History of Mobile County Commission
Today, Mobile County has a population of about 415,000. It is the third largest economy in the state, with an annual Gross Domestic Product of about $20 billion. It is led by three Commissioners who serve four-year elected terms of office and represent three defined districts, each with just over 138,000 residents.
Each Commissioner serves as President of the Mobile County Commission for 16 months within the term, beginning with the District 1 Commissioner, proceeding to the District 2 Commissioner and concluding with the District 3 Commissioner.
Mobile County is the only one of Alabama’s 67 counties with a majority female Commission.
As the governing body for Mobile County, Alabama, the Commission is responsible for budget and infrastructure decision making that enhances quality of life and makes Mobile County a great place to live, work and play. Mobile County Commission maintains about 1,400 miles of roads, 160 bridges, 100 buildings, multiple parks and provides funding for all County operations, including the Sheriff’s Department, Metro Jail, License Commissioner, Revenue Commissioner and the office of the Probate Judge. The Commission is integral to economic development within the region and is committed to increasing public access to water through its Parks Initiative.
But Mobile County and its leadership didn’t start out this way.
Mobile County was established in 1812 by Mississippi Territorial Governor David Holmes. Seven years later, in 1819, the Alabama territory reached the requirements necessary to achieve statehood due to, among other things, rapid population growth throughout the region.
When the County was created, a governing body was established to see to the needs of this fledgling county. Few records exist of the earliest years of Mobile County. According to the Alabama Department of Archives and History, there have been three courthouse fires in Mobile in 1823, 1840 and 1872. Minutes books dating back to the mid-1800s are kept in archive at Mobile Government Plaza.
Mobile County’s governing body was originally known as the Roads Commission before merging with the revenue commission in the mid-1800s to form the Mobile County Roads and Revenue Commission. This name would stand until 1960 when the body became the Mobile County Commission. Over time, terms of service varied from one year appointments to the now four years of elected office. The number of Commissioners also changed quite a bit, with an average of five and as many as nine, according to records. While early Commissioners served part-time and staffing was through political appointments that ended with the term, today’s Commissioners serve full-time and have about 1,600 employees in Mobile County’s primary operational units: Administration, Engineering and Public Works.
Below is a listing of Mobile County Commissioners, their terms of service and notes indicating additional elected office as well as local roads or facilities that may have been named in his/her honor and other facts that may be of historical significance.
This is a page in progress. While the list below is believed to be accurate based on available information, it is not warranted, nor is it purported to be complete. To suggest information for this page or to report errors, please email publicaffairsdept@mobilecountyal.gov .
Mobile County Commissioners
NAME
YEARS
NOTES
Mobile County Commission
Records 1960-Present Day
Randall Dueitt
2020 - present
Jerry Carl
2012-2020
U.S. House of Representatives
Connie Hudson
2010 - present
Connie Hudson Mobile Regional Senior Center
Merceria L. Ludgood
2007 - present
Juan H. Chastang
2005-2007
Mike Dean
2000-2012
Steven D. Nodine
2004-2010
Freeman E. Jockisch
1993-2004
Gary G. Tanner
1993-2000
Bill Menton
1989-1993
Samuel L. Jones
1987-2005
Alabama House of Representatives, Mayor of Mobile
James L. Mason
1985-1993
Oliveth M. Archer
1985-1989
First female elected to a County Commission in Alabama
William E. Hays
1982-1985
Douglas Wicks
1981-1987
First African American elected to Mobile County Commission
Jon Archer
1981-1982
Jon Archer Arena
Jon Archer Agricultural Center
(Schillinger Road)
Jeff Mims
1978-1981
Dan Wiley
1977-1981
Arnold Debrow
1976-1978
Bay Haas
1973-1981
Bay Haas Building
(Government Street)
Harry E. McConnell
1972-1973
Howard E. Yeager
1969-1977
Coy Smith
1969-1975
Coy Smith Road
Aldon L. Smith
1968-1969
Will D. Haas
1954-1969
Hugh E. Fort
1954-1967
Hugh Fort Road
Board of Revenue & Roads Commissioners
Records 1861- 1960
George A. Toulmin
1950-1954
Commissioner of Licenses
Leon Onderdonk
1954-1954
Gerald L. Leff
1954-1954
John Fagerstrom
1954 - 1961
Sydney S. Pfleger
1953-1954
Charles F. Hackmeyer
1942-1953
Mayor of Mobile
Hackmeyer Park (Airport Blvd.)
