 1924, a quiet YMCA employee named Ralph C. Smedley began what was then called the Toastmasters Club, in Santa Ana, California, to assist those hoping to develop their interpersonal skills. Today, Toastmasters International boasts 300,000 members in more than 15,800 clubs in 149 countries. Locally, five clubs exist across Mobile and Baldwin counties, each with a unique culture but identical mission to create confident speakers, communicators and leaders.

In the name of conquering fears, MB spoke with the Downtown Club (in Mobile) to get their top seven tips for knocking that wedding toast out of the park. Cheers! MB

4. Address the couple. Even though you are talking in front of a crowd, your words should be directed to the happy couple.

5. Be sappy. In other words, get sentimental and let the couple know how much they mean to you. While you do not want to go into a full-blown sob, shedding a tear or two is okay.

6. Apply the KISS method. “Keep It Short and Sweet.” Toasts should never drag on. Two to three minutes is long enough.

7. Practice, practice and practice again. Public speaking is not easy for a lot of folks. Speaking with emotions compounds the nerves.

Practice your toast in front of a mirror or better yet, video yourself. Saying the words over and over will help you gain confidence.

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 61

BRIDE | ENTERTAINING text by CAROLINA GROOM • photos by WENDY WILSON

BRIDAL SHOWER RENE MASHBURN, FAIRHOPE LOCAL AND OWNER OF THE GREEN GATES MARKET, SHARES HER TOP TIPS FOR ENTERTAINING AND CRUCIAL STEPS FOR MAKING ANY EVENT RUN SEAMLESSLY.

W

hen it comes to party planning of any sort, Fairhope business owner Rene Mashburn, pictured center, is always one to go above and beyond, never backing down from a challenge. “I love to dream big — complex, extraordinary, multilayered thinking. So, given that kind of self-inflicted modus operandi, it takes time, resources and manpower to achieve what I can dream.”

Almost 20 years ago, Mashburn designed and opened the Green Gates Market, a prominent home decor store located in the heart of Fairhope. Her eye for sophistication and taste combined with a unique style have served her well in business as well as in the pleasure of planning events for family and friends. Having hosted all sorts of festivities from birthdays and family gatherings to her own daughters’ weddings, Mashburn was more than equipped when it came time to throw a 62 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

bridal shower for her niece, Kate Matchett Allen, this past April. While the circumstances of Covid-19 and an unexpected weather forecast dared to make things a bit tricky, the celebration went smoothly under the guidance of seasoned pro Mashburn, who directed party vendors and extra volunteers who came to the aid.

Mashburn is known for applying her creative talents to put her own spin on things and produce the unexpected. “I like to do as much of the artistic part as possible myself ahead of time,” Above, clockwise Fresh spring flowers add the perfect romantic touch. The guest of honor, Kate Matchett Allen. Glazed lemon cream cheese cookies by local caterers, Patty and Malcolm Young.

HOSTING TIPS • Be prepared to expect the unexpected and just roll with it. Remember, no one ever saw those original plans / ideas.

• Make sure you have plenty of help for setting up everything. And when it comes to the food, have someone you can depend on in charge as it takes a very experienced kind of talent.

• Figure out how long it will take to get everything done as there is never enough time. So, plan on it to take longer — a lot longer.

• Create a list to outline everything in three separate columns: TO DO, TO GET and TO CALL. “Every aspect of an event falls under one of those categories. I’ve kept the same system of managing events and occasions for lots of years, and it’s what keeps me on task.”

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 63

she explains. “Although I may order flowers from a florist, it is very likely I will pull the arrangements apart and rework them. To me, simple is more!” Warm, sentimental touches that Mashburn incorporated into the big day included fun, childhood photos of the couple, a questionnaire game about the bride, and even a final serenade to Kate performed by her mother and all five of her aunts.

The day before the garden-themed soiree was to take place, tents were brought in at the last minute to shield the outside area extending from the porch, allowing for covered outside seating. “It helps to be flexible and accustomed to working under pressure like this,” says Mashburn, who has a piece of art in her home that reads, “Were it not for the last minute, nothing would ever get done.”

She explains, “Those who know me can understand why that piece of art lives prominently in our house. And although I have that daily reminder, it won’t stop me from trying to shoot for the moon, even at the last minute.”

Above The bride-to-be, Kate Matchett Allen, center, with aunt Rene Mashburn, left, and mother, Anita Matchett, right.

64 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

NO-BAKE KEY LIME CHEESECAKE MAKES 1 9-INCH CAKE

Recipe by Patty and Malcolm Young 1 cup finely ground graham crackers 3 tablespoons sugar 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooked 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 1/3 cup fresh Key lime juice, 2 teaspoons grated zest (from 16 limes), and thinly sliced lime rounds for serving 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/2 cup cold heavy cream

1. Whisk together cracker crumbs, sugar and salt. Stir in butter until mixture resembles wet sand and holds together when squeezed. Press evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Freeze until firm, 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and condensed milk on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add lime juice, zest and vanilla. Beat about 1 minute more.

3. In a separate bowl, whip cream to stiff peaks. Gently fold into cream-cheese mixture.

Pour over chilled crust; smooth top with an offset spatula. Cover with plastic and refrigerate at least 12 hours and up to 3 days.

4. Run a knife along cake’s edge before releasing sides of pan, then under bottom to loosen. Serve, garnished with lime rounds. october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 65

A

STUNNING SOIREE

text by AMANDA HARTIN photos by ELIZABETH GELINEAU

L

BRIDAL | INSPIRATION

Lindsey Stiegler says she hadn’t been focused on getting married, thanks to her job in the wedding industry, a somewhat vicarious life punctuated by a melange of happy-couple stories.

Now she has one of her own.

Lindsey says it was love at first “swipe,” alluding to the way she and Joseph Schreiner met. “In the past, I had a checklist, but Joey was none of those things,” she concedes of the Evonik Industries employee. “We get along so well. We have very similar personalities — we both like to be in control.” While this trait well suits the graphic designer, calligrapher and owner of Soiree Signatures, it’s one she had to grapple with when it came to planning her own wedding. “It’s hard to take a step back,” admits the McGill-Toolen alum. But if there’s one thing she’s learned over the years, it’s to not take yourself too seriously, sage advice Lindsey was sure to follow.

“Many times brides come in and everything is so tense because they want to do the ‘right thing.’ They forget to have fun. In the end, this is a celebration. Allow yourself to enjoy the process.” And she did. Working side-by-side with vendors, Lindsey explained what she wanted and then gave them freedom to flex their creative muscles. “I wanted to do all the things,” she laughs. “I like natural and neutral and punchy and dark and moody.” What resulted was a beautiful two-day celebration, a cohesive collision of color schemes and moods.

Nearly one year after groom Joey asked for her hand in marriage, Lindsey still beams when she talks about the proposal. “I just knew he was going to ask me on my birthday, which is in November.” But he didn’t. On Halloween 2020, he dropped to bent knee, the date chosen because it was the one-year anniversary of when she first met his children.

