When British military occupied Dauphin Island during the War of 1812, they described the land as full of snakes, alligators, and mosquitoes. The island was “very barren…and produces nothing at all…a very marshy nature.” I suppose some of that is true today, since we saw warning signs about alligators. But developed with museums, restaurants, and condos, the island is a far cry from what the British soldiers experienced.