A Guide to Historical
Research in Mobile
| This guide should assist those interested
in Mobile's history by providing basic information about our most commonly consulted
research facilities, including a summary of their holdings. We have included location,
hours of operation, phone numbers, faxes, email, and website addresses. This guide was
prepared by Chris Houston for the USA Archives (12/15/2004). Admiral Semmes Monument. Erik Overbey
Collection, USA Archives |
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The Historic Mobile Preservation Society Archives
Minnie Mitchell Archives Building
300 Oakleigh Place
Mobile, AL 36604
Telephone: (251) 432-6161
Email: hmps@bellsouth.net
Website: www.historicmobile.org
Hours: Tuesday thru Friday, 9a.m.-3p.m.
Access: No restrictions, advance appointment strongly recommended.
Research Aids: Card catalog available to visitors, index available online.
Services and Facilities: Paper copier, handicapped access, archivist on staff.
The Historic Mobile Preservation Society Archives contains
the William F. Wilson collection of glass negatives and photographs (c.1892-1910), smaller
collections of photographs, vertical files on Mobile history, Mardi Gras, and people, as
well as old maps, newspapers, early city directories, and several special collections,
including the library of architect George B. Rogers.
Mobile Historic Development Commission
Mobile Government Plaza
205 Government St., South Tower
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1827, Mobile, AL 36633
Telephone: (251) 208-7281
Fax: (251) 208-7966
Email: MHDC@cityofmobile.org
Website: http://www.cityofmobile.org/html/departments/historic/index.php
Hours: Monday thru Friday, 8a.m.-5p.m.
Access: No restrictions, advance appointment recommended.
Research Aids: Brochures on local historic districts available to visitors.
Services and Facilities: Paper copier, handicapped access, educational program.
The commission maintains a file on every property in the
city's seven historic districts. Many of the properties have chains of title, tax records,
and city directory research.
Mobile Municipal Archives
457 Church Street
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1827, Mobile, AL 36633
Telephone: (251) 208-7740
Fax: (251) 208-7428
Email: archives@cityofmobile.org
Website: http://www.cityofmobile.org/html/departments/archives/index.php
Hours: Monday thru Friday, 8a.m.-5p.m.
Access: No restrictions, advance appointments not required.
Research Aids: Guide to the holdings available to visitors, as well as online.
Services and Facilities: Paper copier, microform reader, handicapped access, tours,
exhibits.
The Mobile Municipal Archives contains all of the city's
surviving public records (c.1814-present), including a variety of resolutions, licenses,
tax lists, and minutes. The repository also contains maps, charts, and correspondence from
various city departments.
Museum of Mobile
111 South Royal Street
Mobile, AL 36602
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2068, Mobile, Al. 36652
Telephone: (251) 208-7569
Fax: (251) 208-7686
Website: www.museumofmobile.com/
Museum Hours: Monday thru Saturday, 9a.m.-5p.m, Sunday,
1p.m.-5p.m.
Access: First Sunday of the month is free admission to museum.
Library Hours: Monday thru Friday, 9a.m.-5p.m.
Access: No restrictions, advance appointment requested for library use.
Research Aids: Finding Aids available to visitors.
Services and Facilities: Paper copier, photographic reproductions, handicapped access,
tours, exhibits.
The Museum of the City of Mobile contains artifact and
documentary evidence that illustrates Mobile's history from the late sixteenth to the
twentieth century. The collection contains original documents, manuscripts, photographs,
and other material relative to the history of the area.
Mobile County Probate Court Records Department
304 Government Street
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 7, Mobile, AL 36601
Telephone: (251) 574-8500
Email: probatecourt@mobile-county.net
Website: http://www.cc.mobile-county.net/probate
Hours: Monday thru Friday, 8a.m.-5p.m.
Access: No restrictions, advance appointment not required.
Research Aids: Guide to holdings and indexes available to visitors.
Services and Facilities: Paper copier ($1.00/page), microfilm reader, handicapped access.
The Mobile County Probate Court Records Department contains deeds,
mortgages, licenses, court minutes, wills, and other documents from the eighteenth century
to the present.
Mobile Genealogical Society
Holy Family Catholic Church and School Complex
1400 Joyce Road
Mobile, AL 36618
Telephone: (251) 414-1995
Email: mgsmobile@mobis.com
Website: www.siteone.com/clubs/mgs/
Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 10:30a.m.-2:30p.m. and Saturday, 9a.m.-noon
Contact Person: Research Committee Chairman
Access: Advance appointment recommended during holidays.
Research Aids: Guide to holdings and indexes available to visitors.
Services and Facilities: Paper copier, microfilm reader-printer, quarterly
journal and occasional publications.
The Mobile Genealogy Society library contains city directories, genealogical
books and journals, and individual family histories.
Mobile Public Library Local History and Genealogy
Division
753 Government Street
Telephone: (251) 208-7093
Fax: (251) 208-5866
Email: lhgservices@mplonline.org
Website: http://www.mplonline.org/lhg.htm
Hours: Monday thru Saturday, 9a.m.-6p.m.
Access: No restrictions, advance appointment not required.
Research Aids: Online catalog available on web site, genealogical and local
history pamphlets, Mobile Register on Newsbank, Ancestry Plus databases.
Services and Facilities: Paper copier, book scanner, microform scanner and printer,
handicapped access, public internet access.