Following their early September wedding, at LINDSEY’S VELLUM which the couple danced EMBELLISHED to Kacey Musgraves’ song, INVITATION SUITE “Late to the Party,” the (SOIREE SIGNAcouple spent time relaxing TURES) FEATURES A with close friends. They BRIGHT, YET SOFT hope to honeymoon on AND BRIDAL CITRUS their first anniversary.

PRINT BY ARTIST

SET THE TONE Invitations are as unique as the couples themselves, a reflection of the bride and groom’s personalities — and, often, a sneak peek of the wedding. By repeating the invitation’s colors or patterns throughout the ceremony and reception, the entire celebration is pulled together for a subtle, cohesive look.

“INVITATIONS ARE THE STYLISTIC STARTING POINT. THEY SET THE TONE FOR THE REST OF THE EVENT.” – Lindsey Stiegler

KIMBERLY ZUKLEY.

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 67

T

THE CEREMONY For outdoor weddings, let nature do the decorating. Take advantage of existing natural elements, such as the lush and enveloping canopy of trees at Steelwood Country Club’s outdoor chapel. Here, soft shades of green complement the ceremony’s natural color palette of buttery yellow, creams and taupes.

WEDDING PARTY A blended family is a beautiful gift, as is bestowing the honor of serving as bridesmaids and groomsmen to your children. Joey’s twin girls, Keely and Bailey, 10, were adorable in soft yellow dresses (by Janie and Jack), and Wyatt, 13, and Owen, 14, looked dapper in suits (by Metzger’s).

“WE WANTED TO KEEP THE CEREMONY SMALL WITH JUST CLOSE FRIENDS AND FAMILY.” – Lindsey Stiegler

TINY PROGRAM BOOKLETS TIED WITH RIBBON (SOIREE SIGNATURES) FEEL LIKE LITTLE JEWELS. CUSTOM HANDHELD FANS BOAST THE SAME KIMBERLY ZUKLEY PRINT USED ON THE INVITATIONS.

68 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

HAIR: KATHERINE GRANT MAKEUP: COURTNEY MATTHEWS BRIDAL GOWN: BLISS BRIDAL GROOM’S SUIT: METZGER’S FLORALS: JULIA GREER PRIEST: LYDIA JOHNSON WEDDING PLANNERS: EVENTS DETAILED CEREMONY MUSIC: ENEN YU INVITATIONS AND PRINTABLES: SOIREE SIGNATURES TUFTS OF MUTED YELLOW, CREAM AND PEACH FLOWERS IMBUE A SIMPLE, ORGANIC, ROMANTIC FEELING.

CEREMONY RENTALS: SOHO RINGS: ELIZABETH ADAMS CEREMONY SITE: STEELWOOD COUNTRY CLUB

S

SATURDAY NIGHT RECEPTION Don’t be afraid to take the celebration on the road.

After Lindsey and Joey’s intimate ceremony, the wedding party traversed the Bay for an evening reception at Crown Hall in downtown Mobile. The color palette changed from the ceremony’s light and airy hues to more dark and moody shades of natural greens, taupes and yellows.

A SEATED AFFAIR No detail was overlooked when planning this coursed dinner menu (Bay Gourmet) that started with a pass-around of savory hors d’oeuvres. A peach caprese salad drizzled with white balsamic glaze was followed by crab mac and cheese, beef tenderloin and grouper.

MUSIC: KAREN AND ERIC MARRERO CATERER: BAY GOURMET RECEPTION RENTALS: PORT CITY RENTALS ARTWORK: KIMBERLY ZUKLEY FABRIC DRAPES: STERLING EVENT DESIGN EVENT SPACE: CROWN HALL

IN KEEPING WITH THE CEREMONY’S INTIMATE FEELING, FOR THE RECEPTION, FARM TABLES WERE POSITIONED LENGTHWISE DOWN THE CENTER OF THE ROOM, GIVING THE DINNER A FAMILY-STYLE FEEL.

S

SUNDAY BRUNCH Who says you can only have one day? The celebration spilled over to Sunday brunch at Crown Hall, an event planned purposely to include Lindsey’s wedding industry friends for whom attending a Saturday evening ceremony is nearly impossible. Guests arrived in “posh frocks and fascinators,” as invitations suggested. The previous day’s subdued natural shades turned to bright and punchy colors.

The use of lemons and orange blossoms gave a clear nod to the two-day soiree’s theme and added a dimension of fun.

TOUCHES OF ART Custom art by Kimberly Zukley brightens the room and features the same lemony yellow used throughout the event.

MAKE IT COZY To bring coziness to a large space, consider hanging fabric swags from the ceiling or rafters, allowing the material to drape down the walls.

For the couple’s nighttime reception, Sterling Events hung swags dyed in shades of green. The fabric carried over to the Sunday brunch, tying the two events together.

AN ELEGANT CAKE DISPLAY (UNDERGROUND CUSTOM CAKES) HELD FIVE UNIQUE CAKES, EACH WITH DIFFERENT FLAVORS AND DECORATIONS.

70 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 71

BRUNCH MENU: (BAY GOURMET)

BISCUIT STATION WITH FRIED CHICKEN, GRAVIES AND JAMS GRITS STATION WITH SHRIMP, SHERRY CREAM SAUCE AND NEW ORLEANS BEEF GRILLADES TOMATO PIE CHARCUTERIE BOARD BLT TOAST CONECUH SAUSAGE GRILLED OYSTERS

72 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

A SIMPLE MONOGRAM (HANNAH LEGG, SOIREE SIGNATURES) ADORNS GUESTS’ FAVORS: KOOZIES, MASON JARS FILLED WITH A COCKTAIL INFUSION KIT (JESSE MCKINNEY, STYR COCKTAILS) AND MATCHBOOKS (SOIREE SIGNATURES).

CATERER: BAY GOURMET MUSIC: JAMES MARTIN BRASS BAND (NEW ORLEANS) AUDIO ENGINEER AND MUSIC CURATOR: JASON STIEGLER CAKES: UNDERGROUND CUSTOM CAKES LIVE ARTIST: MELISSA MUNGER JUNIOR BRIDESMAIDS’ FASCINATORS: JULIA GREER BRIDE’S FASCINATOR: RUA FLORES STAGE FRONT GRAPHICS: SOIREE SIGNATURES FAVORS: SOIREE SIGNATURES COCKTAIL INFUSION KITS: JESSE MCKINNEY, STYR COCKTAILS EVENT SPACE: CROWN HALL DAIQUIRI MACHINE: MOBILE POPCORN

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 73

op

op

CATHERINE MARIE BLACKWELL & MARK JOSEPH BUSCHMANN JR.

SHERRI CHANTAL BUMPERS & JORDAN JAMESON KABALKA

APRIL 10, 2021 CATHEDRAL-BASILICA OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION. RECEPTION AT COTTON WAREHOUSE

APRIL 3, 2021 CEREMONY & RECEPTION AT THE BRAGG MITCHELL MANSION

Family was incorporated from start to finish into this couple’s big day. Catherine donned jewlery crafted from a necklace given to her by her grandmother. Her veil, a family heirloom originated in Belgium and azalea’s once grown by her late grandfather were used at the reception. Though a fire at Cotton Hall and an unforeseen rain forecast caused for Plan C, the reception went off without a hitch as friends, family, and vendors rallied to turn Cotton Warehouse into the perfect wedding venue. From the trolley ride there to a grand convertible exit, it was an evening the couple will never forget.

