A delightful and thought provoking history lesson is found at Fort Morgan Historic Site in the Gulf Shores region of Alabama. Proudly protecting Mobile Bay for generations, today this site welcomes visitors and shares its unique story with us all. Driving towards it, we felt like we were entering history, stepping out of the car, we realized we were.
Construction began in 1819 and near this 500 acre site was where Admiral David Farragut famously stated ,“Damn the torpedoes. Full speed ahead.”, moments before he led troops into the Battle of Mobile Bay on August 4, 1864. Two weeks later, Union forces overtook the fort which later became America’s largest military outpost between 1900-1923. The fort served during the Spanish-American War and both world wars and now provides visitors an interesting history lesson with a realistic look at the past.
Seemingly still guarding the bay, Fort Morgan is imposing and impressive. Begin your visit with a stop in the adjacent museum which details the American military history of Mobile Point from 1814 to 1945. Featuring weapons, uniforms, letters, photographs, and personal items of soldiers who served at the fort. The massive fort contains more than 40 million bricks and pays tribute to the skilled masons, many of whom were enslaved African Americans.
The fort has an active living history program that interprets all the military periods and holds an annual event commemorating the Battle of Mobile Bay. Costumed interpreters are eager to share their extensive knowledge with you. Learn about the laundry ladies who made a fine living keeping everyone clean and prepared. Hear the tales of the rural farm youth who served our country while adapting to comforts they’d never seen-such as underwear and toothbrushes. Learn how they trained to handle arms and worked together to keep our country safe during multiple events. In fact, the history of the fort goes all the way back to the Spanish, who used it in the 1500s and the flags in front of the museum represent the countries that occupied the area.
Special events take place throughout the year and the 150th anniversary of The Battle of Mobile Bay will be commemorated in 2014.
The Battle of Mobile Bay Civil War Trail contains more than a dozen sites throughout Mobile and Baldwin Counties where action occurred during the Battle of Mobile Bay as well as the Overland Campaign. This 90 mile trail consists of eighteen interpretive site signs that share the stories of commanders, fighting men and ship captains along with historical references and illustrations. For more information about the trail, visit www.battleofmobilebay.com
The Gulf Shores region remains a popular travel destination for Cincinnati-area families and features a number of family-friendly attractions.
51 State Highway 180 West
Gulf Shores, AL 36542
(251) 540-7127
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