Joseph N. Langan
1949-1950
Mayor of Mobile
Joseph Langan Park (Zeigler Road)
Joseph R. Mitternight
1938-1949; 1954-1961.
Mayor of Mobile
Mitternight Park & Recreation Center (Moffet Road)
C.H. Jackson
1942-1954
Leroy N. Stevens
1942-1972
Leroy Stevens Road
Thomas .J. Geary
1941-1942
F.E. Haas
1938-1941
Albert S. Towle
1938-1942
Montrose B. Herzfeld
1935-1937
Godfrey W. Alexander
1934-1938
Walter W. Bolton
1934-1942
William V. McDermott
1937-1938
Daniel T. McCall
1934-1938
R.A. Smith
1933-1934
A.B. Jefferies
1933-1954
Matt A. Boykin
1928-1935
J. Leslie Green
1931-1934
Charles A. Baumhauer
1931-1933
Mayor of Mobile
James. E. Shelton
1931-1933
E.D. Laurendine
1931-1935
H.E. Booth
1927-1931
Frank E. Smee
1926-1927
Estes D. Baker
1926-1931
Arthur D. Davis
1926-1931
Albert S. Towle
1922-1928
J.C. Prine
1922-1931
J.G. Cleveland
1922-1924
Pat Byrne
1922-1926
Albert H.W. Freeland
1918-1922 & 1924-1926
Alfred G. Ward
1914-1926
Finlay McFayden
1914-1922
Joseph O. Bolton
1914-1918
R.L. Whatley
1914-1918
Charles A. Greene
1910-1918
Henry Brannan
1910-1914 & 1918-1922
John D. Hagan
1906-1914 & 1918-1922
Frank.P. Andrews
1904-1913
John T. Bauer
1892-1914
John Cowley
1898-1910
John R. Simmons
1892-1910
William H. Holcombe
1882-1884, 1894-1906
S.P. Gaillard
1913-1914
Benjamin L Hamilton
1896-1904
Ben Hamilton Road
George E. Sage
1887-1888-. 1892-1898
Thomas A. Lang
1892-1896
Orville F. Cawthorn
1884-1888. 1892-1894
Samuel A. Mountain Jr.
1888-1892
Murdock McGuinness
1888-1892
Dominique Y?
1888-1892
W.Y. Sermin
1888-1892
W.J. Hieronymus
1888-1892
Alexander Hartley
1884-1888
W. N. Bolton
1884-1888
Abraham Prince
1884-1888
D. R. Dunlay
1884-1887
William H. Homer
1880-1882
Abraham Baerman
1880-1884
James Cowloon
1880-1882
Erastus S. Perryman
1880-1880
Duncan. J. Parker
1880-1883
Francis Parker
!880-1882
John A. Soto.
1883-1884
John Maguire
1878-1880. 1882-1884.
Jesse Carter
1877-1880
James W. Holmes
1877-1880
William J. Ledyard
1877-1880
Martin Horst
1877-1878
Mayor of Mobile
John Reid Jr.
1874-1878
Mayor of Mobile
Thomas Mauser
1874-1877
B. B. Cox Sr.
1874-1877
James C. Coleman
1874-1877, 1882-1884.