These two were overwhelmed by love and support on their big day with Sherri’s step father walking her halfway down the aisle to meet her father and 17-year-old son who lead her up the final way. Her mother joined the three in giving Sherri away on her big day with close friends from all stages of life in attendance. The enchanted garden theme was enhanced with lanterns, string lights, and a chandelier. Paired with the natural glow of the sunset, it provided the perfect day for the couple.

PARENTS OF THE BRIDE Mr. and Mrs. Russell Lussier Blackwell PARENTS OF THE GROOM Mr. and Mrs. Mark Buschmann, Sr. and Ms. Lisa Murphy May PHOTOGRAPHER Jeff Tesney WEDDING DRESS Wedding Belles, New Orleans FLORIST Belle Bouquet HAIR Adelaide McAleer MAKEUP Courtney Matthews CATERER Naman’s Catering WEDDING CAKE Pollman’s BAND Accent INVITATIONS J O Acree Company RENTALS Port City Rentals, Showbiz Lighting, Old Shell Road Trolley

PARENTS OF THE BRIDE Mr. Donald Bumpers, Mr. and Mrs. Lawyer Tillman Jr. PARENTS OF THE GROOM Joseph Kabalka, The Late Linda Rowley, Mark Rowley PHOTOGRAPHER Jennie Tewell WEDDING DRESS Bliss Bridal FLORIST Belle Bouquet HAIR Treska Ballard, Teneika Pettway MAKEUP Nikki Thomas CATERER Naman’s WEDDING CAKE Cakes by Judi BAND Symone French Band RENTALS SOHO WEDDING PLANNER Blair Events

74 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

op COLLEEN VICTORIA ANUSIEWICZ & FIRST LIEUTENANT BILLINGSLEY GARNER POGUE IV JUNE 19, 2021 GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH. RECEPTION AT THE BRAGG MITCHELL MANSION

Colleen’s father, in his Marine Corp “dress blues” walked her down the aisle to meet Billy, shined and pressed to perfection in his Army Service Uniform. At the reception, the couple kept with military tradition, cutting the cake with Billy’s Army Officer saber, and channeling their American pride on the sendoff with miniature U.S. flags and sprinkled red, white, and blue confetti.

PARENTS OF THE BRIDE Master Sergeant and Mrs. David John Anusiewicz PARENTS OF THE GROOM Colonel and Mrs. Billingsley Garner Pogue III PHOTOGRAPHER Jennie Tewell WEDDING DRESS I Do Bridal & Formal FLORIST Southern Veranda HAIR & MAKEUP Hair and Makeup by Chaney CATERER Rob Berglin WEDDING CAKE Couture Cakes Daphne BAND The Tommy Morse Band INVITATIONS Gwin’s Commercial Printing RENTALS Port City Rentals WEDDING PLANNER Victoria Hulak-Stankoski

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 75

op MARY KENDALL BUTLER & CARRIE LEIGH COX APRIL 24, 2021 CEREMONY & RECEPTION AT THE COX FAMILY HOME, SPRING HILL

The skies cleared and the sun shone down just as Mary Kendall and Carrie said I do in an intimate backyard ceremony. A dear friend officiated the nuptials while rising Nasvhille star, Maggie Rose, sang Kari Jobe’s “The Blessing.” POST Bar mixed up the couple’s favorite signature drinks while guests formed an impromptu dance floor to carry on the festivities.

PARENTS OF THE BRIDE Mr. and Mrs. Frank Butler PARENTS OF THE BRIDE Mr. Billy Cox and Mrs. Brook Cockrell, Mr. and Mrs. Dwain Denniston PHOTOGRAPHER Amber Fletcher WEDDING DRESS Bella Bridesmaids FLORIST Victoria Austin Designs, The Petaler Co. HAIR Krista Wike MAKEUP Mallory Fitzgerald, Ashley West CATERER Naman’s Catering BARTENDER POST Drinks WEDDING CAKE Sukar Bakes VIDEOGRAPHER AJ Crenshaw BAND Maggie Rose, Cooper Trent, Blowhouse INVITATIONS Victoria Austin Designs RENTALS SOHO Events WEDDING PLANNER Blair Events 76 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

op

op

MILLIE WILLIAMS MCALEER & BROOKS CARROLL HUTTON

CAROLE LARKIN PIPES & JOSEPH BARRY FONTENOT

MAY 15, 2021 ST. PAUL’S EPISCOPAL CHAPEL, MAGNOLIA SPRINGS. RECEPTION AT THE HOME OF THE BRIDE, WEEKS BAY

JUNE 12, 2021 COVENANT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. RECEPTION AT THE HOME OF THE BRIDE, ASHLAND PLACE

Getting married at Millie’s family bay house was a dream come true for her and Brooks. The property has been in the family since 1939 back when it was a Tarpon Fishing Lodge. Growing up spending summers there with all of her cousins, it made the big day even more speical including all of their children in the festivities as well.

The couple accentuated the natural beauty surrounding them by highlighting elements such as the Spanish moss and gigantic waterfront oak trees creating a stunning scene for the pair to celebrate in.

Following the ceremony, the couple hosted friends and family at the bride’s family home in Ashland Place. The street party featured a backdrop of two 11-foot Oriental Scenic wallpaper panels, round moss balls and lanterns hanging from the oak trees above a central bar, and completed with a baby blue Stauter turned beer trough for guests to easily access. A final downpour towards the end of the evening did not stop the fun as guests continued dancing in the rain and cheered on the couple with sparklers as they made their final exit.

PARENTS OF THE BRIDE Mrs. Mimi Williams McAleer and Mr. William Joseph McAleer, Jr. PARENTS OF THE GROOM Mr. and Mrs. Larry Douglas Wilkerson Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Carroll Hutton PHOTOGRAPHER Rae Leytham WEDDING DRESS Carriage House Weddings FLORIST HAIR & MAKEUP Jason Chambers, Courtney Matthews, Cameron Bush CATERER Morrissette & Company WEDDING CAKE Betty Weber Cakes BAND INVITATIONS Soiree Signatures RENTALS Port City Rentals WEDDING PLANNER Events Detailed

PARENTS OF THE BRIDE The Honorable and Mrs. Samuel Wesley Pipes V PARENTS OF THE GROOM Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert LaRose Fontenot PHOTOGRAPHER Chad Riley WEDDING DRESS Maggie Outsey FLORIST Revelry Bloom HAIR & MAKEUP Jason Chambers CATERER Bay Gourmet WEDDING CAKE Pollman’s BAND Atlanta Party Fanatics INVITATIONS Arzberger Stationers, It’s Inviting RENTALS Port City Rentals WEDDING PLANNER Jaqueline Burkett

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 77

op

op

SUSAN HARTWELL COURTNEY & THOMAS RADCLIFF LATHAM

ROSHEDAH QUANITA WALLACE & TERRACE TERREL OWENS

MAY 15, 2021 ST. IGNATIUS CATHOLIC CHURCH. RECEPTION AT THE HOME OF THE BRIDE’S PARENTS, WOODLANDS AVE

JUNE 5, 2021 CEREMONY & RECEPTION AT THE MOBILE CONVENTION CENTER

Growing up as a child on Woodlands Avenue, Susan was elated to be able to host their wedding reception at her parents home there as well. The couple was touched as neighbors carefully manicured their yards in preparation for the big street party filled with family and friends which thankfully, turned out to be the best option given the circumstances of the pandemic.

