Almost a century after the passing of John Foley, the man whose vision shaped the city’s destiny, his legacy continues to steer the trajectory of Foley's growth.

In a ceremony, the city of Foley unveiled a plaque commemorating John Foley, embedded within the renovated fountain at John B. Foley Park, named in his honor.

John Foley laid the groundwork for the community in 1905, championing the extension of a railroad spur from Bay Minette to South Baldwin County. The town burgeoned rapidly, achieving incorporation in 1915, just a decade after its inception.

Thursday, April 25, witnessed a gathering of city officials, employees, representatives from the South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce and Foley Main Street, alongside two descendants of John Foley himself—John Foley III and Dohoya Foley Bentley—who participated in the dedication event.

Mayor Ralph Hellmich hailed the park as a fitting tribute to Foley's founding father.

“This park is the heart of downtown. It is where it all starts. And I think that the city has done a good job using the park for the purposes that Mr. Foley intended. It is a meeting place. It’s the heart of the city,” Hellmich said.

Reflecting on Foley's urban planning foresight, Hellmich noted parallels between Foley's early city layout and contemporary urban development strategies.

“It’s great to go back and look at the layout of old Foley,” Hellmich said. “Old Foley was laid out in the village concept. We had wide boulevards that were spaced out. We had part of the city designated as an industrial kind of area. Now, all these planners are coming back and doing what he was doing back then.”

Mayor Hellmich attributed Foley's exponential growth from its humble origins to the visionary leadership of its founders.

“We’re now at 26,500 people, which surprises some people,” Hellmich said. “It doesn’t surprise me because we all know it’s a great place, where it’s safe. Now everybody has figured that out too.”

The fountain renovation and plaque dedication mark the culmination of Foley's downtown revitalization program, an initiative that has seen investments totaling at least $3.5 million since 2007.