Thomas Bidgood
1875-1877, 1878-1880
Jarvis Turner
1874-1875
Orson L. Crampton
1874-1874
Hugh Monroe
1860-1864, 1872-1874
Alfred E. Buck
1871-1874
William Hurter
1868-1872
Rob Coale
1868-1870
Frederick Bromberg
1868-1874
Caleb Price
1868-1874
Mayor of Mobile
Joseph C. Smith
1860-1874
B. Tardy
1864-1868
Jas. T. Shelton
1864-1868
William H. Sadler
1864-1868
Jacob Magee
1860-1868
Henry Chamberlain
1860-1861
1850-1872?
Mayor of Mobile
W.W. Mcguire
1860-1860
John S. Gliddon
1860-1864
Wyles J. Cleveland
1861-1864
Road Commissioners
Records 1849-1880
Lazarus Schwarg
1877-1880
William Davis
1877-1880
George B. Clitherall
1877-1879
William F. Malone
1877-1880
Rufus H. Scates
1875-1877
Ira B. Smith
1875-1877
William N. Bolton
1875-1880
James F. Bailey
1875-1877
John H. Rawls
1873-1875
W. O. Pond
1873-1875
Daniel McGill
1873-1875
J. M. Rabby
1873-1875
William J. Ledyard.
1873-1875
J. A. Cooper
1872-1873
Washington M. Lott
1872-1873
------ Heurtel
1868-1872?
Wilkins M. Guin.
1868-1872?
John M. Brown
1866-1873
------ Vautrot
1866-1868
Samuel C. Stramler
1866-1872?
Levi H. Norton
1866-1872?
Dominique O. Grady
1864-1868
Charles E. Williams
1866-1868
Dudley Rayford
1864-1873
Wesley W. McGuire
1864-1872?
Andrew Jackson
1864-1866
Robert Byrd
1862-1872?, 1875-1877
Benjamin C. Williams
1862-1872?
Alex L. Pole
1863-1868
Augustine Dermany
1863-1868
----- Duvall
1862-1864
----- Lodd
1862-1863
John Lord
1861-1863
Henry Raff
1861-1862
M.H. Nicoll
1861-1864
----- Lott
1860-1862
J. D. Haymie
1859-1860
Reuben A. Lewis
1859-1861
----- Shear
1858-1859
Wiley B. Brown
1858-1864
John King
1858-1860
Thomas G. Newfold
1858-1866
Francis L. Girard
1858-1872?
James M. Park
1855-1860
John M. Brown
1855-1864
Jacob Magee
1855-1872?
Edward A. Lewis
1854-1862
J.C. Turner
1854-1855
Brian C. Rowan
1854-1858
F.C. Booker
1854-1858
J.D. Humphrees
1852-1854
Robert Parris
1852-1854
James D. Godfold.
1852-1858
William Cleveland
1851-1852
----- Griggs
1851-1852
Myles H. Cleveland
1851-1851
----- Redwood
1850-1851
S. Harrity
1850-1851
Albert Stein
1849-1851
Dabney Palmer
1849-1855
James E. Prescott
1849-1855
George Bragg
1850-1850
James Martin
1849 & 1850
Alexander McKristy
1849-1850
Francis Alexander
1850-1855
William Byrd
1850-1858
Y.C. Hubble
1849-1852
John A. McBattle
1849-1851
M.M. McGuire
1849-1851
This webpage was created by the request of Commissioner Randall Dueitt.
Public Affairs obtained information through Mobile County Records with significant assistance from Mobile County’s Records Department staff. A portion of the records review was through a manual evaluation of Minutes books dating back to 1849, review of the County roads inventory, and additional online research conducted by intern Stephen Davis, a history student at the University of Mobile and Public Affairs staff. His internship was supervised by Mobile County’s Public Affairs Director and UM history faculty.
Commissioners listed as Mayor of Mobile appear in documents published by Mobile Municipal Archives.
This page published in May 2022. Future research could include Mobile Register archives, local municipalities’ archives and other archives held by the Alabama Department of History and Archives.
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