PARENTS OF THE BRIDE Mr. and Mrs. Edward Courtney PARENTS OF THE GROOM Mr. and Mrs. Tommy Latham PHOTOGRAPHER Keyhole Photography WEDDING DRESS Town and Country, New Orleans FLORIST Ron Barrett HAIR Adelaide McAleer MAKEUP James Edwards CATERER Rob Berglin WEDDING CAKE Cakes by Judi BAND Big City Rhythm INVITATIONS Gwins Commercial Printing RENTALS Port City Rentals WEDDING PLANNER Ron Barrett, Lindsey Cheatwood

78 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

After postponing their wedding for a whole year, Terrace and Roshedah were finally able to say I do in front of friends and family reflecting on their heritage, love, and foundation in God. Centered around the gold family crest, the couple gave guests a glimpse of “The Owens Way” with good music, good food, and in good company.

PARENTS OF THE BRIDE Ms. Yosha Wallace and Mr. Denorris Hall PARENTS OF THE GROOM Mr. Tracy Steele and Ms. Lovella Owens PHOTOGRAPHER WEDDING DRESS Anya Bridal FLORIST & DECOR Nissi Couture HAIR Danielle Robinson MAKEUP Cindy J Makeup, Kyra Alexander CATERER SAVOR Mobile WEDDING CAKE Buttercreamery Sweet Boutique VIDEOGRAPHER YNOT iMages BAND JukeBox Brass Band, DJ 6Five WEDDING PLANNER Valia Rose Events

op SARAH WOFFORD YOUNG MOSTELLER & SCOTT TRACY MEADOWS JUNE 12, 2021 CEREMONY & RECEPTION AT THE HOME OF THE BRIDE, DAPHNE

Taking into account the pandemic, Sarah and Scott opted for an intimate summer wedding at the bride’s family home on the bay, with a garden ceremony followed by a sunset seated dinner on the porch. The memorable day was filled with bright citrus hues, twinkling lights, and lots of happy smiles as guests danced into the night alongside the happy couple.

PARENTS OF THE BRIDE Dr. and Mrs. Charles Mosteller PARENTS OF THE GROOM Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Meadows PHOTOGRAPHER Lindsey Shorter WEDDING DRESS Kamperett, San Francisco FLORIST HAIR Katlynn Hanson MAKEUP James Edwards CATERER Classic City Catering, Pensacola WEDDING CAKE Betty Weber Cakes, Pensacola BAND Time of Your Life, Atlanta INVITATIONS Paper Jubilee RENTALS SOHO Events WEDDING PLANNER Jenna Laine Weddings

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 79

op

op

KATHERINE ELIZABETH WHITE-SPUNNER & BARRETT RICHARDSON TROTTER

CARRIE ELIZABETH PRICE & ADAM WHITSON POER

MARCH 6, 2021 CEREMONY & RECEPTION AT CHAPEL FARM

MAY 1, 2021 ST. IGNATIUS CATHOLIC CHURCH. RECEPTION AT ALABAMA CONTEMPORARY ART CENTER

With the help of a fantastic team of wedding vendors and thankfully the release of vaccines prior to their big day, Katherine and Barrett were able to proceed with a stunning ceremony and reception at a family friend’s property, Chapel Farm. They two exchanged vows in front of all of their loved ones and most importantly for the couple, Jesus. The sacred ceremony was followed by a breathtaking tented celebration filled with blue hydrangeas, crisp white linens, and a dance floor ready to break in.

PARENTS OF THE BRIDE John and Margaret White-Spunner PARENTS OF THE GROOM Rick and Lynn Trotter PHOTOGRAPHER Alisha Crossley WEDDING DRESS Neiman Marcus, Dallas FLORIST HAIR Becca Townley Snell MAKEUP Chasen Lipscomb CATERER Clifton Morissette BARTENDER Bratton McGregor, Bottles UP WEDDING CAKE Couture Cakes VIDEOGRAPHER HUD Productions/Easton Film Co RENTALS SOHO Events BAND Celebrity Allstar Band INVITATIONS Paper Jubilee, Ashley Rice Designs, Southern Calligraphy WEDDING PLANNER Jenna Laine Weddings

80 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

Carrie and Adam were overjoyed to announce the date of their wedding as the first to be held in the recently completed St. Ignatius church. Standing adjacent from the old church on Springhill Avenue, the stunning new structure was built in a classical style while incorporating many items from the past as well. Carrie grew up attending school and church at St. Ignatius, and wore a precious Alexandrite ring gifted to her by her late grandmother as her “something borrowed” on her special day.

PARENTS OF THE BRIDE Mr. and Mrs. Roy Price PARENTS OF THE GROOM Mr. and Mrs. Steve Poer PHOTOGRAPHER Elizabeth Gelineau WEDDING DRESS Bliss Bridal FLORIST Belle Bouquet HAIR Becca Townley Snell MAKEUP Courtney Matthews CATERER Naman’s Catering WEDDING CAKE Cakes by Judi BAND Foundatin City Players with Music Garden INVITATIONS Reaves Engraving RENTALS Port City Rentals WEDDING PLANNER Jenna Laine Weddings

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 81

op HANNAH NICOLE MARKERT & TERRY AUSTIN RYALS

JUNE 26, 2021 ST. FRANCIS AT THE POINT. RECEPTION AT THE VENUE

Both natives of Daphne, AL, Austin popped the question to Hannah at the Fairhope Pier. Without hesitation, the two decided they wanted to get married in Fairhope, too. Having attended rival schools (Auburn and Alabama), the pair hosted a reunion of friends at the reception with dueling fight songs and spirit shakers in hand during their send off.

PARENTS OF THE BRIDE Mr. and Mrs. Cal Markert PARENTS OF THE GROOM Mr. and Mrs. Harold Densmore PHOTOGRAPHER Elizabeth Gelineau WEDDING DRESS Carriage House, Birmingham FLORIST Jubilee Flowers HAIR Chaney Smith MAKEUP Kendall Connell CATERER Tamara Wintzell, Tamara’s Downtown WEDDING CAKE Andree’s VIDEOGRAPHER Silver Thread Video BAND Southern Sounds INVITATIONS Weezie B. and Sally C. Designs WEDDING PLANNER Cathy Markert

82 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

op CHYNNA SUEANN ERNEST & COLIN MICHAEL DOUGLAS MARCH 27, 2021 SACRED HEART CATHOLIC CHURCH. RECEPTION AT THE HOME OF THE GROOM’S PARENTS, FLY CREEK

When these two got engaged, they did not think twice about getting married in Colin’s hometown of Fairhope with the reception hosted at his family home on Fly Creek. The day was made extra sweet with Chynna’s sister doing her makeup and Colin’s grandmother handling the alterations on her dress. Following a short boat ride from the church to the reception, the pair was eagerly greeted by guests on the wharf awaiting their arrival for the celebration to commence.

