Arrival of the Bride Ship, Pelican, in Mobile

In 1702, France established a permanent port at Dauphin Island and a settlement called Fort Louis on the Mobile River. To encourage settlers to become permanent residents and provide the basis for the more rapid growth of population, colonial administrators recruited women of marriageable age from Paris convents and orphanages and transported them to the raw settlements. The Pelican arrived at Dauphin Island with the first shipment of 22 prospective brides in July of 1704. Traveling up river to Fort Louis (already known locally as "Mobile"), they were welcomed by the French commandant, Bienville.