Mobile Bay Magazine - April 2022

APRIL 2022

Deep Roots

Artists and woodworkers honor the memory of the Bienville Square oaks that fell victim to Hurricane Sally in 2020 42

Pieces of History

Magnolia Springs history buff Steve Boyleston displays his rare collection of early American artifacts

48 An Artfully Modern Mix

Fine art broker Amanda Winstead was raised in the world of estate sales and auctions, and her Fairhope home reflects the journey

PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU

 Jackson’s Oak, a 95-foot live oak in Daphne, is so named because Andrew Jackson purportedly made a speech to his army from one of its massive limbs during the War of 1812. On page 42, read about a local collector who believes he owns Jackson’s long rifle.

BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU

LITERATURE For writer Audrey McDonald Atkins, the scent of lantana is akin to a time machine

ASK MCGEHEE Do any characters in HBO’s “The Gilded Age” have ties to Mobile?

STORY Take a dive into a 1921 class photo from the Mobile County Training School in Plateau

BONE-IN PORK CHOP AT DOWNTOWN MOBILE’S WEST FOOD BAR MIDTOWN HOSTESS AND BLACKBERRY FARM ALUM, MAGGIE SHREVE BRIDE GRACE ELIZABETH WILLIAMS / PHOTOS BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU

PHOTO

PUBLISHER T. J. Potts

ASSISTANT PUBLISHER Stephen Potts

EDITORIAL CONSULTANT Judy Culbreth

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Maggie Lacey

MANAGING EDITOR/WEB Abby Parrott

SENIOR WRITER Breck Pappas

PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT Amanda Hartin

ART DIRECTOR Laurie Kilpatrick

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Anna ornton EDITORIAL INTERN Amelia Rose Zimlich

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS Mike Dumas, Elizabeth Gelineau, Meggan Haller / Keyhole Photo, Joe Turner

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

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Mobile Bay is published 12 times per year for the Gulf Coast area. All contents © 2022 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 re ect the opinion of the ownership or the management of Mobile Bay. is 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 PRESIDENT & CEO T.J. Potts

PARTNER & DIRECTOR omas E. McMillan

The spice of life

Most every Southerner has a particular method to their bloody marys. Some like them spicy, with Zing Zang mix and glugs of Tabasco, while others prefer plain old tomato juice and nothing more. Some restaurants today want the rim of the glass to be overflowing with a complete buffet of meats, cheeses and vegetables; a straw definitely required there. And some folks only need a lemon, lime and celery stalk — the classic garnishes.

Now, on to the next question: When are they best consumed? Sometimes on Christmas morning, although I still prefer milk punch. Always at Mardi Gras, with Joe Cain Day as the prime suspect. And don’t forget Easter brunch, which is just around the corner. Bloody marys, deviled eggs and decadent pastries sound like the perfect post-Easter-egg-hunt repast to me.

Some families have an even more specific tradition with the tomato libation. Our senior writer, Breck Pappas, who has long entertained MB readers with stories and interviews, recently told me about the drink’s place in his family lore. “For my grandparents,” he says, “Sundays meant bloody marys. My grandmother, Mama Jo, was the organist at Episcopal Church of the Epiphany in Enterprise, Alabama. Every Sunday, while Mama Jo sat behind the organ, my grandfather would receive communion, then slip out before the processional hymn. He’d drive home, mix two bloody marys and somehow drive back to church without spilling the drinks all over the seats. By the time church ended and the congregation had gathered outside for their Sunday gossip, Baba was there to greet the organist with a celerygarnished bloody mary.”

I don’t know if that’s true Southern hospitality or just true love, but it’s a weekly tradition we could get behind if it weren’t for those open container laws. And while there is truly no real reason to mess with a classic, you have to admit, it can be fun. So in this, our annual Entertaining Issue, we shopped both sides of the Bay for all the unexpected fixings you never knew your bloody mary needed, with flavors that surprise and thrill (and often kick, too!).

I’m always delighted — but never truly surprised — by Southern hospitality. Sharing food and drink while welcoming our neighbor just runs in our blood. This issue features recipes, insights and perhaps some new ideas to help you perfect this Southern art and meet every entertaining opportunity with aplomb. And whatever shape your hosting takes, remember to do it with your own distinct flourish — and garnish.

Maggie Lacey EXECUTIVE EDITOR maggie@pmtpublishing.com

WIGGLE ROOM

WHILE THESE DAYS YOU’RE MORE LIKELY TO SEE THESE COPPER MOLDS HANGING ON WALLS THAN FORMING PERFECT SEAFOOD JELLIES, IT’S TIME I TRY MY HAND. MAYBE I’LL START WITH A CONGEALED FRUIT SALAD BEFORE MOVING ON TO THINGS MORE SAVORY? THE KIDS ARE SURE TO REVOLT.

LOVE THIS ISSUE

PUCKER UP THIS MONTH WE TOURED THE FAIRHOPE HOME OF ART APPRAISER AND HOSTESS EXTRAORDINAIRE AMANDA WINSTEAD. SHE TELLS ME SHE MAKES A MEAN LIMONCELLO FROM SCRATCH WITH HER LOUISIANA MEYER LEMONS, SO I AM PLANNING MY RETURN VISIT!

SWEET

HAPPINESS IN A JAR EVERY SOUTHERN BAR WORTH ITS SALT SHOULD HAVE PICKLED OKRA WAITING FOR THE NEXT ROUND OF BLOODY MARYS. WE HAVE TONS MORE IDEAS FOR THE TOMATO TIPPLE. PAGE 19

CHAR-CUTE-ERIE I MEAN, COME ON. THESE ARE TOO CUTE TO PASS UP. TURN TO PAGE 24 FOR MORE CHARCUTERIE GOODNESS. EARRINGS, BAUBLEBAR.COM

WOMEN IN MINISTRY

WE ARE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO SEE A MAN IN A CLERICAL COLLAR IN THE DEEP SOUTH, SO WE ESPECIALLY ENJOYED SITTING DOWN WITH SOME OF THE BAY AREA’S FEMALE CLERGY THIS MONTH FOR AN UPLIFTING CHAT, JUST IN TIME FOR EASTER. PAGE 32

PHOTO

Tell us how you really feel

WHAT’S LOST IS FOUND

On February’s feature, “The Lost Boys of Mardi Gras,” about the much adored Catholic Boys Home Band

Just in case nobody else has given you a heads-up as to who the trumpeter is shown in your excellent article (and at right), it was 12-year-old Joe L’Abbe. I ran track with Joe at McGill Institute from 1965 to 1968, and he was chosen as the scholar athlete of our graduating class.

- Ed Lagman

I remember marching in the last parade the band marched in and people asking us not to quit because they enjoyed the band so much. Little did I realize that when I graduated a year later in 1970, they would close the home for good.

- Curtis Emigh

The “Lost Boys of Mardi Gras” article, written by Breck Pappas, was wonderful. It brought back memories for many seniors who experienced the Catholic Boys Home Band marching in Mobile’s Mardi Gras parades. The work that went into the article is very much appreciated by many in the community. It sheds light on life at CBH, while speaking volumes about the history and generosity of the Mobile Bay community. Thank you for keeping the band, the strut and the magic alive!

- Jim McEnery

Ronnie Welborn was the major. He could dance for sure!

- Sally L. Wilkinson

Loved watching Ronnie Welborn. All the teenage girls had a crush on him.

- Ann Largay Torbert

-

Loved the entire magazine as usual; however, this article really strikes a cord for me. I was so enamored with the CBH Band back in 1963 in 3rd grade at Old Shell Road that I cried on Christmas morning when Santa didn’t leave me a drum major suit and baton. Thanks to Breck for reviving “the music in me!”

- Henry Levens

I remember these boys, the band and their iconic strut, which I never mastered though I tried. This history lesson is amazing.

- Joy Burge

Such a cool article with a glance into something I heard about all my life from my dad. He talked about his years at CBH and the summers spent at Coden. When he met people later in life from his time there, he always made sure that we knew they were from CBH. And I agree with my friend Phyllis Reeves who thinks this would make a great movie.

Beth Portella Upton

YOU’VE GOT MAIL

Your magazine is a much-anticipated treat each month.

- Dr. Paul “Butch” Gibson

ARTS & CRAFTS

On March’s Spotlight of the Fairhope Arts & Crafts Festival 70th anniversary

What a hoot to open the March issue and there on page 25 discover a nearly 50-year-old picture of myself and wife Stevi selling pottery. Fairhope was so much fun then. I’m 75 years old now and still making pots. Life is good. Thanks for the memory.

- Barry Gaston

A REASON TO CELEBRATE

On February’s Spotlight, “Krewe of Kindness,” an organization bringing Mardi Gras magic to children with special needs

This is such a special organization with a great message.

- Carrie Akins

These folks are among the finest I’ve ever met or worked with! Their mission is greater today than ever.

- Michael Dumas

That’s the sweetest family! Our family are all big fans of Delaney [pictured right]. What a beautiful thing they are doing.

- Jani Handwerger

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

PHOTO COURTESY ARCHDIOCESE OF MOBILE ARCHIVES / COLORIZATION BY LAURIE KILPATRICK

KREWE OF KINDNESS 2019 QUEEN DELANEY

ZIMLICH / PHOTO BY MIKE DUMAS, MD IMAGE ARTS

More Ways to Connect

We’re not just in print. Find us online, on social media and in your inbox.

text by ABBY PARROTT

EASTER BRUNCH

Upgrade your holiday brunch menu with a few of our favorite recipes from local chefs and home cooks.

LOVE IT OR HATE IT

We want to hear your thoughts on aspics and jellied salads (see page 16). Shoot us a message on social media, and we’ll feature our favorite responses online!

WEDDED BLISS

Go online to explore expanded photo galleries of all the local weddings featured in our spring wedding section beginning on page 55.

SHARE THE LOVE

Share your proposal story with us, and we’ll feature your engagement announcement online.

DINING IN STYLE

Whether you prefer a traditional formal dining room or cozy breakfast nook, the family table is one of the most important spaces in the home. Check out our online gallery for a look at some of the most beautiful (and functional!) dining spaces we’ve found from local homeowners and designers.

COCKTAIL OF THE MONTH

Rosemary Gimlet: Gin, lime juice and rosemary simple syrup give this super simple cocktail a bright, refreshing flavor.

NEW ARRIVALS

Mobile Bay Shop is stocked with fresh picks for spring: ties, socks, belts, local books, prints and more. Scan the QR code below or visit mobilebayshop.com to start shopping!

EASTERN SHORE BACK ROADS MAP PRINT, $40

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST

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 deals for our online store. Sign up today!

CROQUE MADAME CASSEROLE SPRING WEDDING TABLESCAPE ROSEMARY GIMLET COCKTAIL PHOTOS BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU

A Setup for Entertaining Success

text by MB EDITORIAL STAFF

COCA-COLA ROAD?

Yes, there is a Coca-Cola Road in Mobile. Not surprisingly, it leads to the Mobile Coca-Cola Bottling Company in Tillman’s Corner.

To read about how you can (and should) bake with Coca-Cola, turn to page 30.

HEMINGWAY’S BLOODY MARY RECIPE

1 pint vodka

1 pint chilled tomato juice

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 jigger fresh squeezed lime juice celery salt, cayenne pepper and black pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients in a pitcher with “as big a lump of ice as it will hold.”

“FOR COMBATING A REALLY TERRIFIC HANGOVER,” HEMINGWAY SUGGESTED, “INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF WORCESTER SAUCE — BUT DON’T LOSE THE LOVELY COLOR.”

Turn to page 19 for more bloody mary tips.

“Entertaining doesn’t need to be a difficult or daunting process. Throwing an unforgettable party doesn’t require a ton of time or money; it just requires a little thought, creativity and heart.”

- Author and party planner, Maury Ankrum

APRIL 8, 1974

HOME RUN

Mobile native Hank Aaron hits the 715th home run of his career, breaking the record that was previously held by Babe Ruth.

THE YEAR THAT THE OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY FIRST RECOGNIZED THE ACRONYM

RSVP

DUVAL STREET in Mobile was named for Daniel Duval (1784-1824), one of Mobile’s earliest “mayors.” On page 72, read about the scandal of money and love that followed Duval’s death.

Bite of the Bay

MB’s contributing food fanatics share their go-to local dishes.

SEAFOOD

COMBO AT BOILING POT

“They offer two sizes of seafood combo at Boiling Pot. Both come with mouthwatering shrimp and oysters (you can opt out of the oysters), fried with great seasoning. The large combo also comes with fish. I love the fried white fish. It’s crunchy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside. You are not going to be disappointed. And with the large combo, your next lunch is taken care of!”

BOILING POT • 3704 AIRPORT BLVD. 345-0749 • BOILINGPOTLLC.COM

MIDTOWN DIP SANDWICH AT NIXON’S

WILL COOKSEY, Chief Operating Officer, Preload

“A French dip sandwich is commonplace on menus across the country, but do NOT confuse Nixon’s Midtown dip sandwich with anything commonplace. Juicy roast beef, melted swiss cheese topped with caramelized onions and homemade horseradish aioli would have made a succulent sandwich by itself; then you dip the combination in Nixon’s rich, homemade au jus sauce, and you are transported to hoagie heaven.”

NIXON’S MIDTOWN • 1801 OLD SHELL ROAD 586-8780 • NIXONMIDTOWN.COM

CHOPS AT THE FAIRHOPE INN

GREEN CURRY AT TASTE OF THAI

KAY WEBB, Retired, Senior

“I am always torn between the Berkshire pork chop and the veal chop because they are both so delicious. Each is beautifully frenched and grilled to perfection, which results in a very flavorful, moist, and butter knife-tender veal chop and a succulent, juicy, deliciously firm, but never tough, pork chop. The chops are accompanied by a light sauce that does not mask the meat’s flavor. Choose something from the Inn’s wonderful wine list, and you’ll be in for the perfect evening.

