After the Marvin House at the northeast corner of Division Street and Broadway in Saratoga Springs was destroyed by fire in 1865, it was quickly rebuilt as the city’s largest hotel. In the early 1880s it was renamed The Arlington Hotel briefly before being purchased by William W. Worden in 1885. He renamed it The Worden Hotel at the request of guests who honored him with a dinner celebrating his purchase. [Read more…] about Saratoga’s Worden Hotel: A Short History
Horses
Walking the Sanford Horses to Saratoga
Born in 1826, Stephen Sanford worked with his father John and then on his own to create the Sanford carpet mills in Amsterdam. He went to West Point, served in Congress and was a friend of Ulysses S. Grant.
In the early twentieth century, thoroughbred horses owned by Sanford were walked each summer to Saratoga from Sanford’s Hurricana Farm. Racing Hall of Fame trainer Hollie Hughes, who served three generations of Sanfords, recalled the annual trek in Alex M. Robb’s book, The Sanfords of Amsterdam. [Read more…] about Walking the Sanford Horses to Saratoga
New Water Pump Installed For Charles Baker Forest Equestrians
In partnership with the New York State Plantation Walking Horse Club, DEC recently installed a new well pump to provide essential water for horses at the Moscow Hill Assembly Area on Charles E. Baker State Forest, the core of the popular 100-mile Brookfield Trail System in Madison County. [Read more…] about New Water Pump Installed For Charles Baker Forest Equestrians
The Unpleasant Side of Life With Horses in Cities
Return with me to the thrilling days of yesteryear when the automobile was viewed as the solution to transportation noise, fumes and congestion.
The problem: Horses.
A lot of horses. [Read more…] about The Unpleasant Side of Life With Horses in Cities
Slang, Stirrups, Paris in the 20s, and the Invention of the Bloody Mary
Although much remains unclear about the origins of Cockney rhyming slang, there is a consensus that it stems from London’s East End, dates back to the 1840s, and is alive and thriving. One slang expression reads “on one’s tod,” meaning: on one’s own; all alone. The phrase is a shortened version of the original “on one’s Tod Sloan.”
In full, these four words offer a multi-colored mosaic of socio-cultural events involving Manhattan, London, and Paris. [Read more…] about Slang, Stirrups, Paris in the 20s, and the Invention of the Bloody Mary
36 Bridges Replaced Along 100-Mile Brookfield Trail System
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the completion of a three-year project to reconstruct 36 bridge crossings along the Brookfield Trail System in the towns of Hamilton and Brookfield, Madison County. The popular recreation trails provide more than 100 miles of opportunity for hikers, equestrians, snowmobilers, and other outdoor enthusiasts. [Read more…] about 36 Bridges Replaced Along 100-Mile Brookfield Trail System
Forest Rangers Aid Paddlers, Hikers, Equestrian; Fight Fire
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents in the around New York State. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured or distressed people.
What follows is a report, prepared by DEC, of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers. [Read more…] about Forest Rangers Aid Paddlers, Hikers, Equestrian; Fight Fire
Saratoga Horse Racing Museum Reopening Sept 5th
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs is set to reopen to the public on Saturday, September 5th.
The Museum has been closed since January for the installation of a new state-of-the-art Hall of Fame experience as well as multiple new and updated exhibitions. [Read more…] about Saratoga Horse Racing Museum Reopening Sept 5th
Overnight Camping Suspended at Otter Creek
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has temporarily suspended all overnight camping at the Otter Creek Horse Trail facility, effective immediately, to help limit the community spread of COVID-19. [Read more…] about Overnight Camping Suspended at Otter Creek
Comments Sought on Brookfield Trail System
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced that the agency is accepting public comments on regulatory proposals for the Brookfield Trail System at the Moscow Hill Camping and Assembly areas in Madison County.
[Read more…] about Comments Sought on Brookfield Trail System