• Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar

New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Adirondacks & NNY
  • Capital-Saratoga
  • Mohawk Valley
  • Hudson Valley & Catskills
  • NYC & Long Island
  • Western NY
  • History
  • Nature & Environment
  • Arts & Culture
  • Outdoor Recreation
  • Food & Farms
  • Subscribe
  • Support
  • Submit
  • About
  • New Books
  • Events
  • Podcasts

Round Lake

Ice Harvesting in Saratoga County

February 13, 2022 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

Ice Harvesting in Clifton Park – Early 20th CenturyBefore refrigeration, food had to be eaten in a short time before growing bacteria could cause disease. Drying, smoking and salting were used but each had their limitations. In the ancient world, ice was a luxury available to those with great power.

Prior to the nineteenth century, ice harvesting was a local and small time operation. Ponds were the best source, because still water freezes first, but all sources of water were employed. January or February was considered the best month for harvesting. Often communities or groups of farm families would work cooperatively, dividing the “crop” proportionally. In addition to hard work, the “icing” was a social occasion and opportunity for locals to pass gossip and news. [Read more…] about Ice Harvesting in Saratoga County

Filed Under: Capital-Saratoga, Food, History, Nature Tagged With: Ballston Spa, Culinary History, Hudson River, ice, Industrial History, Labor History, Round Lake, Sacandaga River, Saratoga County, Saratoga County History Center, Saratoga County History Roundtable, Saratoga Lake, Saratoga Springs, winter

Murder Trials Of Note In 19th Century Saratoga County

December 31, 2020 by Editorial Staff 4 Comments

Saratoga County NY Map 1856The following record of nineteenth century murder trials in Saratoga County was provided by a Mechanicville correspondent to the Troy Daily Times in 1891:

There have been many noted murder trials in Saratoga county since the first court was held in the town of Stillwater May 10, 1791 – 100 years ago. The court now in session at Ballston Spa meets about five miles from where the first court was held, at the residence of Samuel Clark, near East Line, Judge John Thompson of Stillwater [then] presiding, he having received the appointment as the first judge of Saratoga county from Governor Clinton. [Read more…] about Murder Trials Of Note In 19th Century Saratoga County

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Capital-Saratoga, History Tagged With: Anti-Rent War, Ballston Spa, Clifton Park, Corinth, Crime and Justice, Judical History, Mechanicville, Milton, Round Lake, Saratoga County, Saratoga Springs, Schuylerville, Town of Day, Wilton

Primary Sidebar

Help Support Our Work

Subscribe to New York Almanack

Subscribe! Follow the New York Almanack each day via E-mail, RSS, Twitter or Facebook updates.

Recent Comments

  • John Tepper Marlin on The Real Gilded Age: America’s Elite at Staatsburgh
  • Thomas Hughes on 1920s KKK Recruiting Efforts in Northern New York
  • Bob Meyer on 1920s KKK Recruiting Efforts in Northern New York
  • Thomas Hughes on 1920s KKK Recruiting Efforts in Northern New York
  • Bob Meyer on 1920s KKK Recruiting Efforts in Northern New York
  • Gordon Mason on NYS Historic Barn Tax Credit Program Informational Session
  • David G Waite on Ellis Corners: Before Saratoga Spa State Park & SPAC
  • Eric braverman on Wall Street History: The Politics of New York’s First Banks
  • N. Couture on Haudenosaunee Creation Story & Sculptures with Emily Kasennisaks Stacey
  • Lee on The Mysterious Death of the Angel of Sing Sing

Recent New York Books

ben franklins world podcast
Spaces of Enslavement and Resistance in Dutch New York
ilion cover
Spare Parts
new yorks war of 1812
a prison in the woods cover
Visitors to My Street
Greek Fire
Building THe Ashokan Reservoir
ilion book cover

Secondary Sidebar

preservation league
Protect the Adirondacks Hiking Guide