“Green curry is my litmus test for quality Thai food. This rich curry came with loads of fresh shrimp and a vegetable bounty that included perfectly cooked bamboo shoots, green peppers, carrots and lots of basil. This is a fiery curry that set my lips to tingling, in a good way. Their crab fried rice made with claw meat is the best on the Gulf Coast (and there isn’t a close second). They currently have tables set up outside as their only dine-in option.”

Executive Vice President, Marketing, Medical Device and Imaging Technologies  What dishes made you drool and left you hungry for more? Share them on our Facebook page!

THE FAIRHOPE INN • 63 S CHURCH ST., FAIRHOPE • 928-6226 • THEFAIRHOPEINN.COM

TASTE OF THAI • 9091 HIGHWAY 90, IRVINGTON • 957-1414 • FACEBOOK: TASTE OF THAI

MARY

BERKSHIRE PORK CHOP AT THE FAIRHOPE INN

MICHAEL DRUHAN, Owner, Rock the Float Mardi Gras Throws

ENEN YU, Co-concertmaster, Mobile Symphony Orchestra

Aspics and jellied salads … love ‘em or hate ‘em?

illustration by ANNA THORNTON

There is nothing people either loathe or love quite like aspic, and yet congealed salads have been around a long time. Cooks in the 1300s realized that the collagen from cooked animal parts produced a gelatin that would enclose the contents, thus preserving the meat and keeping bacteria out. A chef in the court of Napoleon later elevated aspic to a work of art, forming quivering creations in layers and colors fit for royalty. With the introduction of powdered gelatin, however, jellied salads became a mainstay on American dinner tables in the 1950s and Jell-O became a household name. While many Southerners still wouldn’t dare host a holiday without one, plenty of people gag at the thought and curse Grandma for her love of the wiggly molds. Here, MB readers share their true feelings about this gelatinous dish.

“LOVE ‘EM — EASY AND DELICIOUS! WE ALWAYS MAKE BING CHERRY CONGEALED SALAD FOR THANKSGIVING AND ASPIC ALL SUMMER LONG — IT’S GREAT WITH SEAFOOD!”

SUSAN WARREN

“I like the taste, and it brings back so many wonderful memories. Love tomato aspic with artichokes and horseradish dressing!”

FAYE SLEDGE

“I DO LOVE A DELICIOUS FRUITY JELL-O SALAD MOLD … BUT THESE SAVORY SUCKERS ARE NOT WELCOME AT MY TABLE!”

AMY BLASZYK

“I NEVER SERVE CONGEALED SALAD ANYMORE EXCEPT TOMATO ASPIC TO WOMEN. MY HUSBAND REMINDS ME MEN HATE ASPIC.”

JANE FEAGIN

“NO, I DON’T HAVE ANY MEMORIES WITH ASPICS OR JELLIED SALADS BECAUSE MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS AREN’T SOCIOPATHS.”

OCLLO ROBINSON

“ASPIC AND MOST JELLIED SALADS REMIND ME OF SUNDAY LUNCH WITH MY GRANDMOTHERS.”

MARGARET SEIFERT

“Because my wife, Nancy, and I discovered during our brief courtship that we were both crazy about tomato aspic, we spent the first year of our marriage trying many different recipes and loving them all. It was great fun. We had people over for dinner once every week for 52 weeks. A lot of recipes were tested and enjoyed, but the most fun were the delicious tomato aspics.”

“There is nothing more unappetizing or unappealing than an aspic, and I’m blessed my grandmothers weren’t into them and didn’t make them.” (After a pause for careful consideration ...) “But to be honest, if someone makes a fluffy lime salad, I’m going to have a bite or two because the pineapple-marshmallow combination is a wild one. Something about it just works. I don’t get it, but it does.”

“My mom made tomato aspic, which I still like. It’s made with bloody mary mix, minced onion, celery and sliced green olives. Spicy and good! You can also add boiled shrimp and some horseradish. Always served with a bit of homemade mayo.”

BUTCH TIGNER

DR. NORMAN MCCRUMMEN

ASHTON HENNIG

Citronelle native Audrey McDonald Atkins once wrote an entire essay about aspics. She says, “I have a love / hate relationship with recipes that require something to gel. I’m probably one of the few people who have ever failed at Jell-O. My Mama’s recipe has never let me down though, and I’m sure it won’t let you down either.”

FREDA’S TOMATO ASPIC PIQUANTE

Serves 8

2 small packages lemon Jell-O

2 small cans tomato sauce juice of 1 or 2 lemons

3 tablespoonscider or tarragon vinegar

1 shot Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon horseradish 3 or 4 drops Tabasco sauce

2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon grated onion juice 1 or 2 ribs finely chopped celery pepper, to taste mayonnaise, for serving

1. Dissolve Jell-O in 1 1/2 cups boiling water. Add remaining ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings to taste.

2. Spray a ring mold thoroughly with Pam or olive oil and invert on a paper towel-covered baking sheet to allow excess to run out. Then fill the ring mold with the tomato mixture and refrigerate to gel.

3. When the aspic is thick but not gelled, give it a little stir to distribute the celery pieces. Otherwise, they will all float to the top and not be scattered throughout.

4. Just before serving, take a sharp knife and run it around the edges of the mold. Put your serving plate on top of the ring mold and flip the whole thing over to unmold the aspic onto the plate.

5. Serve cold with mayonnaise.

REIMAGINE A SOUTHERN CLASSIC

The bloody mary has been a staple at brunches and get-togethers since its invention in a Parisian bar just over 100 years ago. Mobile has taken the classic and infused its own Gulf Coast spin, with ingredients such as blackened shrimp, red pepper jam and pickled okra. Shop the offerings at local stores around the city and create your own signature bloody mary to serve the next time you’re entertaining, or try these four flavor combos we perfected.

text by AMELIA ROSE ZIMLICH • photo this page by ELIZABETH GELINEAU

Gulf Coast Mary

This tipple was made for lazy days on the wharf and long boat rides

Bubbie’s Extra! Hot Horseradish, $5, Greer’s • Crystal Hot Sauce, $2, Greer’s • Old Bay Seasoning, $5, Greer’s • Whiskey Willy’s Original Bloody Mary Mix, $9, Greer’s • Bloody Mary Trees, $25, The Garage Studio

Dip the edge of your highball in water and then dust with Old Bay Seasoning mixed with kosher salt to take the shrimp boil theme to the max!

IT ALL STARTS WITH VODKA

The foundation of every bloody mary is, of course, vodka! Start with one jigger (about 1.5 ounces) vodka and add 4 ounces tomato juice or bloody mary mix. Season to your liking!

These days, it’s possible to eat AND drink local. Redmont has been distilling the spirit in Alabama since 2015 as the first legal distillery in Birmingham since Prohibition. (They make gin, too!)

Swanky Mary

Clear your sinuses and add a major flavor bomb by stirring in a dollop of wasabi sauce to the mix. Dust the ground ginger around the rim for more kick.

West Food Bar

by HALLIE KING

by ELIZABETH GELINEAU

Some chefs work their way up to their dream positions, climbing the ranks by cooking on the lines of their superiors. Others risk it all to build their dreams from the ground up, establishing brick and mortar restaurants on the foundations of skill and wistful hope. Chef Weston Simpson’s path falls somewhere in the middle. After honing skills for more than a decade, rising from banquet cook to executive chef at restaurants on both sides of the Bay, he chose to forge his own path.

When Simpson acquired the location of the former Von’s Bistro on St. Michael Street, he envisioned a slow transformation of the building and its menu, gradually evolving from the Asian fusion cuisine of the previous owners into a speakeasy-inspired venture. But his investors, Lance and Gerri Hallmark, recognized his hunger and the scope of his vision from the beginning, encouraging him to fully embrace the metamorphosis before reopening the building.

“They’re helping me make the dream,” Simpson says. “Originally, I was just going to slap my name on [Von’s], and then they said, ‘You have this grand idea that you want to do eventually.

Let’s do it now.’ It was pretty cool and very humbling.”

The result is West Food Bar, an intimate, elegant locale bursting with eye-catching jewel tones and a sophisticated speakeasy vibe. With only 36 dining seats and a standing room bar directly facing the line, the open-concept kitchen invites guests directly into the experience in a fully immersive way. “It’s a cool, calm, collected atmosphere,” Simpson says. “Even when we’re very busy, I don’t want it to be rushed. I want to make each experience special. It’s not about coming and getting full off a meal; it’s coming to enjoy yourself and feeling special for a night.”

The compact but refined chalkboard-style menu is ever-changing, featuring seasonal accompaniments that highlight simple yet expertly executed main ingredients. Premium proteins and fresh, local seafood are front and center, with unexpected drink pairings and superior service to round out the comfort-chic ambiance. Each brunch, lunch and dinner service offers something exclusive that’s unlikely to be repeated again, creating an unrivaled experience for each patron on every visit. MB

Lunch: 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Tu - F. Brunch: 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Sa & Su. Dinner: 5 - 11 p.m. Th - Sa. Closed Mondays.

text

• photos

ON THE MENU

BEEF CARPACCIO

Thinly shaved slices of premium beef tenderloin fan out beneath dollops of fragrant lemon truffle aioli and classic accoutrements of peppery arugula, briny capers and toasted crostini.

RIBEYE AU POIVRE

A hearty, pepper-crusted ribeye bathed in red wine pan sauce rests atop robust roastedgarlic mashed potatoes and vibrant, tender-crisp haricots verts.

BONE-IN PORK CHOP

A thick-cut, bone-in pork chop glistens in thymescented honey, served alongside bronzed, smashed red potatoes and rainbow carrots dressed in a decadent mustard glaze.

ROASTED GRAPE CHEESECAKE

Vanilla bean-studded New York cheesecake is finished with a heap of roasted red grapes and a pillowy pile of gently sweetened whipped cream.

RIBEYE AU POIVRE

Small Bites, Big Hospitality

From specialty cheeses to elegant garnishes and everything in between, food enthusiast Maggie Shreve gives us her best tips and tricks on how to curate delectable bites and host cozy gatherings.

text by AMANDA HARTIN photos by ELIZABETH GELINEAU

Maggie Shreve has a list of entertaining must-haves: A good candle and music are at the top. “Snacks, for sure,” the brunette adds, glancing up toward the porch’s haint blue ceiling and mentally ticking off requisites. “And a good porch setup.” She proudly motions toward the two swivel armchairs she and husband Edward recently purchased.

“We had a birthday celebration for Edward out here that included homemade cinnamon rolls.” She laughs, having spied her groom peeking through the dining room’s wavy glass windowpanes, just one of the home’s charming original features. “It was a really great morning.”

The large, elevated outdoor living area is a big part of what drew the newlyweds, both St. Paul’s and Auburn University grads, to their Midtown home, just around the corner from Murphy High School. It’s a prime people-watching perch, especially during blue-skied afternoons like today.

“We go on neighborhood walks all the time,” Shreve says, rising, then holding out an imaginary glass. “We go on wine walks when it’s warmer.” Her beverage of choice is a light, effervescent Vinho Verde, which boasts hints of lemonade, melon, berries and grapefruit. “It’s the perfect chillingoutside wine.” But for now, she’s focused on heading inside, where a freshly prepared charcuterie spread awaits.

The 1940s Craftsman bungalow is decorated in shades of nudes and blues, accentuated with streaks of gold. Cushy seating beckons guests into the den, but the smell of freshly brewed coffee and roasted nuts wafting from the dining room trumps. Built-in cabinets flank the antique dining table, decorated with silver and porcelain and just-picked camellias. Late-afternoon sun drapes the north wall on which two framed menus hang, serving as a reminder of the room’s purpose, no doubt.

“I begged my mom to let me have those,” Shreve says of the decades-old bills of fare from prestigious Restaurant Paul Bocuse. “My parents lived in France during the early ‘90s; that’s when my mom really learned to expand her palate.” A trait she carried back to the States and passed on to her children.

As a young foodie, Shreve remembers requesting lamb chops for her birthday party — as a 7-year-old. “And my mom recently reminded me of a field trip I went on in the 6th grade to North Carolina.” She zests lemon onto a block of feta while she talks. “We visited Carl Sandburg’s house and saw the dairy goats. I called my mom that night and told her they made goat milk chocolate!”

Above Maggie Shreve holds a thoughtfully packaged charcuterie box, a treat she makes for friends and family.

Growing up in a family of gastronomes has its perks. “We’ve always loved food, which is good because I’m always hungry.” She laughs and pops a pecan into her mouth. “Food has been central to get-togethers for as long as I can remember. My mom hosted a lot when I was growing up. Even now, we have Sunday dinners every week at my parents’ house.”

And Shreve hosts now, too. Her hospitality comes easily, both a tribute to her mom and her years of work at Blackberry Farm in Tennessee.

“My cousin took a trip to Blackberry and told me I needed to visit.” Her eyes glisten as she recalls the Smoky Mountain resort. “When I got there, I said, ‘This is everything I’ve ever dreamed of.’ It combines luxury, hospitality and fine dining.” All skills she garnered and brought back home to Mobile. Now in her dining room, she prepares for an early evening of small bites and wine with friends. Shreve, a Level 1 in the Court of Master Sommeliers, thoughtfully selects three bottles of vino, each of which complement the assortment of presented

meats and cheeses. Edward, having finished work for the day, comes downstairs and jokingly asks, “What did you save me?”

Shreve smiles. “I like to make sure people are well-fed.” And she’s doing it in more ways than one. In addition to hosting parties, she also curates individualized charcuterie boxes for friends and family, each packed with meats, cheeses, fruits, jams, nuts and honey. It’s a hobby she hopes to turn into a business one day.

