The Baldwin County Historical Society will shine a light on Foley's wartime legacy during its summer quarterly meeting July 19 at the historic Gift Horse Restaurant Banquet Hall in downtown Foley.

Registration and social time will begin at 1:30 p.m. with the program starting promptly at 2 p.m. Former Foley Mayor Tim Russell and his wife Sandy, who worked for years to secure national recognition for Foley's World War II history, will lead the discussion.

The Russells will share insights about Foley's designation as Alabama's official American World War II Heritage City, a rare title granted by the National Park Service. Only one community in each state or territory can carry the honor, which celebrates local contributions to the nation's wartime effort and preserves the stories of those who served at home and abroad.

Meeting attendees will have the chance to tour two local museums that showcase the city's rich past. The Foley Railroad Museum, once the Louisville and Nashville Railroad depot until 1971, now holds exhibits detailing Baldwin County's rail and agriculture history. Its newest addition features Barin Field, a Navy aviation training base east of the Foley Beach Express where more than 5,000 cadets trained during World War II. The special exhibit, opened in December 2024, includes photographs, artifacts and personal stories from the era.

Next door, the Holmes Medical Museum invites visitors to step inside Baldwin County's first hospital, which served the community from 1936 to 1958. The second-floor museum preserves much of the original interior, offering a glimpse into early medical practices with antique surgical tools, operating room machinery and a "medical quackery" display that recalls unusual treatments of the past. Visitors should note the building has no elevator.

Parking for the meeting is available along nearby streets on both sides. Membership in the Baldwin County Historical Society is $10 per person annually, starting in October, but meetings are free and open to the public. The society hosts quarterly programs throughout the county focused on preserving local history.

The Gift Horse Restaurant Banquet Hall is at 209 W. Laurel Ave. in Foley. Additionally, the Foley Railroad Museum is located at 125 E. Laurel Ave and the Holmes Medical Museum is at 111 W. Laurel Ave.