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Henri de Tonti 1649?-1704
Henri de Tonti 1649?-1704 Museum of the City of Mobile

Old Mobile

The Deep South equivalent of Plymouth Rock and Jamestown, Old Mobile on the Mobile River was founded in 1702 by Pierre LeMoyne d'Iberville and was the first capital of La Louisiane. d'Iberville selected Henri de Tonti, a Canadian infantry captain, to ensure the pacification of the Choctow and Chickasaw Indian nations. Tonti promoted the development of the Mississippi Valley, not only as a commercial venture in fur trading, but also as a defensive measure against England.

Archeological investigation began in 1970 and was renewed in 1989-1999, uncovering the remains of 47 buildings and tens of thousands of artifacts and making it the most important historical site in the South.

Originally submitted by: Sonny Callahan, Representative (1st District).



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The Local Legacies project provides a "snapshot" of American Culture as it was expressed in spring of 2000. Consequently, it is not being updated with new or revised information with the exception of "Related Website" links.

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