“I like the idea of grab-and-go,” Shreve says, showing off a cardboard container

she intends to pack and send home with guests tonight. “Boxes encourage people to get outside and enjoy. I like to go to local breweries and take a box with me; I just snack right out of it.”

Shreve checks the temperature of the wine chiller, then glances out the plantation shutters at approaching headlights. She takes one last glance at the spread on the table before making her way to the door to greet her guests. “Always have something on hand,” Shreve says with a wink. “It’s Southern hospitality.” MB

PERFECT PAIRINGS

A Level 1 Sommelier, Shreve always has the perfect bottle on hand. Her rule of thumb: You want your wine to be sweeter than what you’re eating.

POUR

Proa Brut Cava: Sparkling wine from Spain, with aromas of sweet pineapple and apple.

PAIR WITH Fatty cheeses like brie

POUR

Las Martas Cervera de la Canada 2019: A heavy red wine from Spain, with earthy notes and hints of blueberry, strawberry and plum.

PAIR WITH Peppered salami and BellaVitano cheese.

POUR

Post Haste Albarino: Made from white grapes grown in Spain and Portugal, it offers notes of citrus blossom and tart orchard fruits.

PAIR WITH Salty meats and cheeses, like feta, soprassata and prosciutto.

Tips for Serving a Great Charcuterie Board

HER PRO TIPS

Keep these tips in mind when planning your smorgasbord, and it will surely be a crowd-pleaser.

SET IT OUT

Remove cheeses from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving. You don’t want the cheese to be rock hard, and flavors tend to develop more at room temperature.

MIX IT UP

Texture is key, both visually and for the palate. Balance salty and crumbly cheeses with smooth and creamy ones. Balance soft breads with crisp crackers.

CUT THE CHEESE

TIME TO BOARD

Maggie Shreve shares a few things that make an appearance on all of her charcuterie boards.

FETA: Made from sheep’s milk, this soft cheese is tangy and salty. Shreve adds additional flavor by topping it with lemon zest and fresh-cracked pepper.

SALAMI : Depending on which cured sausage link you choose, the taste can range from sweet and spicy to hot and savory. Shreve loves sopressata, an Italian dry salami that can combine sweet, salty or spicy notes.

BRIE : Perhaps the best-known French cheese, this cow’s milk selection boasts a creamy, mild and buttery taste.

PROSCIUTTO : A sweet and delicate unsmoked, uncooked dry-cured ham.

GREEN HILL : Made in Thomasville, Georgia, this double-cream cow’s milk cheese is silky and buttery.

BELLAVITANO : A creamy, nutty and fruity-flavored cow’s milk cheese wrapped in a wine-soaked rind.

MUDDY POND SORGHUM : Pure sorghum syrup with an earthy, smoky flavor. It’s delicious caramelized on nuts or drizzled over soft cheeses.

There’s a correct way to do it: Cube harder varieties and uniformly slice softer ones, such as brie. Guests should slice their own very-soft cheeses, like goat cheese.

A TASTE OF HOME

Use as many local meats, cheeses, honey and jellies as you can find, keeping in mind farmers markets and the shop-local section in grocery stores.

COVER IT UP

Whether you’re using a silver tray, wooden board or melamine platter, fill it up, covering as much of the dish as possible, making for a visually lush offering.

ADD COLOR

A monotone cheese and meat board is drab. Bring it to life with colorful fruits, edible flowers and fresh herbs such as rosemary, mint and thyme.

SORGHUM-ROASTED PECANS

MAKES 2 CUPS

These sweet and salty nuts deserve a spot on your charcuterie board. Shreve makes sure to always have Muddy Pond Sorghum on hand, available at Whole Foods. She fell in love with the Tennesseebased brand while working at Blackberry Farm .

2 cups raw pecans

2 tablespoons agave

3 tablespoons sorghum syrup

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon sea salt

In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients except sea salt. Stir pecans until they are coated with the syrup mixture. Spread pecans onto a baking sheet and bake at 325 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven. While pecans are still warm, sprinkle with sea salt.

Coca-Cola Cake and a Culinary Homecoming

One Lower Alabama newcomer knows you don’t have to grow up in the South to be raised on Southern food.

text by MARISSA DEAL • photos by MEGGAN HALLER / KEYHOLE PHOTO

Growing up in Colorado as the daughter of two parents raised in Alabama, I quickly became aware that I ate “weird food.” I distinctly recall having a friend over for a sleepover and her telling me that the cheesy bacon grits my parents served us with our breakfast that morning were “gross.” Over the years, I learned to hide the pimento cheese sandwich and cold leftover fried chicken in my lunch box and not to invite friends over for dinner for our strange turnip greens or our, as

one friend described it, “furry” fried okra. After a while, I stopped requesting these foods at all when at home and filled my lunch boxes with turkey sandwiches and chips like the other kids had. However, I continued to live a secret double life when I visited my grandparents’ houses in Headland, Alabama, (near Dothan) each summer and ate my fill of boiled peanuts, sweet potato pie and potlikker with extra glugs of my Pop’s homemade pepper sauce. As I got older, I didn’t visit my grandparents as often, instead staying in Denver working summer jobs. Then I went to college, got married and established my life in Denver, all but forgetting about the foods and flavors that shaped my childhood. That is, until my husband and I moved to Spanish Fort. Suddenly, my palate reawakened and my husband, who after so many years thought he knew everything about me, watched with mouth hanging open in surprise as I put pepper sauce in turnip greens or explained that Coca-Cola absolutely can, and should, go in a cake. I started ordering shrimp and grits, said I wanted my tea sweetened (the way it was always meant to be) and delighted in sides of fried green tomatoes with comeback sauce. It has been fun introducing my husband to the culinary delights of the South. And, like reuniting with a dear old friend, I can only say that I regret it took me so long. MB

Marissa Deal is enjoying her new life in Spanish Fort with husband Clint, two dogs and two new rescue kittens.When not indulging in her passion for creative writing, food and travel, she provides compassionate care to her patients as an acute care physical therapist assistant.

MARISSA’S COCA-COLA

CAKE SERVES 12 - 16

Deal’s great aunt shared this recipe with the family on an old dog-eared index card.

1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup Coca-Cola

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar dash of salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan, mix marshmallows, cocoa, oil, butter and Coca-Cola. Bring to a boil and stir occasionally until well blended. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

2. In a separate bowl, add eggs and baking soda to the buttermilk and stir until combined.Add to the saucepan mixture and stir ingredients together.

3. In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Add liquids from the saucepan into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir by hand.

4. Pour final mixture into a greased 9-by-13-inch pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

ICING

1 stick butter or margarine

3 tablespoons cocoa unsweetened

6 tablespoons cola

1 box (approximately 4 cups) confectioner’s sugar

1 cup chopped pecans or peanuts

In a saucepan, combine butter, cocoa and cola. Bring to a boil and gradually add confectioner’s sugar. Beat well and then stir in nuts. Pour on the cake as soon as it comes out from the oven.

A Sisterhood of Faith

text by JILL CLAIR GENTRY • photos by MEGGAN HALLER / KEYHOLE PHOTO

When Rebekah Abel Lamar visited Government Street Presbyterian Church for the first time in 2019, she walked down a long hallway adorned with portraits of the church’s previous pastors. Dozens of men stared back at her. Later that year, Lamar became the first female senior pastor in the church’s nearly 200-year history. Despite meeting nothing but enthusiasm upon her arrival, Lamar felt the weight of her historic appointment all the same.

“I had to come in and tell myself, ‘Here are all these people who have led this church so faithfully, but I’m going to have to do it differently because of who I am,’” she said. “I can only do this the way I’ve been called to be a leader.”

In February, Lamar hosted a roundtable discussion with a group of nine other ordained women who lead in Bayarea churches or ministries. Sitting around a large table in the church’s library, the women shared their experiences with serving in ministry. The big takeaway? They couldn’t believe most of them had never met. The women reveled in their shared calling despite their many differences — theological, denominational, political, racial and socioeconomic.

“It’s always the men forming pastoral ministerial alliances and such,” said Shree Shaw Lovett, who serves as an evangelist at Apostolic Church of God Rapture Preparation Center in Mobile and is Alabama Coordinator of the National Day of Prayer Task Force. “I love that God is breaking all those walls down and bringing all of us together in the same Spirit.”

After the discussion, emails flew in, everyone scrambling to plan another gathering.

“That was the most fun,” wrote Lydia Knizley Johnson,

Missioner for Development with the Episcopal Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast. “I’m completely serious that I want us to all get together and hang out and continue in friendship.”

Equipped to lead

Although it is still rare to find churches led by women, female clergy are becoming more common. According to researcher Eileen Campbell-Reed, in 1960, 2.3 percent of U.S. clergy were women, and in 2016, that number rose to 20.7 percent. At the roundtable, the pastors discussed what unique gifts women bring to leadership roles in religious communities.

“I think women are naturally great managers and directors,” said Mary Alice Mathison, Missioner for Mobile with the Episcopal Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast and parttime associate at St. Luke’s, Mobile. “Historically, women have had to take care of a lot within family households, and I think we bring that with us — some of the things we are culturally taught we should do are also great gifts in ministry: being able to manage, direct and multitask.”

The women talked at length about being themselves in their leadership roles, allowing their femininity to be a part of who they are. It’s tempting for women who lead in any capacity to lean into the traditionally masculine parts of their personalities, but around the table, the pastors celebrated how their vulnerability, sensitivity and open-mindedness have allowed them to connect with their congregants in ways that can be more difficult for men.

Opposite Ten female pastors gathered at Government Street Presbyterian Church in February to discuss what it’s like to be a woman in ministry. Instant friendships were forged.

Ten ordained women gather for a roundtable discussion about shared experiences, challenges and the occasional mid-service blunder.

“We are compassionate and sensitive by nature, and that draws us to be more open-minded to situations and to see things from the eyes of others,” said Jessica Durr, who has served as pastor of Metropolitan AME Church in Mobile since 2017. “The sensitivity we possess compels us to be sensitive to the needs of our congregations.”

Lamar said being a woman has, at times, allowed her to overcome people’s deeply held assumptions about what to expect from a church.

“If people have an idea of what the church is, particularly if it’s a negative one, just the fact that I’m not what they expect allows me to get past that a little bit,” she said. “I have found that to be a real gift.”

Juggling roles, finding meaning

All of the multitasking these women do — most of them are wives, mothers and even grandmothers — can lead to some humorous moments as well as powerful epiphanies.

Kathy Jorgensen, who has served at Dauphin Way United Methodist Church for over 50 years, is a mother of four and grandmother of five. She’s the kind of mom who buys virtual reality headsets so she can play online games with her adult children because that’s what they enjoy. So, it’s unsurprising that each year, she puts together elaborate themed Easter baskets for her grandchildren that reflect their interests.

“One year, I was specifically looking for anything that was related to Curious George, the monkey, for their Easter baskets,” she said. “So that was on my mind all weekend. On Palm Sunday, I was praying in front of the church, and I said, ‘Jesus rode in on a monkey.’ And I thought, ‘Oh my, I just said ‘Jesus rode in on a monkey.’”

“I immediately corrected and said, ‘donkey’ and looked around — no one in the congregation was laughing. So, I thought, ‘Oh it’s OK, no one heard it. Everything is fine.’ But after I finished my prayer, I turned around and the whole choir was stifling laughter. And to this day, I have not lived it down.”

Anna Fulmer Duke, associate pastor at Springhill

“WE ARE COMPASSIONATE AND SENSITIVE BY NATURE, AND THAT DRAWS US TO BE MORE OPEN-MINDED TO SITUATIONS AND TO SEE THINGS FROM THE EYES OF OTHERS.”

– Jessica Durr, pastor of Metropolitan AME Church in Mobile

encouraged her to become an Episcopal priest. Mary Alice Mathison talks with Jessica Durr.

Left Shree Shaw Lovett, middle, laughs with fellow pastors Anna Fulmer Duke, left, and Alexandra Hutson. Above Jabaria Dent, left, sits with Kathy Jorgensen. Below Rebekah Abel Lamar, middle, leads the group in a closing prayer.

Presbyterian Church and mother to a 1-year-old boy, reiterated that spirituality is found everywhere, not just inside a church building. Juggling multiple roles — pastor, mother, friend — encourages her to find meaning in the ordinary tasks of life.

“Sometimes we think we have to find God’s presence in church pews, but when we bathe our babies, we can remember our baptism or think of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet when we wash those little toes,” Duke said. “When we eat a meal or enjoy a cup of coffee together, we remember Jesus’ last supper with his disciples.”

Ministry in Mobile

The 10 pastors come from vastly different backgrounds, many from places far from Mobile. Some grew up in the area, left for college and returned to accept a position at a church. All of them expressed gratitude to have found themselves living and working on the Gulf Coast.

“I haven’t been here for long, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned about Mobile, it’s that people here know how to throw parties,” said Alexandra Hutson, associate pastor at Government Street Presbyterian Church. “People here have this special energy and enthusiasm about them.”

Johnson, who grew up in Mobile, possesses a deep fondness for the area. “Those parties are how

we express our belovedness to one another,” she said.

Lamar commented on the community’s connection to water and the unique beauty of Mobile Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.

“You know, in the 1500s, Spanish explorers sailed into what we call Mobile Bay, and they called it the Bay of the Holy Spirit,” said Pam Hanes, an ordained minister who has led Pam Hanes Ministries for over 30 years. “How blessed we are not only to live near the water and have the Holy Spirit in us — but we also get to live around the Bay of the Holy Spirit. I think that’s so special.” MB

Opposite page, left to right Historic Government Street Presbyterian Church was the setting for the roundtable discussion. Lydia Knizley Johnson shares what

DEEP ROOTS

The story behind the fallen oaks of Bienville Square is one of destruction leading to dreams, chaos leading to craft, and a new history being written for the city of Mobile.

text by JOSH GIVENS photos by MEGGAN HALLER

A GUITAR CREATED BY CHRIS FAYLAND FROM THE BIENVILLE SQUARE LIVE OAKS

HE WHO WORKS WITH HIS HANDS IS A LABORER.

