Oct. 25 Historical Society lecture focuses on Baldwin’s Italian heritage

Oct. 25 Historical Society lecture focuses on Baldwin’s Italian heritage

The Baldwin County Historical Society will celebrate the Italian families who were part of the county’s original Italian Colony founded in 1913 when it meets at 2 p.m. on October 25 at the historic Belforest School in Daphne.
Historian Al Guarisco will present an overview of the original settlers and the history of their growth in the county. Hundreds of descendants reside in the area and a special invitation is issued to each of those descendants to attend the meeting as guests of honor.
The meeting is planned to be outside of the historic Belforest School at 25500 County Road 54. The building is now the Belforest Civic Center. The shade of the large oak tree behind the school is etched in the memories of former students and will be the site of the meeting. Attendees are asked to bring a lawn chair, wear a mask, and maintain social distancing. Bottled water and drinks will be provided. Inclement weather will postpone the meeting until the following Sunday, November 1. The school will be open for visitors to see the original slate boards, pocket doors, coal furnace, and many other details that have been saved.
Pictured: The earliest Italian families to settle in the Belforest/Daphne area included the families represented in this photograph. (front row) Mary Bertagnolli, Assunta Allegri, and Mary Manci. (back row) Constante Bertagnolli, Frank Manci, Carlo Bruno, and Cipriano Allegri.