Dauphin Island, Alabama USA

Mon, Jun 23rd 2008, 00:00


 Dauphin Island is a 14 mile long island situated in Mobile Bay off the Alabama Gulf Coast of the United States of America.

Dauphin Island was first mapped by the Spanish in 1519 but it was the French who first settled there. French explorer Pierre D’Iberville landed in the bay in January 1699 while on an expedition to explore the mouth of the Mississippi River. He named the island Isle du Massacre (Massacre Island) after a gruesome discovery of a large pile of human skeletons. However, it would appear that the skeletons were actually part of an ancient burial ground exposed by a recent hurricane, not the scene of a massacre as first suspected.

Despite the gruesome discovery, the French were impressed with the abundance of fresh water and timber, not to mention the natural deep water harbour, so they established a colony which became the centre for French activity on the gulf coast. The island was named Dauphin Island after the wife of the King of France, the Dauphine of France.

Today Dauphin Island has a permanent population for about 1,200 people. The existence of shell middens scattered around the island suggests that the area was popular with Native Americans for the seasonal foraging of fish and oysters since 1100 AD. The island offers a feast of outdoor activity; explore the white sand beaches, the dunes, salt marshes and maritime forest.

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