HE WHO WORKS WITH HIS HANDS AND HIS HEAD IS A CRAFTSMAN.

HE WHO WORKS WITH HIS HANDS AND HIS HEAD AND HIS HEART IS AN ARTIST.

- Saint Francis of Assisi

I’m sure you’re wondering what exactly the 13th-century Italian Catholic monk Saint Francis of Assisi, Bienville Square and a bunch of oak trees all have in common.

It’s simple. Assisi might as well have been describing the creative individuals who have fashioned stunning works of art, furniture, musical instruments and more from some of Mobile’s most hallowed trees. After Hurricane Sally wreaked havoc upon the beloved Bienville Square oaks in September of 2020, city officials deemed several of them to be a risk to public safety. Teams of arborists and other cultivation management experts from seven different states arrived in our beloved port city to assess the tragic situation. In all, 12 trees were either uprooted during the storm or damaged beyond saving; it didn’t take long before people began wondering what would be done with the wood.

“After Sally hit, there was a lot of outreach from creative people in the area,” says Lucy Gafford, executive director at the Mobile Arts Council. “The Arts Council became the organizing force for getting the pieces of wood into the hands of artists. We had a simple application process. You just had to fill out your info, de -

scriptions of your artwork and whether you’d be willing to have your work in our exhibition. It was open to anyone, and a lot of people accepted the offer. The Urban Forestry Division of the City of Mobile relocated all the salvageable tree trunks and put them in a warehouse to cure for a few months before we were able to start disseminating them. We had about 40 artists who made off with a chunk of Mobile history.”

Arts Council Development Director Angela Montgomery says she was surprised by the outpour of interest from these local artists — a development that she found incredibly encouraging.

“Mobile is a thriving arts community,” Montgomery says. “The fact that so many reached out to us was heartwarming. At first, there had been this outrage over the trees being cut down, and it all seemed like a waste, but now it’s really grown into this idea of supporting the project as art patrons.” The pieces were displayed in March at a special Mobile Arts Council exhibition.

MB recently sat down to shoot the breeze with four representative artists who told us how they came to acquire the wood, what they made and continue to make with it and how they’ll give back to the communities they’ve come to love so deeply. We think you’ll find their stories just as fascinating and inspiring as we did.

BIENVILLE SQUARE.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL THOMAS / MICDESIGNS

For Chris Fayland, the possibility of scoring a piece of Bienville oak meant much more than just a chance to have some spare wood lying in the corner of his workshop. The Fairhope-based custom guitar builder says the wood represents a deep-rooted family connection and a truckload of fond memories.

“I think everyone from this area has a memory of Bienville Square,” he says. “I have lots of childhood memories that happened there, so the trees have sentimental value. As a kid, I went to Craft Day. My grandma took me.”

“And the second time his grandma and grandpa ever saw each other was at Bienville Square!” chimes in Chris’ wife Amy. “The first time was at a drive-in restaurant in Mobile. But the second time was at Mardi Gras at Bienville Square. She told us, ‘There he was. And that’s when I just knew. And we went on our date and from there, the rest is history.’”

“We had no idea about that story until she told us,” Chris says. “So if you think about it, I wouldn’t even be here without Bienville Square. When we first went to pick out our piece of wood, it was in the shape of a heart. Something pulled us toward that piece; we didn’t even know that story with my grandma at the time. I initially thought I would build an end table, but one thing led to another, and it ended up being a guitar.”

When the story of the Bienville oaks first hit local news, Mobile City Councilman Ben Reynolds just knew he had to lasso at least a fragment of the wood.

“I think I actually got one of the biggest logs,” Reynolds says. “It was about 3 feet in diameter; maybe 5 or 6 feet long. I took it out to a sawmill and had it cut into slabs along the grain as a furniture maker would. The most trying thing about the whole process was that it was full of nails and other metal,” from decades of advertisements nailed to the tree. “I think they actually broke a bunch of blades. But it does give the wood some character.”

Speaking of character, the local businessman,

husband and father says the things that he’s creating will not only be practical but will go right back into the community.

“These oaks belong to the people of this city, and I want to make something that will continue to belong to them but that will also be utilized by the community beyond art. Drew Ramsey is the owner of Azalea Home and Custom Furniture here in town, and we want to do a project together. We’re turning out some really nice pens at the moment. He will sell those pens, but there won’t be a whole lot of profit in it. The bigger project is to make a pair of sitting chairs. They’ll likely have leather or some sort of covering on them, and they’ll be nice and sturdy. It would be cool to have them in City Hall as a good way to ensure that the Bienville oak remains in the city. That’s just one idea. We’re certainly open to other ideas and other places where they would be accessible.”

CHRIS FAYLAND, FAYLAND GUITARS

The destruction of the Bienville oaks wasn’t just a tragedy for Fairhope resident Brandon Fischer. It was an opportunity.

“I’m a big fan of preserving historical trees, even though — as a woodworker — I do like to have the wood to use. It was utterly heartbreaking to hear that the trees had been damaged. The city as a whole really lost something that can’t be easily replaced. Sure, you can plant new ones, but they won’t be the same ones even 200 or 300 years later.”

Fischer made some unique items for the Mobile Art Council’s exhibition event.

“The wood had a lot of cracks in it from being stored and dried, so I kind of had to work around that,” he says. “I immediately made two bowls — I filled some of the cracks in one bowl with epoxy, and then I left the other bowl natural. I’ve been working on a wooden mallet as well. I’m going to make a couple of those.”

But it’s the local, cultural and historic significance that genuinely excites this woodworking enthusiast.

“I think it’s really cool to have that sort of deep connection to a place and time, and I plan on donating all of my artwork to the Arts Council to have or to sell for whatever grants and projects they have going on.”

BRANDON FISCHER

As a lifelong Mobilian who loves the people of his city, 67-year-old Fred Rettig wanted his work to leave behind memories and impressions that would last forever.

“Although I wasn’t initially paying close attention to the Bienville story when it happened, I did hear that the trees were going to be trimmed, and I thought it would be nice to get a piece of the wood and do something with it. I wasn’t actually even aware of just how much damage had happened there.”

“Once I found out that they were going to give the wood away and that the city was going to help, I reached out to Lucy Gafford and asked her to get us on the list.”

Rettig was overwhelmed by the historic significance of the trees.

“If only these trees could talk and tell stories about all they’ve seen and heard in their lifespan: World War I and II, the Great Depression, a speech by Theodore Roosevelt in the early 1900s. These trees might not be able to speak for themselves, but woodworkers can give them a voice.”

And that’s exactly what Rettig plans to do.

“You know, every woodworker has their own thing that they love to do with wood. And now we’re able to take a part in Mobile’s history and bring it into visual imagery. We can literally take some history of the city and make something visual and community-oriented out of it. We can take a part of Mobile’s seemingly tragic history and make it beautiful. We’re using our hands to create something wonderful, using something that grew in Mobile to create new memories. I’ve made wooden bowls and have done some arts shows. I call mine “Broken Bowls” because most of the pieces I displayed have cracks, just like people do. I’m also making a vase, as well as a vessel that will mimic the Bienville Square fountain.”

Bienville Square may be a different place since 2020. But if you walk the grounds there, stop and listen closely. You can almost hear the trees thanking the artists for preserving their legendary history as they all breathe a collective sigh of relief. MB

FRED RETTIG

Pieces of History

History buff, craftsman and collector Steve Boyleston of Fairhope has spent five decades cultivating his passion for rare antiques of American history, and he has the collection to prove it.

TENNESSEE TOMAHAWK

Year: 1840 Size: 18 inches

This Tennessee-made tomahawk features a black walnut handle, an iron blade, an ivory tip — and it even doubles as a pipe. A silver plate on its handle identifies its previous owner as Tennessee attorney and governor Aaron Brown. When the Mexican-American war began, Brown’s call for 2,800 volunteer soldiers was answered by over 30,000, solidifying the “Volunteer State” reputation gained during the War of 1812. According to Boyleston, this tomahawk was likely made as a presentation piece for Brown following a settlement he arranged between Native Americans and settlers.

When it comes to collecting, Steve Boyleston is a big believer in the maxim of quality over quantity.

“I don’t have a collection of 3,000 items,” he says. “I’d rather have a small collection of really special pieces.”

That’s not to say a lot of antiques haven’t passed through the hands of the Fairhope resident; Boyleston estimates he’s bought and sold at least 1,500 Kentucky long rifles in his lifetime. Born in the backcountry of Aiken, South Carolina, Boyleston first fell in love with the weapon of the early American pioneers while watching Disney’s “Davy Crockett” series, released in 1954.

“I remember thinking, ‘That is the greatest thing in the world, to live out in the mountains and wear buckskin clothes and carry one of those long guns,’” he says.

Boyleston was a teenager when he built his first long rifle, an experience which only deepened his appreciation for the craftsmanship of those early gunmakers. Since then, he has spent more than 50 years researching and trading the antique firearms, and he joined the Kentucky Rifle Association in 1985. Along the way, whether working as a professional painter, paper hanger or hotel developer, Boyleston began performing living history demonstrations and collecting an assortment of early American artifacts: tomahawks, powder horns, knives, keys, walking canes.

“I became very deeply involved,” Boyleston says, “and I got to know a lot of people with the best collections in the country.” Boyleston says the key to collecting the rarities is to keep your eyes open; besides auctions, he has found treasures at estate sales, antique shops or just looking around online.

3 KNIVES

Wiley G. Higgins, a gunmaker in Macon, Georgia. Born in 1799, Higgins is known for having made some of the most exquisite weapons of the time period, so it’s little surprise that a pistol credited to Higgins was discovered hidden away in the wallboards of Andrew Jackson’s home in Tennessee. Boyleston has owned two Higgins rifles, including one which gives him strong reason to believe it, too, belonged to Andrew Jackson.

“I just love the history,” Boyleston says. “When I think about how I have this long rifle that belonged to Andrew Jackson, just down the road from Jackson’s Oak,” the Daphne tree where the general allegedly urged on his troops during the War of 1812. “I just think that’s incredible. And after 200 years, they’ve ended up so close to each other.”

Trails: 2.3 miles

Location: Theodore

His first love, however, remains the Kentucky long rifle. A lot of what Boyleston has learned about designing and building his own rifles comes from observing the work of the 18th- and 19th-century masters — backwoodsmen with rudimentary tools but incredible skill. One such master was

text by BRECK PAPPAS • photos by ELIZABETH GELINEAU

Above Boyleston holds one of the nearly 300 long rifles he’s crafted.

PATCH KNIVES

Patch knives were a standard addition to a rifleman’s equipment. Usually hanging from a hunting pouch, the knives were used to cut patches — pieces of cloth or leather which were wrapped around the rifle ball to ensure a tight fit against the rifling in the barrel of the weapon. These particular knives, carved of black walnut, were

made by Moravian gunsmiths in Winston Salem, North Carolina, and Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It’s little surprise that the Moravians, part of an early sect of Christianity, chose the Christian symbol of a fish for their knives. Boyleston says these are three of only five such knives known in existence.

WILEY G. HIGGINS

LONG RIFLE

Year: ca. 1820 Size: 60 inches

This exquisite Kentucky long rifle, made of curly maple, features a silver nameplate on top of the barrel, a telltale sign that it was made by master gunsmith Wiley G. Higgins of Macon, Georgia. More interesting still, that nameplate reads “Jackson.” Combine that with some of the gun’s other characteristics (such as its rare Damascus twist barrel, ornate silver etchings of Southern imagery, carved eagles), and it leads Boyleston to strongly believe this rifle belonged to President Andrew Jackson. In fact, Boyleston explains, Higgins served under Colonel Jackson in the Creek Indian Wars, and the pair remained friends later in life. This might explain the other engraved silver plate, which reads “CJ,” near the rifle’s breach. Higgins would’ve referred to the president as “Colonel Jackson.”

LAFAYETTE-INSCRIBED WALKING CANE

Year: ca. 1780 Length: 33 inches

This walking cane is made of two pieces of carved bone joined at the middle by a silver-plated copper band. The ivory knob is scrimshawed with the name Marquis de Lafayette, leading Boyleston to believe that the cane belonged to the French hero of the American Revolution himself. Signs of wear tell Boyleston this was an everyday walking cane for its owner. “The problem you have with a lot of old things today is people will find something that might not look great and then they ruin them trying to fix them up. So the rule is, don’t ever do any restoration. Leave it just like it came.” For many years, the cane descended through an old Philadelphia family who likely acquired it during Lafayette’s Grand Tour of the United States in 1824 - 1825. “I couldn’t believe it, but I was able to get it,” Boyleston says.

AN ARTFULLY MODERN MIX

text by MAGGIE LACEY • photos by ELIZABETH GELINEAU

AN ECLECTIC COLLECTION IN ONE FAIRHOPE HOME PROVES WELL-DESIGNED FURNITURE AND QUALITY ART ALWAYS STAND THE TEST OF TIME.

Left Amanda and Teddy Winstead have collected paintings, mid-century modern furniture and artful objects through the years, crafting an eclectic vibe that has carried them from residence to residence, state to state, but always feeling like home. Painting at left is by Fritz Bultman from 1967 entitled “The Wave.” Work at right is pastel on paper by Adja Yunkers entitled “Tarassa I” from 1957.