PARENTS OF THE BRIDE Mr. and Mrs. Joe Ernest PARENTS OF THE GROOM Mr. and Mrs. Michael Douglas PHOTOGRAPHER Jenn Glies WEDDING DRESS Diane’s Formal Affair FLORIST Stemz Florist HAIR Jordan Webb WEDDING CAKE Coastal Cakes BAND Homemade Jam RENTALS Port City Rentals

op MARY BALLARD BRUNSON & PAUL JOSEPH MCCRACKEN MAY 22, 2021 ST. IGNATIUS CATHOLIC CHURCH. RECEPTION AT THE HOME OF THE GROOM’S MOTHER, TUTHILL LANE

From the nine flower girls in their heirloom dresses to the lattice staging facade designed by the bride herself, this couple’s wedding was a dream all around. At the reception, Mary Ballard incorporated peachy floral arbors and later switched into a short white dress covered in 3-D sequin flowers. After much celebration, the newlyweds spontaneously hopped into a relative’s red convertible for their exit, only to realize weeks later that Paul’s socks on their wedding day depicted a bride and groom in a red convertible to boot.

PARENTS OF THE BRIDE Mr. and Mrs. Terry Hazlewood PARENTS OF THE GROOM Ms. Debra McCracken, Mr. Michael McCracken PHOTOGRAPHER Chad Riley WEDDING DRESS Alexia Maria FLORIST Steadman McGowin, Greenville HAIR & MAKEUP Allie West CATERER Rob Berglin, Dew Drop WEDDING CAKE Publix BAND Blow House Band, Hotwire RENTALS Port City Rentals WEDDING PLANNER Ginny McElhaney

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 83

EXTRAS | CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Falling for October OCTOBER 8 NATE BARGATZE: THE RAINCHECK TOUR 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Relatable humor for the Port City. Tickets: $39.75 and up.

SAENGER THEATRE • MOBILESAENGER.COM

OCTOBER 10

ALABAMA COASTAL BIRDFEST

POPS FALL CONCERT, SPANISH FORT 7 p.m. Enjoy this free symphonic concert.

SPANISH FORT COMMUNITY CENTER THEMOBILEPOPS.COM

OCTOBER 10 BLACKBERRY SMOKE 7:30 p.m. The American rock band takes the stage. Tickets: $31.50 and up.

SAENGER THEATRE • MOBILESAENGER.COM

FRIDAYS THROUGH NOVEMBER 26 STREETS ALIVE! 6 - 10 p.m. Dine, shop and stroll the street.

LODA ARTS DISTRICT DOWNTOWNMOBILE.ORG

THROUGH DECEMBER 31 GORDON PARKS: SEGREGATION STORY IN MOBILE, 1956 Photos document everyday activities of one Black family during segregation.

MOBILE MUSEUM OF ART MOBILEMUSEUMOFART.COM

THROUGH DECEMBER 31 HISTORY OF MOBILE IN 22 OBJECTS Twenty-two unexpected and compelling objects from Mobile’s storied history.

HISTORY MUSEUM OF MOBILE HISTORYMUSEUMOFMOBILE.COM

OCTOBER 2 & 3 CELEBRATE! A FESTIVE SEASON OPENER 7:30 p.m. Sa. 2:30 p.m. Su. The 2021-22 MSO season opens with Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4. Tickets: $20 - 89.

SAENGER THEATRE • MOBILESYMPHONY.ORG

OCTOBER 3 POPS FALL CONCERT, DAUPHIN ISLAND 5 p.m. Celebrate fall with this free outdoor symphonic concert.

OCTOBER 11 - 31 SCARECROWS IN THE GARDEN Stroll the grounds to see one-of-a-kind scarecrows. Regular admission applies.

DAUPHIN ISLAND WATER TOWER THEMOBILEPOPS.COM

BELLINGRATH GARDENS AND HOME BELLINGRATH.ORG

OCTOBER 6 - 9

OCTOBER 13

ALABAMA COASTAL BIRDFEST Birding opportunities await. Register for tours, cruises, workshops and field sessions. Tickets: $25 - 100.

FIVE RIVERS DELTA RESOURCE CENTER AND VARIOUS LOCATIONS ALONG THE COAST SOUTHALABAMALANDTRUST.ORG

OCTOBER 7 JASON ISBELL AND THE 400 UNIT 7: 30 p.m. Jason takes life experiences and sings about them. Tickets: $49.50 and up.

SAENGER THEATRE• MOBILESAENGER.COM

OCTOBER 7 EXCEPTIONAL ARTS EVENT 5 - 8 p.m. An exceptional night of creativity and entertainment.

LAKEWOOD GOLF CLUB, FAIRHOPE EXCEPTIONALFOUNDATIONGC.ORG

LAKE STREET DIVE 8 p.m. An evening of soulful harmonies and catchy lyrics. Tickets: $31.50 and up.

MOBILE CIVIC CENTER MOBILECIVICCTR.COM/EVENTS

OCTOBER 14 FOR KING & COUNTRY 7 p.m. The “Burn the Ships” Christian duo rocks Mobile. Tickets: $20 and up.

MOBILE CIVIC CENTER MOBILECIVICCTR.COM/EVENTS

OCTOBER 14 MUSIC CITY HITMAKERS 7:30 p.m. Award-winning songwriters offer songs reimagined for symphony.

Tickets: $30 - 80.

SAENGER THEATRE • MOBILESYMPHONY.ORG

To have your event included in the online or print edition of Mobile Bay Magazine, email calendar@pmtpublishing.com.

84 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

OCTOBER 16 WINE ON THE RIVER 4 - 7 p.m. Sample wine and cuisine from around the world.

COOPER RIVERSIDE PARK WINEONTHERIVERMOBILE.COM

OCTOBER 16 DAUPHIN STREET BEER FESTIVAL 6 - 9 p.m. Twenty-two venues will serve a wide array of unique beers. Tickets: $35.

LODA ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT BEERFESTMOBILE.COM

OCTOBER 16 & 17 JUBILEE FESTIVAL OF ARTS 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Art, music and seafood along the streets of Olde Towne Daphne.

LOTT PARK • THEJUBILEEFESTIVAL.COM

OCTOBER 17 “THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG” A Mardi Gras-themed theatrical dance production with live singing.

SAENGER THEATRE • MOBILEBALLET.ORG

OCTOBER 22 PARKER MCCOLLUM 8 p.m. The singer/songwriter croons his Texas tunes. Tickets: $19.50 and up.

SAENGER THEATRE • MOBILESAENGER.COM

OCTOBER 22 PAINT THE TOWN 7 p.m. Local cuisine and cocktails, silent auction and live artists. Ticketed event.

INTERSECTION OF SECTION STREET AND FAIRHOPE AVENUE • FEEFONLINE.ORG

OCTOBER 22 & 23 FALL PLANT SALE Stock up on the best plants for your Gulf Coast garden.

MOBILE BOTANICAL GARDENS MOBILEBOTANICALGARDENS.ORG

* Check event websites for most current status. october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 85

OCTOBER 22 & 24 “CARMEN” 7:30 p.m. F. 2:30 p.m. Su. One of the most famous women in opera returns.

