Fort Morgan State Historic Site

04/23/2026

04/23/2026

Help spread the word! For anyone wanting to start their Saturday (April 25) helping Fort Morgan, please sign up for the 8th annual cleanup led by Fort Morgan Civic Association, Fort Morgan State Historic Site, Solid Waste Disposal Authority of Baldwin County, AL, Fort Morgan Fire Rescue, Eco Clean Marine, Alabama PALS, and ACF using the link on our home page: https://www.joinACF.org/

04/23/2026

Keeping our beaches clean doesn’t just happen once a year, it’s something we can all do every day.

Simple actions like picking up litter, using reusable bags, and properly disposing of trash can help prevent pollution before it ever reaches the water.

Small habits = big impact.

👉 Learn more ways to help: alabamacoastalcleanup.com

04/16/2026

04/08/2026

Today's Artifact Friday comes from Pond Spring! 🔔

These 5‑note chimes, commonly called Liberty chimes, were traditionally used on passenger train cars to signal that dinner was being served. They were manufactured by the Kohler‑Liebich Company, founded in the early 1910s by John Kohler and Otto Liebich in Chicago, Illinois. Considered a mark of luxury rail travel, Liberty chimes—produced in both 4‑note and 5‑note versions—were also used on steamships and by the military. Production continued into the early 20th century until World War II material shortages forced the company to cease manufacturing in 1941.

How Pond Spring came to possess these chimes is not certain. A train depot once stood at the site’s front gate, serving both as a shipping point for goods such as cotton bales and as a passenger stop. General Joe Wheeler, his family, and many residents regularly used the depot. His daughter, Miss Annie, had a fondness for rail travel; these chimes were likely given to her as a gift.

03/26/2026

Today's artifact comes from Fendall Hall!

A soup tureen is a large, covered serving dish that once turned simple soup into a showstopper. Rising to fame in 17th‑century France, it became a status symbol at lavish tables, later evolving into ornate porcelain masterpieces by makers like Sèvres and Meissen. Though less common today, antique tureens remain treasured for their craftsmanship and history—symbols of elegance from a bygone era.

This soup tureen was originally Ann Fendall Beall Young and was passed down to her daughter, Anna Beall Young Dent.

03/04/2026

Today’s artifact comes from Magnolia Grove.

These shoes were found inside the west wall near a window in the enslaved quarters. Research shows that objects like shoes were often placed near windows, doors, or fireplaces to protect residents from evil spirits. Enslaved people—and later paid workers after emancipation—lived in the small house from the mid-1800s into the 1900s, leaving behind everyday items over time. During restoration in 2009, these shoes and other objects were uncovered. Although we don’t know exactly who placed them in the wall or why, they offer valuable insight into life in the house at Magnolia Grove.

If you want to learn more about Magnolia Grove, the house is open Friday and Saturday, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm.

02/17/2026

Today's artifact is a picture from Fort Morgan!

This photo captures Sgt. Wesley Baily and his wife, Ruth Baily, seated atop one of the cannons at Battery Bowyer in Fort Morgan. Their story began at a post dance, where Ruth attended as a guest, and Wesley was on sentry duty. He famously asked her to “save a dance” for him—a moment that sparked their romance. The couple married on December 16, 1915, and lived at Fort Morgan until Sgt. Baily completed his tour in 1916.

Regular dances were held at Fort Morgan to provide soldiers—who were largely confined to the reservation—with opportunities to socialize. Women from Mobile were invited, but the fort’s isolation made attendance challenging. The trip required a 3.5-hour ship journey, departing at 12:30 p.m. to arrive for a 4:00 p.m. dance, which ended at 8:00 p.m. Return trips brought guests back near midnight. To encourage participation, committees of soldiers at the fort funded the costs, as these events were a rare break from military life.

02/03/2026

Join Fort Morgan and War of 1812 living historians as we celebrate the anniversary of the Second Battle of Fort Bowyer!

The event will begin February 14 at 10:00 AM and end at 3:00 PM.

01/21/2026

Yesterday, our historians Avery Calvert and Ian McConnell gave a lecture on Mobile Bay in the Civil War as part of the Alabama Beaches Winter Showcase Series at Gulf State Park.

Thank you to Alabama Beaches for giving us this opportunity to connect with the community in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.