For Amanda Winstead, the old adage “if these walls could talk” would fit better with a slight variation: “if this décor could talk.” The fine art appraiser and broker has only lived in her Fairhope home for a year, but the furniture and art has traveled with her through the decades. From a duplex on Bayou St. John in New Orleans, where she lived after graduate school at Tulane, to a stark 1960s modern abode in Birmingham designed by Fritz Woehle; from a 1910 Mediterranean in New Orleans’ University District to a new-construction home overlooking the 6th green of Lakewood Golf’s Azalea course in Point Clear. Each dwelling could not be more different, and yet the eclectic mix of antiques, mid-century modern pieces and Southern art that Winstead has carefully curated over the years somehow manage to coexist with one another and within the architecture of the moment. A mix that is chic, unexpected and uniquely hers.

Winstead grew up in New Jersey, right outside New York City, to a mother who was an interior designer and collector. Summers were spent rummaging through estate sales in upstate New York, where Winstead undoubtedly began to hone her eye. Her mother collected oak chest of drawers, hooked rugs and pottery jugs — a look that Winstead describes with a laugh as the 1980s summer aesthetic of New Yorkers — to later sell at their antique store located on a farm. “My sisters and I would go to auctions and help her acquire, which is how I got the bug for buying and for understanding what things were.”

When it came time for college, she wanted a city in the South and settled on Tulane. “All my family is from the South, so I don’t consider myself a Yankee. And this may sound silly, but when I stepped onto Tulane’s campus and smelled the sweet olive, I felt like I was home.”

She majored in art history and quickly secured an internship at Neal Auction House, New Orleans’ oldest and most respected auction house, which specializes in Southern paintings, furniture and decorative art. “My career path was pretty obvious,” she says of finding a home in the world of art and antiques. “I never had to scratch my head and think about it. I was lucky that way.”

Despite growing up going to auctions and estate sales with her mother, Neal Auction House opened Winstead’s eyes. “I really had limited knowledge when I got there. You think you know a lot until you are immersed in a rich material environment like an auction house where you are surrounded by thousands of objects that are coming in and going out

and need to be cataloged and processed for sale.” Working at Neal, she explains, is how she truly learned the nuts and bolts of appraising and valuing. She was able to combine this experience with a bachelor’s degree in art history and a master’s in business to establish her own fine art appraisals business.

Her husband Teddy’s medical training (he is a gastroenterologist at Thomas Hospital in Fairhope) soon pulled the couple out of New Orleans to Birmingham for a while, which she describes as a blessing. “A year later Katrina happened, and we didn’t have to endure that.” But they soon returned to New Orleans and settled into life as doctor and art appraiser.

Throughout each move, however, her collected pieces traveled along. Her Fairhope dining room prominently features a French Provincial Louis XV onyx top sideboard that she purchased during her last year of graduate school. “It’s not anything that fantastic, but it has so much character. The marquetry inlay and onyx top are really rare.”

In front of it sits a traditional dining table and burgundy upholstered chairs. “Even in my stark modern house in Birmingham, I had that dining table and those chairs,” she remembers. “I love to mix the antiques and the modern. I don’t want things too traditional or too modern — but always with pops of color.”

This description perfectly describes her home office, where she still runs Amanda Winstead Fine Art between Alabama and Louisiana, with its flagrant pink walls and bold graphic rug. The riotous color is offset by an authentic mid-century burled wood and chrome desk — the kind designers are trying to knock off these days. Her office is stacked to the ceiling with art books, auction catalogs and files for work she is researching and appraising. She knows her stuff, and she knows what she likes.

She specializes in the art of the American South, which she says is a very particular niche for appraisers. She is an expert in the art of mid-20th-century New Orleans and especially loves to dig deep into the female artists of that time who have not yet been well-researched or represented.

And on her own walls? Whether its Ida Kolmeyer or Shearly Grode, she says the art has to have enough space around it to breathe. “But also don’t be afraid to put a painting above a painting. Sometimes you need that tension between paintings so they can kind of talk to each other. Ask yourself, how do the colors work together? How do they look across the room from each other?” What takes a deft touch, Winstead makes look incredibly easy.

When asked to boil her aesthetic down to the most essential idea, she simply says, “You always want the art to look good.”

Her art and décor certainly speak volumes. And if these walls could talk, the accent would for sure have a tinge of New Orleans to it. MB

Opposite Painting at left by Ida Kohlmeyer from 1965 entitled “Tangential No. 1.” Top by Fritz Bultman entitled “Zulu” from 1960. Underneath painting by Mildred Wohl entitled “Abstract Composition in Black, Red and Pink,” circa 1960. Far wall shows a painting by Mildred Wohl entitled “Snow Black.”

“MY CAREER PATH WAS PRETTY OBVIOUS. I NEVER HAD TO SCRATCH MY HEAD AND THINK ABOUT IT. I WAS LUCKY THAT WAY.”

“I DON’T WANT THINGS TOO TRADITIONAL OR TOO MODERN — BUT ALWAYS WITH POPS OF COLOR. I CAN’T JUST DO BEIGE OR WHITE.”

SOUTHERN SPICE

Winstead serves her guests baconwrapped crackers with a side of Tabasco hot pepper jelly — a truly Southern combination!

CLEARLY SPECIAL

Winstead scattered her home with delightful pieces of art and objects of interest, like this Steuben crystal “snail” bowl. First introduced at the 1939 World’s Fair, this olive bowl and other modernist pieces became icons of mid-century modern design.

A CLASSIC TABLE

The antique dinner table that has moved from house to house is set with Herend Queen Victoria dinner plates and matching serving pieces for seated meals at the Winstead home. Modern art and unexpected chandeliers keep the setup from feeling fussy.

AMANDA’S PIMIENTO CHEESE

A crowd favorite, Winstead has begun keeping this recipe on her laptop ready to email since so many guests ask for it!

8 ounces sharp cheddar

4 ounces jalapeno cheddar or pepperjack

3 cloves garlic

1 (7-ounce) jar pimientos, drained 1/2 cup Duke’s light mayonnaise

Shred cheese in food processor and place in mixing bowl. Put garlic through a press and add to bowl with pimientos and mayonnaise. Combine well. Tastes good right away but is even better after chilling overnight.

JUST A DROP

The tiniest details often make the biggest impact. Subtle drips of blue are encased in the stems of the blown glass wine goblets in Winstead’s china cabinet. (Intermezzo wine glasses by Orrefors)

Left: Fine art photographer Ann Solomon, a friend and neighbor in Lakewood, pours over art books with Winstead in her punchy home office.

DUSTI BONGÉ

(Biloxi artist, 1903-1993)

Winstead represented Dusti Bongé’s estate, which included over 1,000 works of art by Mississippi’s most accomplished abstract artist. Bongé’s prolific artistic career spanned more than 55 years.

A decades-long relationship with influential New York Abstract Expressionist dealer Betty Parsons brought Bongé into a prominent arts circle that included Mark Rothko, Barnett Newman, Kenzo Akado and Theodoros Stamos. A retrospective of her work was mounted in 2019 at the Ogden Museum of Art in New Orleans and the Mississippi Museum of Art in Jackson in 2021.

COASTAL VIBE

For her Fairhope house, Winstead embraced the proximity to water with Piero Fornasetti’s Acquario wallpaper by Cole & Sons. The vanity, trim and ceiling are appropriately painted Sherwin-Williams Raging Sea.

MODERN ICONS

Winstead gave her husband a vintage Eames lounge chair when he graduated from medical school. The classic silhouette was designed by Charles and Ray Eames for the Herman Miller furniture company in 1956.

 Bride Pasley Elizabeth Graham stuns on the day of her betrothal to Keith Jagoe Martin in December 2021. To see more of this wedding and all the weddings featured in this month’s Mobile Bay Bride, open your smartphone’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!

PHOTO BY RAE LEYTHAM

LA’TOYA SHARMANE BARNES & LENJAMIN CORY ANDERSON

NOVEMBER 21, 2021

CEREMONY & RECEPTION AT SOUTHERN OAKS, NEW ORLEANS

Romance filled the air at La’Toya and Lenjamin’s crème de la crème autumn New Orleans wedding that took place at an exquisite mansion under grand oaks. The bride arrived by stallion-pulled carriage, and she and her groom exchanged vows during a Christian ceremony, which included foot washing, a tradition symbolizing love and humility. An eclectic reception of diverse New Orleans cuisine followed, after which guests were treated to jazzy sounds and the revelry of a Second Line parade. Fireworks concluded the evening — the grand finale to a fairy-tale wedding.

KATE FRANCES KELLY & ANDREW THOMAS CATÁ

MAY 29, 2021

CEREMONY AND RECEPTION AT SCOUT’S LANDING, HOME OF KIM AND CLARK KELLY

For musicians Kate and Andy, it was essential their wedding reflect their love of the arts and their values of spiritual expression and meaningful connections. The couple chose the perfect waterfront spot for their relaxed evening along Dog River — her parents’ home — at which they could create their own wedding traditions. After the ceremony, which included reading letters to each other, being serenaded by friends and receiving blessings from family, Kate and Andy celebrated with a Second Line, ate multiple slices of cake and took off on their first boat ride as husband and wife.

PARENTS OF THE BRIDE Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Davis PARENTS OF THE GROOM Mr. and Mrs. Donald Anderson PHOTOGRAPHER Dwight Ladd WEDDING

DRESS Morilee Bridal FLORIST Flowerama HAIR Pamela Webster MAKEUP

Latara Williamson WEDDING CAKE The Royal Cakery, NOLA CATERER & BAND Southern Oaks Weddings INVITATIONS Etsy

PARENTS OF THE BRIDE Mr. and Mrs. Clark Kelly PARENTS OF THE GROOM Mr. and Mrs. Ceferino Catá PHOTOGRAPHER Abby Weeden WEDDING DRESS LVD Bridal, Nashville FLORIST Revelry Bloom HAIR Lindsay Kudulis MAKEUP Courtney Matthews CATERER Bay Gourmet WEDDING CAKE Flour Girls BAND The Excelsior Band INVITATIONS Paperless Post WEDDING PLANNER Jacquie Burkett

PHYFER CAMPBELL HALL & JARED FLETCHER ELROD

JANUARY 8, 2022

CEREMONY AND RECEPTION AT THE HOPE FARM

If Hallie had to plan her wedding all over again, she wouldn’t change a single detail. Love was in the air as the couple exchanged vows, leaving guests to say it was one of the sweetest and most special ceremonies they had ever attended. Tufts of eucalyptus tucked into bouquets of soft white flowers and along the six-tiered ivory cake perfectly complemented the natural hues found along the grounds of The Hope Farm. After dancing the night away under glittery strings of light, the newlyweds headed off as husband and wife in a bright turquoise convertible.

ISHA MONIQUE PRYOR & KERADE ABDUL GAVIN

OCTOBER 30, 2021

CEREMONY & RECEPTION AT THE LOCALE

Isha says picking the day to say “I do” was the hardest part of wedding planning, thanks to the uncertainty of pandemic restrictions. However, once she picked a day, it only took 10 short months for her fabulous planning team to turn her dream wedding into a reality. What resulted was a chic, formal event, boasting hints of royal blues, golds and creams. Ivory flowers draped around the towering five-tier cake, and the newlyweds’ table was lit with soft, romantic candlelight. By the end of the night, guests were able to say they had truly encountered “The Gavin Experience.”

PARENTS OF THE BRIDE Mr. Israel O’Cain and Ms. Linda Lee PARENTS OF THE GROOM Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Gavin PHOTOGRAPHER Dwight Ladd WEDDING DRESS Bridal and Formal Boutique House of Tux FLORIST Curtis Allen HAIR Peggy McCall MAKEUP Cindy Jackson, Kyra Moné CATERER Bee’z Catering DJ DJ Tech INVITATIONS Candice Robinson WEDDING PLANNER The Lux Firm

HALLIE

PARENTS OF THE BRIDE Mr. and Mrs. Robert Phyfer Hall, II PARENTS OF THE GROOM Mr. and Mrs. John Fletcher Elrod, Jr. PHOTOGRAPHER Brianna Hemphill, Jennie Tewell Photography WEDDING DRESS Ivory and White

FLORIST Ron Barrett HAIR Jason Chambers MAKEUP Courtney Matthews

CATERER The Hope Farm WEDDING CAKE Pollman’s Bake Shop

BAND Band City Rhythym INVITATIONS Soiree Signatures WEDDING PLANNER Blair Gewin

MOLLIE NICOLE MOSS & CHAD MICHAEL HARTLEY

DECEMBER 18, 2021

GOVERNMENT ST. PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, RECEPTION AT OAKLEIGH GARDEN DISTRICT

Friends since kindergarten, Mollie and Chad have many lifelong friends who were eager to see them tie the knot. The couple’s classic Southern winter wedding was filled with nods to Mollie’s youth: She got ready in the home she lived in as an infant; married in the church she grew up attending; and celebrated, block-party style in her childhood neighborhood. Santa made a cameo at the reception, bringing Midtown warmth and passing out lights and cowboy hats.

PARENTS OF THE BRIDE Mr. and Mrs. John

Burruss Riis, Sr., Mr. and Mrs. Jon Grady Moss

PARENTS OF THE GROOM Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Edward Hartley PHOTOGRAPHER Ann Sinclair

WEDDING DRESS Carriage House Weddings, Mt. Brook, Ala. FLORIST Jubilee Flowers HAIR

Salon D’Artiste MAKEUP Sarah Coker, Amedee Stokley CATERER Clifton Morrissette & Co. WEDDING CAKE Pollman’s Bake Shop BAND Norris Dates and the Power Surge RENTALS Port City Rentals WEDDING PLANNER Events Detailed

ELIZABETH MCPHERSON & EDWARD THOMAS HINES, JR.

