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Saratoga County History Roundtable

Ben Brotherson’s Bank Scheme

February 1, 2023 by Dave Waite Leave a Comment

New York Herald, March 24, 1858Around 1800, Philip and Catharine Brotherson arrived in Blue Corners on the western edge of Charlton in Saratoga County. Over the next 40 years, their five children grew to maturity, the last being Benjamin Kissam Brotherson, born in 1819.

At the age of sixteen, Benjamin was hired as a clerk for the dry goods merchant James Winne in Albany, New York. During his time in Albany, he was known as an upstanding young man of good moral character. Three years later, in 1838, he moved to the city of New York and took a job at Union Bank, where he would work for the next twenty years. [Read more…] about Ben Brotherson’s Bank Scheme

Filed Under: Capital-Saratoga, History, New York City Tagged With: Albany, Albany County, Charlton, Crime and Justice, Financial History, Gambling, Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York City, Saratoga County, Saratoga County History Center, Saratoga County History Roundtable, Vice, Wall Street

Sam Hill: Folklore & History Of A Saratoga Resident

January 22, 2023 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

Sam Hill Painting - Laurence White PhotographyThough perhaps a dying proverb, “What in Sam Hill?!” used to be commonplace as an expression of exasperation. A quick internet search will point to several possible origin stories that explain where this phrase came from but the definitive truth remains elusive.

Could it be that a Saratoga County resident known by this common moniker contributed to this once-popular phrase? [Read more…] about Sam Hill: Folklore & History Of A Saratoga Resident

Filed Under: Capital-Saratoga, History Tagged With: Abenaki, Folklore, Greenfield, Indigenous History, Mohawk, Saratoga, Saratoga County, Saratoga County History Center, Saratoga County History Roundtable, Saratoga Springs

A Special Christmas At Saratoga County’s Poorhouse

December 25, 2022 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

Saratoga County PoorhouseThe end of 1873 ushered in change at the Saratoga County Poorhouse in the form of a brand-new building, along with a novelty the residents had never before enjoyed – a Christmas tree. [Read more…] about A Special Christmas At Saratoga County’s Poorhouse

Filed Under: Capital-Saratoga, History Tagged With: Christmas, Milton, Saratoga County, Saratoga County History Center, Saratoga County History Roundtable

Christmas On The Home Front: Corinth During The Second World War

December 25, 2022 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

Town of Corinth World War II Roll of Honor stood at Schoolhouse Hill on Palmer Avenue and was later removed, stored for some time and later disposed ofThe Christmas Season is one of sharing and giving. During the Second World War the generosity of the Corinth community in Saratoga County, NY was much like that of small towns around the country. Children as well as adults were active participants in supporting activities on the home front. [Read more…] about Christmas On The Home Front: Corinth During The Second World War

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Capital-Saratoga, History Tagged With: Christmas, Corinth, Saratoga, Saratoga County, Saratoga County History Center, Saratoga County History Roundtable, womens history

Henry Knox, Phillip Schuyler and Lake Champlain’s Cannon in Boston

December 25, 2022 by Guest Contributor 3 Comments

Knox Artillery Train courtesy National Archives CollectionOne of the iconic stories of the American Revolution is the laborious trek of a contingent of newly-minted patriots, led by Henry Knox, lugging cannon from the fort at Crown Point and Fort Ticonderoga to Dorchester Heights, forcing the British to abandon Boston, an important early victory is our long fight for freedom.

Few may realize that important decisions while the expedition was in Saratoga County were key to the success of the mission. [Read more…] about Henry Knox, Phillip Schuyler and Lake Champlain’s Cannon in Boston

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Capital-Saratoga, History, Hudson Valley - Catskills Tagged With: American Revolution, Boston, Columbia County, Essex County, Fort Ticonderoga, Henry Knox, Lake Champlain, Military History, Philip Schuyler, Saratoga County, Saratoga County History Center, Saratoga County History Roundtable, Warren County

‘Ever & Affectionally your Daughter’: The Flora Jewett Letters

December 22, 2022 by Dave Waite Leave a Comment

Flora Jewett Letter to her father April 14, 1808 (courtesy William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan)Over 200 years ago a young woman picked up a quill and wrote of her happiness, success, sadness, and loss as she embarked on a new life far from family and friends. The woman was 24-year-old Flora Jewett and the place was Galway, a small community in rural Saratoga County, New York.