THE TEMPLE DOWNTOWN • MOBILEOPERA.ORG

OCTOBER 23 BOO AT BELLINGRATH 3 - 9 p.m. Dress up for a spooktacular evening. Admission: $16, adults; $10, ages 5 to 12; free for children 4 and younger.

BELLINGRATH GARDENS AND HOME BELLINGRATH.ORG

OCTOBER 23 STAPLETON BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL 10:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Come for music, arts and crafts, and food. Admission: $10, adults; $5, children 5 to 12.

STAPLETON ELEMENTARY STAPLETONBLUEGRASSFESTIVAL.COM

OCTOBER 24 WEDDINGS TO BRAG ABOUT 11:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Visit vendors and register for prizes. Admission: $10.

MOBILE MARRIOTT WEDDINGSTOBRAGABOUT.COM

OCTOBER 26 BUDDY GUY AND KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD 7:30 p.m. A night of blues-infused rock and roll. Tickets: $49.50 and up.

SAENGER THEATRE MOBILESAENGER.COM

OCTOBER 29 - 31 FAIRHOPE MUSIC FESTIVAL An extended weekend of music, food trucks, vendors and activities. Limited camping and RV spaces available.

WEEKS BAY PLANTATION WEEKSBAYPLANTATION.COM

OCTOBER 29 - NOVEMBER 7 GREATER GULF STATE FAIR Games, food, fun and the biggest midway on the Gulf Coast await visitors.

THE GROUNDS GREATERGULFSTATEFAIR.COM

86 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

FOLEY WITCHES RIDE

OCTOBER 30 FOLEY WITCHES RIDE 5 p.m. Riders must be over 21 and female.

Or join the after-party with a $10 donation. Ride entry fee: $35 and up.

DOWNTOWN FOLEY FACEBOOK.COM/FOLEYWITCHESRIDE

OCTOBER 30 ELBERTA GERMAN SAUSAGE FESTIVAL 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Nosh on sausage and sauerkraut while enjoying games and more.

ELBERTA TOWN PARK • ELBERTAFIRE.COM

OCTOBER 30 BRAS ACROSS THE ‘CAUSE’WAY 8 a.m. Run for a cause, with proceeds benefitting the Providence Hospital Breast Cancer Outreach Fund.

MEAHER STATE PARK BRASACROSSTHECAUSEWAY.ORG

OCTOBER 30 MAKING STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER SOUTH ALABAMA 8 a.m. Run or walk to make strides toward a future free from breast cancer.

COOPER RIVERSIDE PARK MAKINSTRIDESWALK.ORG

OCTOBER 30 MASSACRE ISLAND HAUNTED BIKE RIDE 6 p.m. Don a spooky costume for a 5-mile ride. Ages 18 years and up. Fee: $10.00.

GREEN PARK, DAUPHIN ISLAND • FACEBOOK. COM/MASSACREISLANDHAUNTEDBIKERIDE

* Check event websites for most current status.

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 87

HISTORY | LEGENDS

The Battle of Mabila Historian John Sledge relates the violent confrontation between Chief Tascalusa and Hernando de Soto. text by JOHN SLEDGE

F

our hundred and eighty-one years ago this month, an epic clash occurred between Native American and Spaniard at a village called Mabila, somewhere in south central Alabama. The village’s exact location has been the subject of much speculation since the 18th century, with sites proposed from Clarke to Hale counties. The latest scholarly consensus, backed by exciting archaeological discoveries, places it somewhere to the west of Selma, in the heart of the Black Belt.

By the autumn of 1540, Hernando de Soto’s 600-man army had marched down the Coosa River Valley and into the fertile region between the Alabama and Tombigbee rivers. Here, the Spaniards encountered numerous small villages that abounded in maize, beans and squash. This was the province of the feared Chief Tascalusa, whom one of Soto’s men described as “an Indian so large that, to the opinion of all, he was a giant.” Cacique and conquistador first met at Athahachi, near present-day Montgomery.

Soto’s standard operating procedure was to take the chief, or cacique, of each province hostage to ensure the army’s safe passage to the next chiefdom. Additionally, he demanded food, bearers and women. Tascalusa was well aware of these practices and had no intention of tolerating them. When Soto asked him for bearers, the proud cacique responded that, in the words of eyewitness Luys Hernández de Biedma, “he was not accustomed to serving anyone, rather that all served him before.” Unmoved, Soto took Tascalusa prisoner, a brazen act that enraged the cacique and his people. Biedma declared this was why the formidable Native American chief “committed the ruin that afterward he inflicted on us.” Helpless amidst the heavily armed conquistadors, Tascalusa promised that he would supply their needs at Mabila, another of his towns nearby. Soto soon reached Mabila with his advance guard, Tascalusa and some bearers. The rest of the army lagged behind, pillaging as it traveled.

According to Biedma, Mabila was “a small and very strongly palisaded town” situated on a plain. It contained 80 buildings.

88 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

Above This engraving from the Library of Congress reads “HERNANDO DE SOTO: Extremaduran, one of the discoverers and conquerors of Peru: he travelled across all of Florida and defeated its previously invincible natives, he died on his expedition in the year 1542 at the age of 42.”

The walls consisted of wooden poles with cross pieces and interwoven vines, the whole clay-slathered to look smooth. There were at least two gates, numerous loopholes and several spaced towers. Rather than wait for the rest of his army to arrive, Soto elected to enter Mabila with his small party and the chief. Once inside, the bearers dropped their baggage, the horsemen dismounted and all gawked at the surroundings.

In an effort to distract the Spaniards, Tascalusa had 20 young women dance for them. Pleasing as this was to the soldiers (their average age was 24), there was a palpable tension.

Other than the dancing girls, there were no Native American

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 89

women or children visible, only men. One Spaniard peeked into a structure and spotted cached weapons and crouching warriors. Tascalusa abruptly excused himself and retreated into a dwelling. Soto asked him to come back out, but he would not.

When another Spaniard grasped a Native American and ordered him to retrieve the cacique, the brave wrenched free and refused. The infuriated conquistador swung his sword, severing the Native American’s arm.

It was as if he had slashed a hornet’s nest.

Native Americans boiled out of the huts and down off the walls while raining down clouds of arrows. Five Spaniards instantly fell with ghastly eye or neck wounds, and the panicked horses yanked at their tethers.

The conquistadors were at a decided disadvantage in a crowded space where they could not fight on horseback. Soto desperately ordered his men outside and stumbled twice racing for the gate. Arrows continually flew, hitting the horses, snagging in the men’s quilted armor and glancing off their iron morions.

Battles, whether ancient or modern, are unsubtle affairs, and the turmoil at Mabila — soldiers and Native Americans shouting, weapons clashing, wounded horses and men screaming, Spanish trumpets blaring, Native American drums pounding and an immense cloud of dust — all rose above the plain. Alerted by the ruckus, the rest of Soto’s army hurried to the scene. Locked out of the town, they could only watch as the triumphant Mabilians taunted them and displayed their plundered baggage from the walls.