DECEMBER 18, 2021

ST. MARY’S CATHOLIC CHURCH, RECEPTION AT BRAGG-MITCHELL MANSION

Lauren walked down the aisle of St. Mary’s, clutching a special handkerchief, the same one her grandmother held as she walked the very same aisle 60 years prior. After a ceremony filled with tears of joy, Lauren and Edward hopped a trolley and joined the best party ever: their reception. The dance floor came to life, thanks to the engaging band and fun holiday-themed favors. The couple says their wildest wedding dreams came true when they ended the evening with a ride on the “red sleigh.” Lauren says she is eager to start life with her best friend.

LAUREN

PARENTS OF THE BRIDE Mr. and Mrs. Brian McPherson PARENTS OF THE GROOM Mr. and Mrs. Edward Hines PHOTOGRAPHER Debby Cullum WEDDING DRESS Shop Wedding Belles, New Orleans FLORIST Rosebuds Florist HAIR Salon West MAKEUP Courtney Matthews CATERER Naman’s Catering WEDDING CAKE The Blue Pastry Box BAND The Foundation City Players INVITATIONS Sally G Designs WEDDING PLANNER Blair Gewin

DOYLE SHEDD & JOSHUA WAYNE LINDER

DECEMBER 4, 2021

CEREMONY & RECEPTION AT OAK HOLLOW FARM

Under clear blue skies and an arch built by Josh, the couple exchanged vows on a warm December day in front of an intimate gathering of family and close friends. Elegant arrangements of white roses and baby’s breath complemented the venue’s rustic charm, adding to the day’s theme of rustic romantic fairy tale. The bridal party walked down the aisle to the song “Storybook Love,” and Hannah made her grand entrance to the song “A Thousand Years.” The celebration lasted through the evening, with good food and dancing, lit by twinkle light, enjoyed by all.

HANNAH

PARENTS OF THE BRIDE Dr. and Mrs. George Patterson Shedd, Jr. PARENTS OF THE GROOM Mr. and Mrs. Michael Earl Linder PHOTOGRAPHER

Ann Sinclair WEDDING DRESS Bliss Bridal FLORIST

Wildflowers Fairhope HAIR Sarah Anne Sledge Owen MAKEUP Ashley Mitchell CATERER Oak Hollow Farm WEDDING CAKE Couture Cakes, Daphne BAND Fuego INVITATIONS It’s Inviting RENTALS C & A Event Rentals WEDDING PLANNER

Jenna Laine Weddings

SARAH THORNBY STROUP & MICHAEL ANDREW MAHONEY, II

JANUARY 1, 2022 SACRED HEART CHURCH, RECEPTION AT THE GRAND HOTEL

Andrew knew Sarah was “the one” the moment he saw her at medical school orientation. Now both third-year medical students, the two are inseparable, with their two Golden Retrievers keeping them sane. The couple’s winter wonderland was full of nods to places pertinent to their life stories: The Fairhope location honored Andrew’s hometown; the band was from Jackson, Mississippi, where the couple met; and the invitations came from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Sarah’s hometown. The evening ended with dancing — even by the grandmothers — on the monogrammed dance floor.

PARENTS OF THE BRIDE Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Stroup PARENTS OF THE GROOM Mr. and Mrs. Michael Mahoney PHOTOGRAPHER Alex and

PASLEY ELIZABETH GRAHAM & KEITH JAGOE MARTIN

DECEMBER 31, 2021

OUR LADY OF VICTORIES CATHOLIC CHURCH, RECEPTION AT PASLEY PLACE, PRIVATE FAMILY HOME

Keeping their wedding sentimental was very important to Pasley and Keith, who married in the same church as Pasley’s grandparents 59 years prior. After the ceremony, guests were transported to Pasley Place, located where the Pascagoula River and Bluff Creek meet. The home in which Pasley made many childhood memories was transformed into a fairy tale, complete with floating wedding cake suspended from a majestic oak. As midnight neared, hats and horns and Chrissy’s and Champagnes were distributed. The newlyweds watched fireworks under moonlight before floating away.

PARENTS OF THE BRIDE Mrs. Prudence St. Pé Graham, Mr. Allen “Teeto” Graham PARENTS OF THE GROOM Mr. and Mrs. Mike Martin PHOTOGRAPHER Rae Leytham WEDDING DRESS Nardos Design, Dallas FLORIST Revelry Bloom, Pugh’s Florist HAIR & MAKEUP Molly Tremonte, Holly Fountain CATERER Clifton Morrissette, Edd’s Drive Inn WEDDING CAKE Underground Cakes, Anna Beth Willis Power BAND Az Izz INVITATIONS Ellis Hill RENTALS Port City Rentals WEDDING PLANNER Prudence Graham, with assistance from Blair Gewin

JANE BARTLETT PAPPAS & JACK BURKE NENSTIEL

OCTOBER 9, 2021 CEREMONY & RECEPTION AT BECKWITH CAMP AND CONFERENCE CENTER

On a warm and sunny autumn day, Jane Bartlett walked the aisle of Camp Beckwith’s chapel wearing a very special wedding gown, made by her great-grandmother 73 years ago. Jane Bartlett is now the fifth bride to wear the family heirloom, which features a train adorned with the initials of each who has worn the dress. Added to her ensemble was the beautiful emerald pendant necklace she wore, fashioned from her grandfather’s tie pin that had been set aside for the occasion by her grandmother. After the ceremony, the newlyweds danced the night away under the giant oaks alongside Weeks Bay.

PARENTS OF THE BRIDE Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Joseph Pappas PARENTS OF THE GROOM Mr. and Mrs. Richard Omer Nenstiel PHOTOG -

RAPHER Chad Riley FLORIST Belle Bouquet

HAIR Cara & Company Salon CATERER Bay

Gourmet Catering WEDDING CAKE Publix Bakery

BAND Third Generation Band INVITATIONS Gwin’s Commercial Printing WEDDING PLANNER Meredith Ivy

AVIS MATTHEWS & CHRISTOPHER BRYCE PETERS

DECEMBER 11, 2021

CEREMONY & RECEPTION AT BRAGG-MITCHEL MANSION

Thanks to the indelible talent of Alyris and Bryce’s wedding team, from planners to tailor to musicians, the couple’s vision of a romantic European fete fused with Southern charm was brought to life. The timeless elegance of the Bragg-Mitchell Mansion painted the perfect backdrop for an elegant evening of Old World ambiance, paired with haute Creole cuisine. The front lawn boasted a cochon de lait roast and jazz music; a string quartet livened entertainment inside; and a band rocked the courtyard, where additional food stations awaited guests.

SARAH HOOD MCALEER & WEBB SELF RADCLIFF, JR.

NOVEMBER 13, 2021

ST. PAUL’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, RECEPTION AT THE COUNTRY CLUB OF MOBILE

The beautiful autumn day started with the bride getting ready and lunching at her aunt and uncle’s home — the same house in which her mom got ready for her wedding day — while the groom enjoyed a pre-wedding celebration at Moe’s Original BBQ. After exchanging vows, Sarah and Webb joined friends and family at their outdoor reception, which was elegantly decorated with string lights and extravagant pink and cream floral arrangements. The couple made their exit through a tunnel of sparklers and flower petals and set off the next morning to honeymoon in St. Barts.

PARENTS OF THE BRIDE Mrs. Mimi Williams McAleer, Mr. William Joseph McAleer, Jr. PARENTS OF THE GROOM Mr. and Mrs. Webb Self Radcliff PHOTOGRAPHER Rae Leytham WEDDING DRESS Modern Trousseau, Charleston FLORIST Wildflowers HAIR Adelaide McAleer MAKEUP Courtney Matthews, Allie West CATERER Country Club of Mobile WEDDING CAKE Betty Webber BAND Az-lzz INVITATIONS Soiree Signatures RENTALS Port City Rentals WEDDING PLANNER Events Detailed

ALYRIS

PARENTS OF THE BRIDE Mr. and Mrs. Shivram Dasappa PARENTS OF THE GROOM Ms. Melissa McNeil, Mr. and Mrs. Chris Peters PHOTOGRAPHER Jaimie Woofruff, Jennie Tewell Photography WEDDING DRESS Bridal & Formal House of Tux GROOM’S SUIT N Harvey FLORIST Elizabeth’s Garden HAIR Felisha Allen MAKEUP Lex Salon CATERER Will Hughes BAND Ryan Dyer Band INVITATIONS The Prettiest Pixel RENTALS Willow Bridge WEDDING PLANNER Megan Dasappa & Noble Events

BROOKE REANN MILES & HUNTER CALEB ROWE

OCTOBER 16, 2021

CEREMONY & RECEPTION AT FAMILY FRIEND’S PROPERTY

Brooke said “I do” to her best friend Hunter on a picturesque autumn day. The outdoor ceremony was everything she had dreamed of, with white drapery blowing in the wind, white rose petals lining the aisle and a gorgeous pond visible through a grove of trees. In addition to close family and friends, the wedding party also included two very important members — the couple’s two dogs! As sun set, the reception came alive with music. For guests’ enjoyment, vintage couches and coffee tables were nestled beneath pecan trees, lit with twinkle lights, adding to the evening’s romantic feel.

PARENTS OF THE BRIDE Mr. and Mrs. Greg Steward PARENTS OF THE GROOM Mr. and Mrs. Langston Rowe PHOTOGRAPHER Brad Puckett WEDDING DRESS I Do Bridal HAIR &

MAKEUP Jadyn Moore CATERER Pearl and Addies WEDDING CAKE Shannon Munday BAND

Dalton Muse INVITATIONS Zola RENTALS Gulf Coast Events and Rentals WEDDING PLANNER Sarabeth Fuller, Noble Events

ELIZABETH WILLIAMS & CONNOR SCOTT SHARPTON

JANUARY 15, 2022

FRANCIS AT THE POINT, RECEPTION AT LITTLE POINT CLEAR

ST.

Rain did not dampen the joy surrounding Grace and Connor’s winter wedding. The couple, who met in Orlando, brought a touch of the Sunshine State to their celebration with pops of citrus and complementing shades of soft pinks and greens. As an homage to the Gulf Coast, the bride and groom’s reception featured a crowd-pleasing grilled oyster station and a finale of warm beignet fries. Grace and Connor’s friends and family traveled in from 12 different states and two countries, and they were treated to the couple’s unforgettable exit — lightsabers and “Star Wars” music.

GRACE

PARENTS OF THE BRIDE Mr. and Mrs. Mark

Williams PHOTOGRAPHER Elizabeth Gelineau

WEDDING DRESS Lovely Bride, Atlanta FLORIST

Fleur Zoe HAIR & MAKEUP Jillian Holt Makeup and Hair CATERER Bay Gourmet WEDDING CAKE Pollman’s Bake Shop BAND Tommy Morse Band

INVITATIONS Sugared Fig Paperie RENTALS Port City Rentals LIVE ARTIST Melissa Munger Art

WEDDING PLANNER Wed With Style

Spring into April

THROUGH APRIL 16

EASTER PHOTOS

10 a.m. - 6 p.m. F / Sa. Hop on down to the Wharf to have a family photo taken with cuddly bunnies. Prices vary.

THE WHARF • ALWHARF.COM

THROUGH APRIL 30

SPRING BIRD MIGRATION

Daylight hours. Scout for more than 300 species of birds as they rest their wings before heading north.

DAUPHIN ISLAND • ALABAMATRAVEL.ORG

APRIL 2

MUDBUGS AND MARGARITAS

10 a.m. - 7 p.m. Sip drinks, sway to music and sample dishes loaded with crawfish. Admission: $5; 12 and under, free.

DOWNTOWN FOLEY • BEACHLIFEEVENTS.COM

APRIL 2

EASTER PALOOZA AND EGG HUNT

11 a.m. Bring a basket and search for more than 5,000 colorful eggs. Kids can also enjoy pony rides, face painting and more!

THE WHARF • ALWHARF.COM

APRIL 2 -3

MOBILE SYMPHONY PRESENTS CALM SEAS

7:30 p.m. Sa., 2:30 Su. Wash away worries as you listen to this seldom-heard work of Beethoven. Ticket prices vary.

SAENGER THEATRE • ASMGLOBALMOBILE.COM

APRIL 3 & 5

SERVE IT UP WITH LOVE

2 p.m. Su., 6 p.m. Tu. Take part in Alabama’s largest charity tennis tournament.

MOBILE TENNIS CENTER MOBILESPORTSAUTHORITY.COM

APRIL 7

BOB DYLAN IN CONCERT

8 p.m. The iconic crooner returns with his Rough And Rowdy Ways Tour.

SAENGER THEATRE ASMGLOBALMOBILE.COM

APRIL 9

EASTER EGG HUNTS

Times vary based on age. Head to the The Great Lawn for some “eggstra” fun. Gardens admission applies.

BELLINGRATH GARDENS AND HOME BELLINGRATH.ORG

APRIL 9

MOVING DAY

9 a.m. Walk for a cause and support the Parkinson’s foundation.

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA MOVINGDAYWALK.ORG

APRIL 9

MOBILE CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Chocolately treats galore at this event benefitting Penelope House. Admission: $5; children free.

GREATER GULF STATE FAIRGROUNDS MOBILECHOCOLATEFESTIVAL.COM

APRIL 9

BLENDED BURGER BATTLE

1 - 5 p.m. Enjoy raffles, food and beverage tastings and live music as you watch grillmasters go head-to-head. Tickets: $40.

DRAGONFLY FOODBAR CULINARYFIGHTCLUB.COM

APRIL 9

SATURDAYS AT THE COOP

3 p.m. Enjoy an evening of music, food trucks, vendors and more!

