Saratoga County History Roundtable

Black Musician Francis Johnson at Saratoga, 1822-1843

June 12, 2022 by David Fiske Leave a Comment

Solomon Northup, the free black man who was kidnapped from Saratoga Springs and sold into slavery (as portrayed in the film 12 Years a Slave), was known locally as a good fiddler. Northup probably mostly played at dances, and there is no evidence that he played at any of Saratoga’s posh hotels.

But as a black musician, Northup probably could have found acceptance in such venues, because the way had been paved by Francis “Frank” Johnson. Johnson, a black resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, performed with his band during many summers at the best hotels in Saratoga. [Read more…] about Black Musician Francis Johnson at Saratoga, 1822-1843

One Community’s Experience of the Second World War

May 29, 2022 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

This Memorial Day, Wilton, New York’s town hall will begin work on an exhibit which tells the story of Wilton’s Second World War families.

A Saratoga County Odd Fellows Hall Is Now A Place For History

May 19, 2022 by Guest Contributor 1 Comment

Although little is known about the early history of the Order of Odd Fellows (OOF), it was already an established organization in England before 1730. No one knows exactly where the name “Odd Fellows” came from. One possibility is that prior to this organization, only the wealthy belonged to such fraternities. This organization was made up of common laboring men of England who at the time were thought to be an “odd” group to be forming such an organization.

Another, more probable theory posits that in 18th century England, major trades were already organized as guilds, and “odd fellows” from less typical “odd trades” organized themselves under the “odd fellows” name. [Read more…] about A Saratoga County Odd Fellows Hall Is Now A Place For History

Ellis Corners: Before Saratoga Spa State Park & SPAC

May 16, 2022 by Guest Contributor 3 Comments

I think one of the most intriguing aspects of being a history buff is peeling back the layers of history beneath the surface of a well-known location. We drive by today and wonder – what was it like 50 years ago? 100 years ago? Even 200 years ago.

What homes, barns, taverns, and other structures were there, long since gone? Which buildings still exist along the road, often remodeled to the point where they might be unrecognizable to the original inhabitants? Who lived there? What roads did they travel to get to the next crossroads, the next village? Do we still follow the same routes that existed back in the day? [Read more…] about Ellis Corners: Before Saratoga Spa State Park & SPAC

Mechanicville’s Unique Second World War Photo Collection

May 5, 2022 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

On May 8th, 1945, Nazi Germany surrendered to Allied forces, ending the Second World War in Europe. Less than four months later, on September 2nd, Japan formally surrendered aboard the USS Missouri anchored in Tokyo Bay, bringing history’s most destructive conflict to an end. [Read more…] about Mechanicville’s Unique Second World War Photo Collection

The Whitetail Deer Paddock in Saratoga’s Congress Park: Some History

May 2, 2022 by Dave Waite Leave a Comment

It is difficult to imagine tame whitetail deer roaming freely through Congress Park in downtown Saratoga Springs, yet in its early years, it was both a common sight and an eagerly anticipated part of experiencing the city for both young and old.

It all began with a gift. [Read more…] about The Whitetail Deer Paddock in Saratoga’s Congress Park: Some History

Saratoga County Was Once A Leading Pork Producer

April 24, 2022 by Guest Contributor 1 Comment

Not that they’re boasting, but lots of Saratoga County people like the ring of the “health, history and horses” theme used by the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce. But 150 years ago, the thoroughbreds didn’t yet run at Saratoga Race Course on Union Avenue, and the county motto could have been “homesteads, harvests and hogs.” [Read more…] about Saratoga County Was Once A Leading Pork Producer

Clifton Park’s Ties to Lincoln’s Assassination

April 15, 2022 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

April 14th marked the anniversary of Abraham Lincoln‘s assassination by John Wilkes Booth in 1865. This tragic event, like the later assassination of John F. Kennedy, had a tremendous impact on the nation.

There was a period of twenty days of mourning from the time Lincoln was shot to the time he arrived by train for burial at his home in Springfield, Illinois. The first of his twelve funerals was held in Washington, then his funeral procession began by train across the land to Illinois, stopping at major cities for additional funerals. It was the mightiest outpouring of national grief the world had yet seen. [Read more…] about Clifton Park’s Ties to Lincoln’s Assassination

William Sears’ American Hygiene Vegetable Renovating Pills

April 10, 2022 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

The nineteenth century in America saw the rapid growth of “patent” medicines, developed and marketed to a populace longing for relief from the many chronic maladies of life. Newspapers of the times were filled with advertising extolling the virtues of these creations as entrepreneurs tried to make their fortune by selling into this need.

The early fall of 1834 found one such man, William Sears, then in his middle fifties, traveling around Saratoga County soliciting testimonials from prominent local citizens as to the benefits of the medicines he had produced that were now being offered to the public. [Read more…] about William Sears’ American Hygiene Vegetable Renovating Pills

Route 50 Changed It All: Old Burnt Hills And New

March 31, 2022 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

In the late 1950s, Veeder and Yelverton Pharmacy moved their thriving pharmacy business from Schenectady, NY to Route 50 in Burnt Hills, Saratoga County.

At the time, the Burnt Hills area was just beginning to grow and the area to which they moved was not a major commercial center in the Burnt Hills area. But that move seems to have been one of the signals that a “new” commercial center of was starting to grow.

Driving along Route 50, most people today do not even know that an “old” commercial center ever existed. [Read more…] about Route 50 Changed It All: Old Burnt Hills And New