The Mobile Public Library Local History and Genealogy Division
collects information regarding area history. The collection contains microfilm of Mobile
newspapers (c.1817-present), Federal Census for Alabama and surrounding states
(c.1790-1930), transcripts of early French, Spanish, and British land records, and
vertical files of newspaper clippings, as well as over 16,000 books.
University of South Alabama Archives
1505 Springhill Avenue
Mobile, AL 36604
Mailing address: USA Springhill, Room 0722, Mobile, AL 36688
Telephone: (251) 434-3800
Fax: (251) 434-3622
Email: archives@jaguar1.usouthal.edu
Website: www.southalabama.edu
Hours: Monday thru Friday, 8a.m.-noon, 1-5p.m.
Access: No children under 12 years of age. Advance appointment desirable.
Research Aids: Brief guide to holdings on website, finding aids available to visitors.
Services and Facilities: Photographic and digital reproductions, paper copier,
microfilm/fiche reader-printers, handicapped access.
The University of South Alabama Archives contains thousands of late nineteenth-
and twentieth-century photographs and negatives pertaining to the Mobile area; public,
business, and civic organization records; and papers of individuals.
Dauphin Way Baptist Church
3661 Dauphin Street
Mobile, AL 36608
Telephone: (251) 342-3456
Fax: (251) 380-3282
Website: www.dwbc.org
Contact Person: Mrs. Betty Vinson
Access: Prior arrangements must be made and any request for research must be made in
writing stating the purpose of the research.
Dauphin Way Baptist Church has two published histories, which are
located at USA Archives. Also, they have five display cabinets in the Dauphin Street
foyer, as well as photographs. Their files cover the period from 1895 to the present.
Government Street Presbyterian Church
300 Government Street
Mobile, AL 36602
Telephone: (251) 344-4239
Fax: (251) 434-9324
Website: www.gspcmobile.org
Email: info@gspcmobile.org
Hours: Monday thru Friday 8:30a.m.-5p.m.
Contact Person: Jane Smith, Clerk of Session
Access: Advance appointment recommended.
Government Street Presbyterian Church has photographs, birth,
marriage, and death records, as well as documents that date back to 1831. The records are
also available on microfilm at USA Archives.
St. Ignatius Archives, Museum, and Library
3704 Springhill Avenue
Mobile, AL 36608
Telephone: (251) 342-9716
Fax: (251) 342-9716
Email: pstarkey10@Aol.com
Hours: Monday thru Friday, 10a.m.-3p.m., or by appointment.
Contact Person: Patsy Starkey
Access: Advance appointments are recommended.
Research Aids: A guide to the holdings is available for visitors.
Services and Facilities: Paper copier, handicapped access, photographic reproductions,
tours, exhibits (exhibits change periodically), and educational programs.
St. Ignatius Archives, Museum, and Library contains photographs,
diaries, Msgrs. Oliver Adams and J. Edwin Stuardi collections, including diaries, and its
emphasis is on St. Ignatius Church and School.
Spring Hill College Archives
Burke Memorial Library
Mailing Address: Spring Hill College, 4000 Dauphin Street, Mobile,
AL 36608
Telephone: (251) 380-3872
Fax: (251) 460-2086
Email: cboyle@shc.edu
Hours: Monday thru Friday, 1:30p.m.-4:30p.m.
Contact Person: Charles J. Boyle
Access: Advance appointment requested.
Services and Facilities: Paper copier, microfilm reader, microfilm printer, handicapped
access, photographic reproductions, exhibits.
The focus of the Spring Hill College Archives is limited to the
history of Spring Hill College, its administrations, faculty, and students. Special
collections, also a new part of the archives, has a much broader focus: rare books, Jesuit
books, Mobile collection, faculty collection and Spring Hill College student collection.
They are fully catalogued, and information is available online. Historical documents, such
as the Jesuit House Diaries, are not catalogued.
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mobile
400 Government Street
Mobile, AL 36602
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1966, Mobile, AL 36613
Telephone: (251) 434-1585
Fax: (251) 434-1588
Email: m_farmer@bellsouth.net
Website: http://www.mobilearchdiocese.org
Hours: Monday thru Friday, 9a.m.-4p.m. By
appointment.
Contact Person: Fr. Michael Farmer
Access: Special permission is required to visit the archives.
Services and Facilities: Paper copier, microfilm reader.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mobile houses sacramental
records, papers of bishops of Mobile, and Catholic departmental records.
Family History Center of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter Day Saints
5520 Zeigler Boulevard, Mobile, AL 36608
Mailing Address: Because of limited staff, the center
cannot respond to mail inquiries.
Telephone: (251) 344-9270
Email: al_mobile@ldsmail.net
Website: www.familysearch.org
Hours: Tuesday thru Saturday, 10a.m.-2p.m., Thursday,
6-9p.m.
Access: Appointment not required. Request microfilm in advance.
Research Aids: Ancestry.com available at center, Family History Library
catalog available on website.
Services: Five online computers, laser printers, microfilm reader-printers,
handicapped access.
The Family History Center has over 2000 rolls of microfilm
on site including 300 rolls of Alabama death certificates. It also provides access to
more than 2.4 million rolls of microfilmed genealogical records held in Salt Lake City,
Utah.
This guide was prepared by Chris Houston, December
2004.
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