BATTLESHIP MEMORIAL PARK MOBILEPARKSANDREC.ORG

APRIL 9 - 10

ANNUAL BALDWIN COUNTY STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL

9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Treat yourself to some strawberry shortcake and stroll through the carnival and antique car show.

LOXLEY MUNICIPAL PARK

BALDWINCOUNTYSTRAWBERRYFESTIVAL.ORG

APRIL 9 - 10

KITES OVER MOBILE

10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sa., 12 - 5 p.m. Su. Watch professional kite-flying demonstrations or fly your own!

BATTLESHIP MEMORIAL PARK MOBILEPARKSANDREC.ORG

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

APRIL 17

EASTER SUNRISE SERVICE

6:30 a.m. Presented by Government Street Baptist Church. Seating is limited; bring a chair. Free and open to public.

USS ALABAMA GROUNDS • FB: USS ALABAMA BATTLESHIP MEMORIAL PARK

APRIL 19

A TASTE OF ROTARY

5:30 - 9:30 p.m. Local restaurants and guest chefs serve their specialties. Admission: $75. VIP tickets: $150.

FAIRHOPE CIVIC CENTER ATASTEOFROTARY.COM

APRIL 21

ELI YOUNG BAND

6 - 10 p.m. The crowd-pleasing country band kicks off the Sound Waves Music Series. Admission: $35. VIP tickets: $95.

THE HANGOUT • THEHANGOUT.COM

APRIL 22

SHINDIG

5:30 - 8:30 p.m. Bring a blanket and picnic for this outdoor concert. Admission: $10 donation at the gate.

HALSTEAD AMPHITHEATER • BALDWINCOUNTYWOMENSHEALTHCENTER.COM

APRIL 22 - 24

INTERSTATE MULLET TOSS

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Try your hand at the legendary interstate beach tradition. Mullet toss: $15, includes t-shirt.

FLORA-BAMA • FLORABAMA.COM

EASTER SUNRISE SERVICE / PHOTO BY KATHY HICKS

APRIL 24

7TH ANNUAL MUD BOTTOM REVIVAL MUSIC FESTIVAL

2 - 6 p.m. A fun afternoon of music and raising awareness of Dog River’s water quality. Ticketed event.

LIVE OAK ESTATE • 3619 RIVIERE DU CHIEN RD.

FB: MUD BOTTOM REVIVAL

APRIL 27

GOV’T MULE CONCERT

8 p.m. The band performs their chart-topper, Heavy Load Blues. Ticket prices vary.

SAENGER THEATRE • ASMGLOBALMOBILE.COM

APRIL 29

JEREMY CAMP: I STILL BELIEVE TOUR

7 p.m. Grab a friend and sway to the sound of Jeremy Camp’s uplifting notes.

SAENGER THEATRE • ASMGLOBALMOBILE.COM

APRIL 30 - MAY 1

GUMBO COOK-OFF AND BLESSING OF THE FLEET

Cookoff, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Sa. Boat parade and blessing, 3 p.m. Su. The annual celebration honors current and former crews. Enjoy a gumbo cook-off afterward.

ST. MARGARET CATHOLIC CHURCH, BAYOU LA BATRE • STMARGARETBAYOULABATRE.COM

MAY 1

MURPHY HALL OF FAME

3 p.m. Watch Murphy High School alumni as they are inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame. Free event.

THE LOIS JEAN DELANEY AUDITORIUM MURPHYALUMNI.ORG

MUD BOTTOM REVIVAL

MUSIC FESTIVAL

Love, Scandal and Property

At the death of one of Mobile’s first mayors, he had no idea that love was already brewing in the heart of his widow for another — and that a massive legal battle involving his children’s inheritance would ensue.

text by DAVID BAGWELL illustration by ANNA THORNTON

Mobile had plenty of love scandals back in French and Spanish times, often noted in the Catholic church records. But after those of us below the 31st parallel came into the United States, the earliest known scandal was between the rich merchant Philip McLoskey and the Spanish-heritage Catharine Caro Duval, widow of one of Mobile’s first “mayors,” Daniel Duval.

First Duval

On April 20, 1824, the Mobile Commercial Register ran this obituary: “DIED — On Sunday evening last, aged about 40 years, Capt. DANIEL DUVAL, late sheriff of this county. He was buried yesterday with Masonic honors. Mr. D. was a native of Rhode Island, but had resided in this vicinity for 10 or 12 years past, he was the first Sheriff of this county after the change of flag, and continued in office for nine years. He has left a wife and several small children to lament that which is to them an irreparable loss.”

But Duval was more than just sheriff. City government just after “the change of flag” was not exactly traditional. We know that in 1817, Daniel Duval was president of the Board of the City of Mobile, which today we would consider the same as mayor.

When Duval died in 1824, his widow Catharine was about 37 years old. She was one of 10 children who were raised in both Pensacola and Mobile and likely Cuba as well. Her father, Benito Caro,

died in 1815, about when America was taking over Mobile, and at his death, he owned a huge chunk of downtown Mobile. His holdings, which stretched from Royal Street to the Mobile River, soon became the heart of downtown Mobile and the site of at least two banks, the major stores, a wharf and more. In 1821, Duval bought these lands from his widowed mother-in-law and from five of the eight children of Benito Caro. You don’t have to be a lawyer to see that a giant legal squabble would one day follow.

When Duval died in 1824, he believed himself to be the owner of an area bounded by Royal Street on the west, by the Mobile River on the east, by lots belonging to Lewis Judson on the north, and by lands belonging to the merchant princes James and John Innerarity and the estate of John Forbes on the south. Today, this is roughly where the Riverview Hotel, office building and attached parking garage stand.

Now McLoskey

Turning back to the same issue of the Mobile Commercial Register from 1824, the one that ran Duval’s obituary, the front page had an ad for the store of “Philip McLoskey & brother”: “Have received as late arrivals the following Goods, which they will sell low for cash or town acceptances: Irish Linnens, in whole and half pieces, Drillings White, ditto Brown, Muslins, brown and bleasched, plattas, Brins, Lap-

pos, Musquito Netting, Dowles, Diapaer, Seerskers [seersuckers]

... Ladies’ white cotton hose, Super blue and black clothes, Black silk bandannah and flag ..., Muslin robes, ... Linnen checks, Brown shirting, cotton bagging, English & Dom. twine, Madeira wine, very superior wine. ALSO — a general assortment of GROCERIES.”

In the Church Street Graveyard, behind Mobile’s main library on Government Street, there stands a tall obelisk marking the grave of Philip McLoskey, who died in 1844 at age 55. His obituary noted that at his death he was the earliest surviving immigrant to Mobile. McLoskey was born in Ireland and came to Mobile in his early 20s — about when Spanish West Florida was becoming part of the United States — and went into business with his brother Patrick.

By about 1823, Mobile was beginning to make its mark as a major cotton port, and McLoskey was and had been a director of the Bank of Mobile. In 1836, he formed and was president of the Planters and Merchants Bank and built its beautiful building, which burned on October 9, 1839, in the great fire that took 1,300 Mobile buildings. McLoskey’s bank, however, had a fireproof vault.

McLoskey and a man named John Hagan then formed a partnership, and according to a contemporary, their “house did the

largest business in Mobile in buying cotton, shipping and importing,” and they were “buyers and importers of fine wines.” They traded with Brown Brothers & Company of New York, one of the largest international merchant banking houses in the U.S. in the 19th century. The McLoskey & Hagan buildings were on the north side of Conti and east of Royal Street.

Unfortunately, after the fire of 1837 and the panic of 1839, the Planter’s and Merchant’s Bank failed in 1842. A stockholder’s committee listed as causes extravagant loans to individuals, monetary stringency at the time, excessive salaries paid to bank officers, stiff annual fees paid to the state and more.

And to the affair

At some time after Duval’s death in 1824, his widow Catharine and Philip McLoskey commenced an affair that lasted until she died in her 40s in Cuba. This affair spanned six or seven years and produced four illegitimate children, to whom McLoskey gave his name in his will.

Upon Catharine’s death, McLoskey retained all her property, including the tracts of land in downtown Mobile that Catharine’s deceased husband Duval purchased from (some of) her family. The

grown children of Catharine and Daniel Duval were outraged, and the matter led to litigation by the Duval children against McLoskey, litigation which raged for decades, ending only with McLoskey’s death in 1844. The suits both at law and in equity were intensely complicated and led to at least two appeals to the Alabama Supreme Court. McLoskey’s lawyer was John Archibald Campbell of Mobile, after whom the Federal Courthouse in Mobile is named and who served on the U.S. Supreme Court from 1853 to the secession of Alabama in 1861. Campbell conveniently had his office in the McLoskey & Hagan buildings.

The McLoskey / Duval litigation is oddly prescient of Campbell’s famous Myra Clark Gaines litigation in New Orleans, involving most of the land in downtown New Orleans west of the French Quarter — both cases involving rich Irish merchantmen and beautiful Latin women and arguable and mysterious relationships between them.

In the Mobile litigation, the Duval heirs claimed that McLoskey cheated them out of the downtown Mobile lands which, they said, rightfully should have been theirs. McLoskey’s version, on the other hand, signed by him and sworn on April 5, 1844, only four months before he died, denied any undue influence on or fraudulent procurement from Catharine Duval, “but on the contrary says that he has appropriated very large sums of money which belonged to him to the use of said Catharine Duval, and through her to her children who were left by their father in circumstances of great necessity, and without the means necessary to maintain and educate them ...”

There are several mysteries about all this, which we cannot quite divine two centuries later.

First, why didn’t McLoskey and Catharine marry? We just don’t know. Some have speculated that maybe he had been married to somebody else earlier, and that was a hindrance. But we don’t know.

Second, did the people of Mobile know about the affair and the children? Probably not. For one thing, Catholic Bishop Michael Portier agreed to be McLoskey’s executor. For another, McLoskey’s contemporary, Paul Ravesies, wrote in his book “Scenes And Settlers Of Alabama” that McLoskey and his business partner Hagan “often participated in Spring Hill hospitality” and “were both noted for a high order of business capacity and enlarged generosity.” It is just hard to imagine that this would be the situation if it had been known that McLoskey and Duval’s widow had had four children out of wedlock.

Third, why was Catharine in Cuba when she died, and why did she stay there from about 1828 until her death two or three years later? That was an issue litigated for some time, when the Duval heirs sued McLoskey over their grandmother’s and mother’s former property. The Duval children claimed in the litigation that McLoskey sent Catharine to Cuba and that she “was detained by duress in Cuba, whither she had been fraudulently sent, in order that the property might be sacrificed” to McLoskey.

McLoskey’s version on the other hand, signed by him, denied “that he sent the said Catharine to Cuba for that purpose except to promote her own benefit, and respectability — that no pecuniary motives induced him to desire her residence there, and he denies all duress in keeping her there.” In other words, that Catharine was again pregnant.

McLoskey’s last years must have been difficult; he was troubled by the litigation, and most of his fortune had died either in the fire of 1837 or the panic of 1839 or both or in the litigation itself. He died on August 13, 1844, at age 55, and is buried in the Church Street Graveyard in an ironfenced parcel. MB

David Bagwell is a retired attorney and amateur historian living on the Eastern Shore.

“The Last Slave Ship”

Local journalist, author and explorer Ben Raines shares an excerpt from his new book that dives deep into the Clotilda, the last ship to bring enslaved Africans to America.

intro by BRECK PAPPAS • photo by JOE TURNER

In 2018, journalist Ben Raines emerged from the murky waters of the Mobile River cradling a long, barnacled fragment of wood. The moment marked the first time in 160 years that a piece of the Clotilda, the last slave ship in history to carry enslaved Africans to the United States, had seen the light of day.

Though the Atlantic slave trade was banned by Congress in 1808, Alabama steamboat captain Timothy Meaher made a bet in 1859 that he could accomplish an illegal slave run to Africa and sneak the ship and its captives up Mobile Bay, right beneath the noses of federal officials. Meaher recruited William Foster, who hailed from Nova Scotia, to captain the voyage, and the plan was set in motion. Despite risking the noose, Foster successfully traversed the Atlantic Ocean (with a crew that was misled about the true objective of their journey) and bought Africans held captive by an enemy tribe in the ancient kingdom of Dahomey. Upon returning to Mobile Bay undetected, Foster and Meaher unloaded their human cargo and set the vessel ablaze in order to hide the

evidence of their crime.

The Clotilda would remain in its watery grave until Raines’ discovery in 2018. His book “The Last Slave Ship,” published this year by Simon & Schuster, tells the full, heartbreaking story of the Clotilda and the fate of its 110 captives (some of whom were sold, others enslaved by Meaher and Foster). A significant and hallowed landmark in American history, the remnants of the Clotilda also represent an intensely personal discovery for the descendants of the ship’s captives and for the residents of Africatown; after emancipation, the Clotilda’s survivors, including the storied Cudjo Lewis, founded the Africatown community and ruled it according to the laws and customs of their homeland. The story of the Clotilda, its survivors and the town they nurtured is deftly handled by Raines, further preserving the tragic story and resilient legacy of America’s last slave ship.

Raines’ book is available for purchase locally at the Haunted Bookshop in Mobile and Page & Palette in Fairhope.

Excerpt from “The Last Slave Ship”

As they approached Mobile, the captain took a purposefully circuitous route, sailing right past Alabama and the twin forts that guarded the main entrance to Mobile Bay. He kept the ship far offshore as he passed, to ensure her sails wouldn’t be spied by the lookouts at the forts or by the keeper of the Sand Island Lighthouse. Due to the curvature of the Earth, ships disappear below the horizon once they are about twelve miles offshore.

