Joe Cain’s Grave

When talking to a resident of Mobile, Alabama, about Mardi Gras, you might find yourself on the receiving end of a history lesson. Though the holiday is often associated with New Orleans, the first documented celebration in America was in 1703 by French settlers at Twenty-Seven Mile Bluff, which grew into the city of Mobile.

Although most folks who aren’t from the area may never have heard of Joe Cain, almost every Mobile citizen knows about his legacy in reviving Mardi Gras.  

Joe Cain was a Confederate veteran and Mobile was under Union occupation post-Civil War. To insult the occupying U.S. Army, Cain dressed as a Chickasaw chief calling himself Slacabamorinico, and paraded through the streets of Mobile. Cain’s efforts helped revive the city’s Carnival tradition, and he is regarded as the founder of Mobile’s modern-day Mardi Gras celebration. His legacy lives on through Joe Cain Day, celebrated on the Sunday before Mardi Gras in Mobile.

Cain died in 1904 and was buried in Bayou La Batre.  In 1966, Julian Lee Rayford arranged to have Cain reburied in the poet’s corner of the Church Street Graveyard, along with his wife, Elizabeth.

Thanks to the work of Rayford and the publicity campaign, Joe Cain Day is an important part of the Mardi Gras celebration and parade. The added tradition of Cain’s Merry Widows adds an air of enjoyable lighthearted pleasure to the celebration. Cain’s Widows dress in funereal black, with veils, visit his grave, lay a wreath, and wail in mourning. Afterward, they lead a procession to Cain’s former home on Augusta Street, where they offer a toast and eulogy.

Cain’s gravestone identifies him as “the heart and soul of Mardi Gras in Mobile.” Located just inside the graveyard entrance, the grave receives annual visits during Mardi Gras and can often be found adorned with trinkets from the Merry Widows.