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Eastern Shore, AL

History

Long before the first Europeans settled on our shores in 1557, the land was home to prehistoric Native Americans. Legend has it that a Welsh explorer, Prince Madoc Ab Owain Gwnedd, established a settlement in the southwest part of Baldwin County in 1170. There are intriguing reports from Native Americans and early explorers about a red-haired, fair-skinned tribe calling themselves Madocians who prospered and moved north.

Spanish explorers came to Baldwin County in the early 1500s in search of treasure. In 1519, Alonzo Alverez de Pineda first sailed into the bay, which he named Espiritu Santo (Holy Spirit). King Philip of Spain ordered explorer Guido de las Bazares to establish a colony on the Gulf Coast, and de las Bazares renamed the bay Bahia Filipina in honor of the king. Spain was in nominal control of this part of the Gulf Coast until 1670.

The Eastern Shore’s rich heritage is seen in its distinct communities, inviting residents and visitors alike to explore the Shore.

Blakeley
Today, the unincorporated municipality of Blakeley is a peaceful, growing community. However, its history is marked by years of hardship.

Blakeley is the oldest town in Baldwin County and one of the oldest in the State of Alabama. The town reached its zenith in the 1820s with a population of nearly 4,000. It was a bustling seaport town by the Tensaw River and boasted hotels, stores, churches, beautiful homes and the first courthouse of present-day Baldwin County. While Blakeley once thrived, it is now considered to be “the South’s loveliest ghost town.” The land has been reclaimed by nature, and only the 400-year-old oak trees grace boulevards that used to be the streets of the community, which was wiped out by yellow fever epidemics and land speculation across the bay in Mobile.

Blakeley was transformed into a fort during the Civil War and housed an army camp of more than 4,000 soldiers. The last day of the war saw a contingent of 20,000 soldiers fight in the last major battle of the War Between the States. Somewhere between 6,000 and 9,000 black soldiers fought at Blakeley for the Union, making Blakeley the site of the third-largest contingent of black troops in the Civil War. Historic Blakeley State Park was created in 1981.

Spanish Fort
Established on July 19, 1993, Spanish Fort is the newest incorporated city on the Eastern Shore. Located high on a hill overlooking the delta, it is directly east across the bay from Mobile. The city’s name fits its history, as it was occupied on two occasions by opposing armies during the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and the Civil War. Breastworks from the Civil War still remain throughout the city in area subdivisions.

Now a very popular residential community, the City of Spanish Fort also features one of the area’s largest shopping centers, the Eastern Shore Centre. The city has an integral part in the Eastern Shore’s continued economic growth, as well as in its overall quality of life.

Malbis
Malbis was settled in the early 1900s, when Greek immigrants Jason Malbis and William Pappageorge purchased a parcel of land in Baldwin County just northeast of Daphne and encouraged their fellow countrymen to join them in establishing a new community in America. The town of Malbis grew and flourished.

Jason Malbis was proud of his heritage and strong in his religious faith. It was his dream to establish a Greek Orthodox Church as the heart of the community. In 1965, supporters built a magnificent Greek Orthodox Church, a replica of a Byzantine church in Athens. Marble was brought from the same quarries that provided stone for the ancient Parthenon. A master painter and his helpers traveled from Greece to paint the murals on the walls, the panels and the ceiling of the rotunda. Hand-carved figures and ornaments used in various rites were brought from Greece and assembled in the church. Services are held regularly, and visitors are always welcome to tour the church and its wonderful mosaics.

Daphne
While records indicate that Spanish explorers discovered the area in the mid 1500s, archaeological researchers have uncovered valuable relics showing that the Tensaw, Alabama, Choctaw, Creek and Seminole Indians all made this area home prior to that.

During its early history, Daphne was home to the Spanish, the French and the British, who all claimed the city. During the War of 1812, Gen. Andrew Jackson rallied 3,000 troops from the fork of a gigantic live oak tree, today known as “Jackson’s Oak.”

Incorporated on July 8, 1927, with a population of only 500, Daphne was the Baldwin County seat of government from 1868 to 1901. The Daphne courthouse records were stolen one night by the rival community of Bay Minette, where the Baldwin County seat of government remains today.

In the early 1900s, Italian families settled in Daphne and brought with them great expertise in agriculture and a tradition of foods and wine, and that heritage is still celebrated.

Montrose
The stately manors of Montrose (“Rose Hill”) and towering oak trees on Scenic Highway 98 invite a leisurely exploration of this historic district. Montrose is home to Ecor Rouge (“Red Bluff”), which rises 120 feet above sea level. Ecor Rouge is the highest point of land on salt water from Maine to Mexico.

Fairhope
Fairhope started as a dream for a group of individuals seeking their own utopia — the Single-Tax Colonists. These colonists adhered to the economic theories of Henry George, who advocated no taxes other than a single land tax. The community of Fairhope was born in 1894 on a high bluff overlooking Mobile Bay. With its spirit of cooperative individualism, the Single Tax Colony drew financial investors and supporters from across the country, creating an eclectic mix of industrious, creative and free-thinking people.

In 1908, the city of Fairhope was established with around 500 residents, who took over responsibility for all municipal services. In the 1930s, the city became the caretaker of Fairhope’s greatest assets: the beachfront park, the park lands on the bluff above the beach, Henry George Park, Knoll Park, and the quarter-mile-long pier. All of these were gifts of the Single Tax Colony, which is actively involved in the city to this day.

Point Clear
The Eastern Shore’s westernmost point of land, Point Clear (“Punta Clara”) has the waters of Mobile Bay on both sides. Punta Clara’s location between the northern delta and the southern passageway into the Gulf of Mexico was militarily strategic— a fact the Spanish conquistadors recognized when they first settled in the region.

Point Clear, a popular resort community since the 1840s, is now home to the Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club and Spa, a four-star tourist attraction.