[Captain William] Foster was making for Petit Bois Pass, which runs between Dauphin Island and Petit Bois Island, barrier islands each about seven miles off the coast. The pass is at the far west end of Dauphin Island, about eighteen miles from Fort Gaines, which sits on the extreme eastern tip of the island, guarding the main entrance to the port of Mobile. He knew no one at the fort would be able to spy Clotilda as she came ashore there. This was all part of the plan hatched before the voyage even began. Foster and Meaher agreed they would try to sneak the Clotilda into the Mississippi Sound and hide her at a place called Pointe aux Pins. The point is a marshy outcropping that juts out from the Alabama coast between two geographic features, Bayou La Batre and Grand Bay. As the English translation of its name suggests, “Point of Pines” features a dense forest of tall slash pine trees, which would have helped obscure the Clotilda from the view of any ships heading north up Mobile Bay.

The area was uninhabited except for a small outpost of fishermen who lived in rough cabins a little way up the bayou in an area known as San Souci, which translates as “without a care.”

The plan called for Foster and the slaves to wait aboard the Clotilda for Meaher, who was supposed to be monitoring the rendezvous location for the ship’s arrival. Meaher was to bring another vessel and take the captives up the bay, into the Mobile River and on to his waiting plantation. Meanwhile, Foster would sail the Clotilda

to Mexico, have her thoroughly scrubbed to wash away the evidence of slaving, then rename the ship, change its rigging, and purchase fake papers clearing her for a cargo run to New Orleans. Unfortunately, while Foster was sailing to Africa, Meaher and the other conspirators had bragged of their caper to anyone who would listen. Meaher became convinced he was being watched by federal officials lying in wait for Clotilda. Not only was Meaher too scared to post a watch at the rendezvous point, as their plan called for, but the Clotilda made better time than expected on the return journey and was back in Alabama ahead of schedule.

While Foster claims in his journal that he passed through Petit Bois Pass on July 9, it is almost certain it was July 7, a Saturday. Cudjo remembered that the ship dropped anchor and stopped moving for the first time in the journey. The next morning, the crew brought a tree branch covered with green leaves to the captives to communicate that they were close to shore and had arrived at their destination. The slaves were told to stay quiet. Meanwhile, up on deck, Foster was having yet another showdown with a mutinous crew. After waiting all night and into Sunday morning for his partner in crime to arrive, per their plan, Foster realized he would have to go to Mobile and fetch Meaher to the ship. But the crew wasn’t having it. They were now pirates in possession of a ship full of human contraband. It wouldn’t matter to the authorities that none of them had known the true mission of the ship when they left port. The fact that they had sailed a ship full of kidnapped Africans across the ocean meant they were all eligible for the noose. The last thing the crew wanted was more time resting at anchor in American waters aboard the evidence of their crime. MB

Excerpted from THE LAST SLAVE SHIP by Ben Raines. Copyright © 2022 by Ben Raines. Reprinted by permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Essence of Lantana

Certain smells have the power to catapult us back in time — sometimes at the most unexpected, and inconvenient, moments.

AUDREY MCDONALD ATKINS

My parents drank film noir cocktails — martinis (always gin, never vodka), Sazeracs, B&B, scotch. When we were over the Bay, there would be the occasional cold beer. Wine, however, only appeared on holidays, and Champagne was reserved for wedding receptions, and then only those not held in the church hall.

When I moved to the city, I slowly became aware of wine and wine culture and that there was way yonder more to it than a stolen sip of Tickle Pink from an older friend. The regions, the grapes, the acidity, the soil! Who knew? I have to say that I am flat fascinated.

I am most enthralled by the jargon. I have the good fortune to be dear friends with the manager of a wine store, and if I perchance to drop by there in the afternoons, sometimes I get to take part in a “tasting.” I get to hear people in the know discuss the intricacies of every little swallow in the most beautiful terms imaginable. They swirl, then sip, then spit, and then spill forth with such descriptors as, “I get notes of saddle leather and orange essence,” and, “It is extremely fruit-forward, but the acidity makes me yearn for prosciutto and Roquefort.”

“Oaky” seems to be bad. “Grassy” seems to be good.

I mostly try to be quiet, learn something, and not embarrass myself. I also smell and smell and smell and try to smell something other than … well … wine. Why can’t I get a hint of blueberry and the worn pages of a Hemingway novel read by the sea on a stormy day?

One day, however, was revelatory!

I was again at the wine store trying to be quiet and not show my abject ignorance in a public venue. Again I was listening and marveling. Again I was smelling and swirling and smelling again.

Then it hit me like a brick to the head. Something familiar! An essence, a note, a hint of something humble, homey, and native. What is it? I couldn’t quite suss it out! They may move on to the next bottle before I get to sound as if I too am in the know! It is … it is … it is …

Lantana!

Before I could stop myself, I had blurted out “Lantana!” to the group of connoisseurs, who were now silent, staring at me with quizzical expressions, frozen midspit.

Do I get something Provencal like lavender? Something sophisticated like kid leather or rose water? No. I get lantana. The invasive, poisonous, leggy plant characteristic of every hardscrabble dirt patch where little else can eke out even the most meager life.

It is a plant, however, that was always featured in Granny’s garden. Great mounds of orange, pink, and yellow that thrived in the dry south Alabama soil, that rose up to challenge the blazing sun. As a little girl, I made bouquets with it for my playhouse, breathing in its unique aroma. I thought its clusters of multicolored blooms beautiful and decorated my hair with its flowers.

Fortunately, the vintners did move quickly on to the next bottle, continuing their lofty discussions over a bucket of spit. But I could not move on from the aroma of that particular glass. It smelled like the summers of my childhood.

Lantana may not be very high-brow, but upon reflection and recovery from my embarrassment, I think it was an appropriate, albeit unconventional, descriptor. After all, lantana appears to be sweet and delicate, but in reality, it is strong, stalwart, and constant. Just like the wine. Just like Granny. 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.

excerpt from the book THEY CALL ME ORANGE JUICE by

Do any of the characters in HBO’s series

“The Gilded Age” have a connection to Mobile?

text by TOM MCGEHEE

event even caught the attention of Caroline Astor who, upon discovering she was not to be included, went into her own rage. She finally relented and sent her calling card to the Vanderbilt home to acknowledge their existence, and a truce was established.

the 75-year-old grandfather had chosen the 31-year-old Frank and not her mother.

So far, the only Southerner represented has been Savannah-born Ward McAllister (played by Nathan Lane), who created the idea of the New York Four Hundred — that there were really only that number of people worth knowing in that city.

The lead character, social climber Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon), was certainly inspired in part by Mobile-born Alva Smith Vanderbilt. Alva had married William K. Vanderbilt in 1875 but found the family snubbed by old New York despite the size of their bank accounts. When the couple was finally invited to New York’s most prestigious annual event, the Patriarch’s Ball, society’s leader Caroline Astor refused to be introduced to them.

Alva was incensed. Many a Mobilian knew her temper and drive as a child, and her determination now knew no limits. On March 26, 1883, she held a costume ball in her newly completed mansion on Fifth Avenue to ostensibly honor an old friend who had married into British nobility. That

In the series, Bertha Russell holds an event believing all of New York society would flock to her magnificent new home out of curiosity. Too bad she didn’t consult Alva, since none of the people she wanted to know showed up. Watch for further links to Alva as Mrs. Russell turns away well-connected suitors for her daughter. Looks like she may be holding out like Alva, who made her daughter unhappily marry the Duke of Marlborough. Others with Mobile connections who may well appear in some fashion include:

Frank Crawford: The First Mobilian to Marry a Vanderbilt Born in Mobile in 1839, she received that unusual first name because her father had promised his best friend that the couple’s next born would be named in his honor. He kept his word. In 1859, she married John Elliott and left for a nice honeymoon. Surely Mr. Elliott thought it odd that Frank brought her widowed mother, Martha Crawford, along. Upon the return trip, Frank went home with her mother, and the marriage was annulled.

In 1867, Frank and Martha Crawford took a trip to New York to visit a cousin, Sophia Vanderbilt, whose husband, the Commodore, was the creator of the vast family fortune. Sophia died a few months later, and the Commodore invited the Crawfords to move into his home. A year later, the trio took a trip to Canada, and the news services reported that Cornelius Vanderbilt had taken a wife. The shock came when it was discovered that

Alva Smith married the Commodore’s grandson William K. just six years later. The Vanderbilts apparently liked Mobilians. Alva was not the least bit intimidated by the multimillionaire and later said of him, “I had never known what it was to be awed by anybody.”

Frank, an ardent Methodist, convinced her husband, the Commodore, that instead of spending $1 million to build a 625-foottall monument in Central Park to jointly honor himself and George Washington, he should spend the money on education. The result was Vanderbilt University.

William Butler Duncan: Mobile’s Biggest Booster

Scottish-born, he moved to Providence, Rhode Island, with his family in the 1850s, graduating from Brown in 1860. Five years later, he founded the London-based banking firm of Duncan, Sherman & Co. where none other than J. P. Morgan would one day apprentice.

In 1874, he took over the bankrupt Mobile and Ohio Railroad and soon had it making a profit. Although his main residence remained in Manhattan, he was a regular guest at the Battle House and would later be described as “one of the biggest boosters Mobile ever had.”

While Mobile was pulling itself out of the worst of Reconstruction, Duncan and his wife moved into a simple but large home at One Fifth Avenue. He was one of the 25 members of The Patriarchs along with the Astors, Livingstons and Schermerhorns, and would undoubtedly have been present at the ball when Alva was snubbed by Mrs. Astor.

In the 1890s, Duncan personally paid to have the median on Government Street

William Butler Duncan

east of Royal constructed and landscaped with grass and Lombardy poplars. This beautification project was planned to give those arriving by boat or train a better first impression of the Port City. It has been called Duncan Place ever since.

William d’Alton Mann: Robber of Robber Barons

A native of Ohio and a Union veteran, he arrived in Mobile in 1867 with $50,000 earned from patenting inventions he had developed during the war. While others with that history would have been shunned, Mann’s legendary personality won Mobilians over. In 1868, he combined three newspapers into The Register.

Mann’s link to Gilded Age New York

In 1891, Mann moved to New York and took over an insignificant newspaper called Town Topics. The paper soon began covering social events in the city and always included scandalous and scathing columns about the Four Hundred, as well as all those trying to claw their way in.

No names were ever mentioned in those columns, but there were enough clues to make it painfully obvious who the prominent parties were. Mann developed a wide network of house servants, hotel employees, telegraph operators, tailors and seamstresses who were only too happy to divulge inside gossip for a price.

With readership at an all-time high, Mann could strike fear in New York’s wealthiest citizens. When invited to lunch, a millionaire would hear of a proposed topic that involved his wife, daughter or girlfriend and be told the next issue was coming to press. For a gift ranging up to $25,000 to go towards the eventual publication of a book called “Fads and Fancies,” the scandal would not appear in Town Topics. The truth was, no such book would ever exist.

In 1903, Mann’s reputation was damaged by a libel suit followed by his arrest for perjury. He died forgotten in 1920, long after the Gilded Age had ended. Surely his infamous role in that period will not be overlooked by HBO. MB

“We the Board of Trustees and faculty of the Plateau Public School and citizens of Mobile and county do hereby extend you an invitation to deliver the commencement address of the Plateau School on Friday night, May 31, at 8 p.m. We beg your acceptance and wish to know the expenses. The people of this section of the state are more than anxious to hear you.”

–

12, 1912,

Class of 1921

Photo

LOOKING TO EDUCATE THEIR CHILDREN, descendants from the last slave ship, Clotilda, established a school in Africatown's Plateau community in 1880. Over the next 30 years, the school morphed and shifted at various locations, and in 1910, Isaiah J. Whitley took the helm as principal. Whitley was described as broad-minded and progressive. He transformed the school, previously known as The Plateau Normal and Industrial Institute, into the Mobile County Training School, the first school of its kind for Blacks in the state of Alabama. Seen below is the first graduating class with Whitley seated amongst them. According to archive records, the majority of the women in the photo would go on to hold teaching positions in Mobile County. Two ladies pictured, Hattie Keeby and Agnes Finley, went on to study at Tuskegee Institute, while the two men accepted positions as principals in the Andalusia, Alabama, school system.

1880: The first school in the Plateau community, called The Plateau Normal and Industrial Institute for the Education of the Head, Heart and Hands of the Colored Youth, is established at the Old Baptist Church, now known as Union Baptist Church

1898 - 1910: School relocates to a donated one-room building; classes held there for several years before school moves again, this time to Booman's Union Hall, then later to Yorktown Baptist

1910: Now part of the Mobile County public school system, the name changes to Mobile County Training School (MCTS)

1915: School destroyed by fire; principal Isaiah J. Whitley secures new quarters that includes industrial and domestic science buildings

1934: MCTS is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, making it the only Black school in the county to receive the distinction

1946: Due to overpopulation at MCTS, Central High School is established, located on Davis Avenue

1967: Sixth grade is added

Number of teachers listed on the Plateau Public School's letterhead in 1912: Isaiah J. Whitley, Miss M. L. Williams, Miss M. G. Stanford and Mrs. Clara Brookshire.

Average

in the South spent in school during the 1919-20 academic year; white students spent an average of 121.

1.5k

Population of Plateau in 1921; the community peaked at around 15,000 with the arrival of paper mills but has since fallen to below 2,000.

1970: The school is reorganized and transformed from a high school to a middle school

Are you related to anyone in this photo? Let us know! Email athornton@pmtpublishing.com.

courtesy Alabama Department of Archives and History

excerpt from a handwritten letter dated February

by principal Isaiah J. Whitley to Dr. Booker T. Washington

number of days Black students

Back row, left to right: Alex Reid, Jr., Georgia Wymon, Evelyn McCall, Hattie Keeby and S. L. Bradley, Jr.

Front row, left to right: Flora Hauze, Iona Adams, I. J. Whitley (principal), Lola Brown and Agnes Finley