Despite his surprise at the suddenness and violence of the assault, Soto was a blooded veteran who had helped Francisco Pizarro conquer Peru. He understood strategy and was adept at killing native people. In an attempt to draw out the Mabilians, he ordered his horsemen to feign a retreat. The ruse worked, and once outside the protective walls, the Mabilians were alarmed to see the conquistadors wheel and thunder after them. They fled in all directions, chased by yelling lancers and howling war dogs. Even on the de-

90 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

Above “The Battle of Mabila” by artist Herb Roe. Hernando de Soto’s entrada was a disaster for the Native peoples of the southeast.

COURTESY HERB ROE

fensive, the Native Americans lost none of their ardor. “We fought that day until it was night,” recalled Biedma, “without one Indian surrendering to us, rather they fought like fierce lions.”

With the remaining enemy bottled up inside the walls, Soto ordered his men to attack from all sides and burn the town.

His soldiers hacked the clay walls and scaled them, hurling torches onto the thatch rooftops. Others dropped down wielding their weapons. Biedma was brutally succinct: “We killed them all, some with the fire, others with the swords, others with lances.” Estimates of Native American losses vary, but a figure of 2,500 or so is likely. Tascalusa presumably died in the blaze. Conversely, 20 conquistadors were killed, and the survivors counted 750 arrow wounds.

The aftermath was bleak. Soto’s army remained at Mabila a month licking its wounds and ravaging the chiefdom. Eager to see the Spaniards gone, surviving Native Americans reported ships on the coast, but rather than end his ill-starred adventure, Soto turned his demoralized army northward. Mabila did not destroy him, but it dashed his hope. These newly discovered chiefdoms did not contain riches like Mexico or Peru, only corn and mounds and a defiant people determined to die free. MB John S. Sledge is the author of “The Gulf of Mexico: A Maritime History.”

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 91

THE ARTS | LITERATURE

A Glorious Mess You don’t have to ask author Audrey McDonald Atkins twice if she wants goober peas. She prefers them by the busheload. excerpt from the book THEY CALL ME OR ANGE JUICE

by AUDREY MCDONALD ATKINS illustration by ANNA THORNTON

T

his morning I came into possession of something I can only term a “mess” — a glorious mess.

You see, Brother called me and said that he’d been given a gift, a downright boon if you ask me, but since he was going out of town, he’d be unable to partake in said gift and did I want it. My answer was an unequivocal you’dbetterbeliev eitIamonmywayrightnowdon’tdoasinglethinguntilIgetthere!!!

What was this benevolence? This act of kindness? This good fortune hidden in a garbage bag?

It was a mess of raw goober peas!

Just as fresh and purty as you want ‘em to be. Brown, knobby, just smellin’ like green. Why, they still had the stems on them!

Just how much is a “mess,” you ask? Well, when this descriptive unit of measure automatically popped into my mind as I received this windfall, I wondered the same thing. I do know a bushel is a definite unit of dry measure, about eight gallons, and I know a bushel is made up of four pecks, there

are two gallons in a peck, and so on into the high math of cups. But what about a “mess”?

I know you can have a mess of greens (and don’t I wish I did!), which I think would be about an armload — as many as you can comfortably tote without a sack. But you can also have a mess of fish, which belies the dry measure concept. I think a mess of fish (again, I reiterate, don’t I wish I had one!) would be about a full stringer, maybe a dozen or so. Given these parameters and some general life experience, I would have to surmise that a mess is enough to feed your family and maybe have a little left over to share or put up for later.

Here’s something I do know for sure. Those grand goobers are going to spend a few hours swimming in a boiling, briny bath this very night so that come Saturday, when all our kith and kin are coming to watch the football, we can gobble up this glorious mess, the juice running down our chins and arms until we are absolutely sick with good fortune. MB

Born and raised in Citronelle, Atkins shares stories about growing up and living in the South in her book, “They Call Me Orange Juice,” and at her blog folkwaysnowadays.com.

92 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 93

HISTORY | ARCHIVES

A History of Mobile in 22 Objects An artifact from the ship that launched containerization symbolizes Mobile’s role in reinventing the global economy.

THE WHEEL OF SS GATEWAY CITY

text by MARGARET MCCRUMMEN FOWLER

T

he spaces of our modern lives look as they do because of the intermodal shipping container. Virtually everything around us, over 95 percent of manufactured goods, arrives via container. Containerization underpins the global economy.

And it was Mobile businessman Malcom McLean (1913 - 2001) who invented the intermodal shipping container, a contribution so phenomenal that it has been compared to the invention of the steam engine. The wheel from the SS Gateway City — the first large vessel to be converted to a container ship — steered the ship that carried the metal boxes that changed the world.

For almost two millennia, not much changed in the way ships were loaded and unloaded at docks. Scores of dockworkers hauled goods tucked in barrels, boxes and sacks. McLean, who had previously owned a trucking company, had the brilliant idea that a single, secure container could be transferred between trucks, ships and railroad cars, thus dramatically reducing the time and cost associated with maritime shipping. In 1955, McLean bought Waterman Steamship Company, a long-time fixture of Mobile’s maritime economy. With a firm foothold in Mobile, McLean set out to test his idea and substantiate its validity to industry associates. The proof of concept was the SS Gate-

94 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

way City, which sailed from Newark, New Jersey, in October 1957 carrying over 200 containers — and ushering in a new era of global commerce. A ship that had previously required a week to load could be turned around in just a few hours. Of such import is McLean’s invention that, in 2007, Forbes named him among “15 people who changed the world.”

Today, global shipping behemoths can transport a staggering 20,000 containers and may be as long as the Empire State Building is high. Although Mobilians, like all Americans, have felt the impact of manufactured goods shipped around the world at low cost, the Port of Mobile did not have a major container terminal until 2008, when APM Terminals opened a vast container and intermodal shipping facility. Container shipping on a grand scale in Mobile has reinforced the centrality of the Port of Mobile in the city’s economy. Encouraged by this new infrastructure, Amazon and Walmart subsequently chose to locate distribution centers in Mobile, and a new, refrigerated terminal promises to increase exports of containerized seafood.

Other aspects of maritime shipping in

Mobile have modernized and diversified at a formidable rate. Today, the Port of Mobile connects the city to 12,000 miles of inland waterway systems, making Alabama one of only two states with a deep draft port that boasts such connectivity. Connections to the inland waterway systems, for example, allow raw materials to reach steel manufacturing facilities like AM/NS Calvert or SSAB, who then ship their finished product out through the Port of Mobile or further inland via rail. Vast quantities of coal likewise flow through the port, largely through the high-capacity coal terminal located on McDuffie Island in Mobile Bay. Funding secured in 2020 allows for the Mobile Bay Ship Channel to be further dredged to a depth of 50 feet, permitting larger ships loaded with heavier cargo to enter the port. When it comes to efficiently moving these goods once in port, generations-old stevedoring companies like Cooper/T. Smith pride themselves on operating some of the largest and most advanced bulk cargo handling equipment

in the United States. And unlike the 19thcentury port, Mobile now imports and exports at nearly equal rates.

Most of all, the modern port has reasserted Mobile’s place on the international stage.

Mobile hosts more than 50 global companies headquartered in 20 foreign countries.