Flora Baldwin had married Thaddeus Jewett in early 1807 and soon after they left Newtown, Connecticut for Galway where Thaddeus’ family resided. It was shortly after arriving in Galway that the letters begin. [Read more…] about ‘Ever & Affectionally your Daughter’: The Flora Jewett Letters

Filed Under: Arts, Capital-Saratoga, History Tagged With: Connecticut, Galway, Saratoga County, Saratoga County History Roundtable, Writing

Joshua Anthony: The Baking Powder King

December 15, 2022 by Guest Contributor 1 Comment

Joshua Anthony's Spice Factory in Halfmoon, Saratoga County, NYIn the 1800s, most of the commerce at Halfmoon in Saratoga County, NY, was located close to the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers. Joshua Anthony however, developed his spice factory in a remote part of northern Halfmoon on his grandfather’s farm on Farm to Market and Anthony Roads.

The three-story tower in the center of the factory once boasted a windmill that provided power for the machinery. Anthony heated the farmhouse and buildings in the winter with steam from the factory. [Read more…] about Joshua Anthony: The Baking Powder King

Filed Under: Capital-Saratoga, Food, History Tagged With: Christmas, Clifton Park, Culinary History, Delaware & Hudson Railroad, Halfmooon, Industrial History, Mechanicville, Saratoga County, Saratoga County History Roundtable, Susan B. Anthony, Thanksgiving

Ballston Spa’s Hides-Franklin Spring: Some History

December 4, 2022 by Guest Contributor 8 Comments

Hides-Franklin Spring - Saratoga County History CenterAlthough the mineral springs that made Ballston Spa in Saratoga County famous in the late 1700s were surpassed in importance by the industries of the 1800s, several of them were re-tubed and became part of the manufacturing interests of the village well into the twentieth century.

Some mineral springs quickly failed, others were opened to the public, and still others were bottled and sold around the country. [Read more…] about Ballston Spa’s Hides-Franklin Spring: Some History

Filed Under: Capital-Saratoga, History Tagged With: Ballston Spa, Industrial History, Saratoga, Saratoga County, Saratoga County History Center, Saratoga County History Roundtable

Werner Brewery of Saratoga County: Some History

November 20, 2022 by Dave Waite 1 Comment

Werner brewery and farm in HalfmoonToday there are at least two breweries along the Route 9 corridor in Eastern Saratoga County, each offering their own brand of unique microbrews. Looking back in county history, we find that the commercial production of ale can trace its roots to well before the Civil War, with one of the earliest being the Werner family brewery in the town of Halfmoon. [Read more…] about Werner Brewery of Saratoga County: Some History

Filed Under: Capital-Saratoga, History Tagged With: beer, German-American History, Halfmoon, Industrial History, Mechanicville, Medical History, Patent Medicine, Saratoga County, Saratoga County History Center, Saratoga County History Roundtable

Simeon Ford: Deserter & War of 1812 Hero

November 13, 2022 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

Plattsburgh Republican, August 27, 1814In August 1814, Capt. Opie of the 5th Regiment of U.S. Infantry placed a bounty in the Plattsburgh Republican offering a $200 reward for the return of four deserters, including Simeon Ford, who was accused of deserting for the third time.

Ford was described as 24 years of age, 5-feet-7 and a half inches tall, with dark hair and eyes and a fair complexion. His occupation: brick layer. He was also described as a cunning, artful, imposing fellow possessing a “superior degree of loquacity” which he used “in a most imposing manner.” [Read more…] about Simeon Ford: Deserter & War of 1812 Hero

Filed Under: Capital-Saratoga, History Tagged With: Ballston Spa, Battle of Queenstown Heights, East Greenbush, Fort Columbus, Governors Island, Military History, New York Harbor, Niagara River, Old Fort Niagara, Rensselaer, Rensselaer County, Saratoga County, Saratoga County History Center, Saratoga County History Roundtable, War of 1812

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