With a view of the Mobile River, one might see European airplane parts en route to Airbus. Iron products might be floating on a barge towards Nucor’s Tuscaloosa steel facility, while container ships from Belgium, China, or Morocco are unloaded nearby.

One is almost certain to see a littoral combat ship mid-construction inside Austal’s immense shipyard.

In the 21st century, the port has become, in some ways, like that of the 18th century: the heart of Mobile’s economy and the force behind a multinational city. From time to time, the port-city interface might create friction, if interests seem to misalign. But as port cities have always done, Mobile thrives in the 21st century through the vibrant mix of people, ideas and industries that sail into Mobile from the world over. MB Margaret McCrummen Fowler is the director of the History Museum of Mobile. She holds an MA in history of art and a Ph.D. in art history & society from Tulane University.

“A History of Mobile in 22 Objects” by various authors. Available for purchase at the History Museum of Mobile and at shoppmtpub.com.

Released in conjunction with the History Museum of Mobile exhibit, this photoheavy compendium delves into the city’s history through the analysis of 22 artifacts

by Mobile’s leading researchers.

Opposite This wheel steered the SS Gateway City, the first large vessel to be converted to a container ship. PHOTO COURTESY HISTORY MUSEUM OF MOBILE.

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 95

HISTORY | ASK MCGEHEE

What is the history of the recently removed fountain in Bienville Square? text by TOM MCGEHEE

The Ketchum fountain, which has been sent for restoration, was installed in the center of Bienville Square in 1889-90 thanks to funds raised by a group of Mobilians who wanted to honor local physician George Augustus Ketchum.

Three years earlier, Ketchum had founded the Bienville Water Supply Co. to provide a clean source of drinking water. The company’s founders included merchant D. R. Dunlap, cotton factor William J. Hearin and prominent attorney Daniel P. Bestor Sr. The physician was the driving force since he was convinced that having a reliable source of pure water would reduce sickness by at least 25 percent.

Water for Man and Beast The firm approached the city of Mobile seeking a contract to provide water for its citizens. In addition to providing a safe alternative to well water, which was often contaminated by nearby privies, the group agreed to provide free water to all public institutions, including churches and hospitals. One free drinking fountain “for man and beast” would also be provided in each of the city’s eight wards.

Yet another bonus offered was water available at a sufficient pressure to fight fires, with Bienville Water installing 300 fireplugs. As a result, Ketchum estimated that local fire insurance rates would drop by as much as 25 percent.

All of these benefits led to the city agreeing to a 20-year contract with the newly formed company. The water pipes installed were 30-foot pine tree trunks hewed into an octagonal

96 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021

shape. A 4-inch diameter hole was drilled through the center of each. According to the 1891 city directory, the company’s reservoir and pumping station stood 11 miles from town at Clear Creek.

The fountain would replace a dirt mound at the square’s center, which in 1860 became home to a cast-iron deer. This so-called “monarch of the woods” had been placed by Wood and Perot, an iron manufacturing firm that had cast the original iron fence surrounding the square. It stood there as a sort of advertisement in an era when cast-iron animals were popular garden ornaments in America.

Above The cast-iron fountain in Bienville Square was created in honor of Dr. George Augustus Ketchum, founder of the Bienville Water Supply Company.

“Ruthless Vandalism” To make way for the large basin needed for the fountain, a number of live oak trees would have to be removed. The Mobile Register received several letters from citizens upset at their removal. One writer described it as “ruthless vandalism to contemplate cutting down the circle of live oaks for a miserable fountain to bubble in the summer sun. We need shade to rest the weary body!”

The fountain won, and by 1891, an editorial described Bienville Square as “the handsomest public square in the South … with broad stone walks and handsome basin and fountain.” Ketchum served as president of the water works, and his office on St. Joseph Street offered a clear view of the splashing fountain placed in his honor.

In 1906, Ketchum died at the age of 81 and was buried in Magnolia Cemetery beneath a fitting epitaph: “Beloved Physician.” He was still president of Bienville Water Supply at his death.

A Second Restoration Although Bienville Square has had many changes over the decades, the Ketchum Fountain received little attention until it had just passed its centennial. Robinson Iron Works of Alexander City dismantled and restored it to its original appearance with funds raised by Main Street Mobile.

Thirty years later, history is repeating itself.

The fountain has been removed and sent to the same firm for a second restoration.

The $1.5 million restoration, expected to be completed in 2022, includes the construction of a new basin, and funding is being raised by the Downtown Parks Conservancy. MB

october 2021 | mobilebaymag.com 97

END PIECE | BACKSTORY

On the Hunt Photo courtesy S. Blake McNeely Collection, The Doy Leale McCall Rare Book and Manuscript Library, University of South Alabama

“Excitement is in the fall air for the outdoorsmen — and their families.

While the marksmen walk the fields or stake out their hiding places, non-hunters enjoy the crisper weather and catching up with friends or relatives at camp. Gossip is exchanged along with recipes for side dishes.

At sunset, the hunters return from the fields to clean their game, throw birds on the grill and appreciate unhurried camaraderie.”

– John Felsher, “Game of Birds,” Mobile Bay Magazine, October 2013

FROM THE MOUNTAINOUS NORTH to sandy Southern beaches, Alabama offers a wide range of diverse terrain and environs. Of the state's five geographic provinces, Mobile and Baldwin counties are located in the East Gulf Coastal Plain ecoregion, which stretches over 42 million acres, from southwest Georgia to northeast Louisiana. Within these confines are savannas, forests, bogs and sandhills, all making for a veritable smorgasbord of hunting options. From bobcats and coyotes (there's no bag limit or closed season for these wild felines and canines, by the way) to nutria and crows, deer and turkey, if you want to hunt it, Alabama's probably got it. And as exciting as bagging a catch may be, there are moments of quiet reflection, like the one seen below in a photo from the 1930s. As local author Watt Key once described of a hunt, “Everyone sits quietly alone, just out of speaking distance, watching the sky. Other than the occasional popping of shotguns and the faint sound of someone’s portable radio playing a football game, there are only breezes in the tops of the pines.”

A CLOSER LOOK The vehicle pictured appears to be a 1928 Willys-Knight Sedan. Manufactured by WillysOverland Motors, this car would have retailed for about $1,200. An ad in Life magazine touted the car's motor as its prime advantage: "The mechanical noises of motors and gears have been silenced as never before," thanks to the recently invented sleeve-valve engine.

Willys, pronounced "Will-is" not "Willeez," is best known for its 20th-century

spaniels can be traced to AD 1300. The English Springer Spaniel, pictured here, is a loyal gundog, able to retrieve game

Though it's not known it appears he was using a Parker VH 12-gauge double-barrel shotgun.

The double-trigger, 7-pound gun, manufactured by the Parker Brothers 1899 and sold for $50. The Parker VH earned the nickname, "Old Reliable," Oakley and Clark Gable.

1902

Year The Kennel Club recognized the English Springer Spaniel as a

151k

$1.25

Cost for a Jones Waterproof

in the early 1900s

16

Height in inches of the Maine

Do you have any good stories of hunting with your dog? Let us know! Email ahartin@pmtpublishing.com.

98 mobilebaymag.com | october 2021