New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

Saratoga County

Vischer Ferry As A Summer Resort

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At the turn of the nineteenth to twentieth century, Vischer Ferry, a hamlet of Clifton Park in Saratoga County on the Mohawk River, was the destination of many picnickers and tourists.

People came from Schenectady, Albany, Troy, Cohoes and even New York City to spend a day, a week, a month or the complete summer in the healthful climate and beautiful surroundings of Vischer Ferry. As quiet 120 years ago as it is today, the village was an ideal spot to escape from the noise and turmoil of the city. [Read more…] about Vischer Ferry As A Summer Resort

Champlain Canal Region Visitors Center Opening

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Champlain Canal Region Gateway Visitors CenterThe Historic Hudson Hoosic Rivers Partnership has announced the Champlain Canal Region Gateway Visitors Center (GVC), located at 30 Ferry Street, Schuylerville, is set to open on Saturday, August 6th at 10 am. [Read more…] about Champlain Canal Region Visitors Center Opening

Aboard the Hudson River Steamer Drew to Saratoga in 1878

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Steamboat Drew underway courtesy Hudson River Maritime MuseumThis article was originally published in Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper on September 21, 1878.

I was awfully glad when a friend proposed a trip to Saratoga. I had been awfully jolly in New York, but New York had gone out of town, leaving nothing but its streets and its tram-cars behind it. In London we have such a perpetual flow of visitors — over one hundred thousand daily — that a fellow doesn’t so much miss the “big crowd” as here, consequently when Saratoga was decided upon I felt extremely pleased indeed. I had heard much of the palatial river steamers, and expected much. [Read more…] about Aboard the Hudson River Steamer Drew to Saratoga in 1878

Aeronaut Carlotta Myers In The Clouds Over Saratoga

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Carlotta and Zepher in Congress ParkIt was a quiet September afternoon at Saratoga Springs’ Grand Union Hotel, with families and small groups gathering to relax and be seen by Saratoga’s high society. As the clock struck 4:30, a hush fell over the hotel’s piazza and every eye was drawn across Broadway to Congress Spring Park where a huge net shrouded sphere slowly rose above the trees.

When the giant ball had cleared the treetops, hanging below it was a small figure standing suspended in an open wire cage waving a handkerchief to the onlookers below. The crowd that day in 1884 witnessed a gas-filled balloon ascension by female aeronaut Carlotta Myers. [Read more…] about Aeronaut Carlotta Myers In The Clouds Over Saratoga

The Sans Souci: When Ballston Spa Was Still A Spa

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Sans Souci Hotel, Ballston Spa, ca 1875In the more than two hundred years of its existence, the historic village of Ballston Spa in Saratoga County, NY, has possessed one building which achieved national, perhaps even world-wide, renown.

I refer, of course, to the Sans Souci Hotel, which graced the east end of Front Street near Milton Avenue for some 84 years in the 19th century. To more precisely orient the modern reader, while you are enjoying your favorite beverage in a well-known Ballston tea shop, which is exactly opposite the north end of Low Steet, you are sharing the space previously occupied by the main lobby of the Sans Souci Hotel and metaphorically rubbing shoulders with the likes of Joseph Bonaparte, ex-king of Spain and brother of Napoleon. [Read more…] about The Sans Souci: When Ballston Spa Was Still A Spa

The Nolan Sisters: A Famous Waterford Poisoning Case

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Catherine and Elizabeth Nolan on trialThe Nolan Family immigrated from Ireland and settled in Stillwater, Ballston, and after the Civil War, in Waterford, all in Saratoga County. The Nolan’s were a large family, a good many had served in the war, and most enlisted for the rewards of the bounty paid to the volunteers.

Michael Nolan, the father of the Nolan girls, had enlisted in the storied 77th Infantry Regiment based out of Saratoga. The 77th fought in many of the war’s epic battles. Michael had enlisted for three years and served out his full term. Prior to the war he resided in Stillwater and was employed as a farm laborer. [Read more…] about The Nolan Sisters: A Famous Waterford Poisoning Case

Saratoga Area Ethnohistoric Survey Nears Completion

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saratoga national historic park courtesy wikimedia user UpstateNYerIn 2018, Saratoga National Historical Park received funding to produce an ethnohistorical study of the Saratoga area. Professor Karim Tiro from Xavier University was chosen to conduct the research and compile the report.

Dr. Tiro specializes in North American history during the colonial, revolutionary, and early national periods with a focus on the history of Native Americans, the War of 1812, and epidemics. [Read more…] about Saratoga Area Ethnohistoric Survey Nears Completion

1860: A Southern Tourist Gives Saratoga, Lake George Mixed Reviews

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Saratoga Springs Hotel Life in 1874 (photo by Record and Epler)George Mercer, a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, took a summer trip to Saratoga Springs with a buddy after sightseeing at West Point. He had a pretty good time, but not a great time.

He enjoyed the nightlife, but wasn’t impressed with the ladies; he went boating on Lake George, but complained of the heat. Sounds like today, right? Try 1860. [Read more…] about 1860: A Southern Tourist Gives Saratoga, Lake George Mixed Reviews

Saratoga County Unveils Efforts for 250th Anniversary of the Revolutionary War

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battles of saratoga 250On June 30th, 2022, Saratoga County officials unveiled the official brand, America’s Turning Point, to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Revolutionary War era events that happened in Saratoga County.

Never before in world history had a British Army surrendered until October 17, 1777 when General John Burgoyne and his army, cold, starving, and battered from their defeat at the Battle of Bemis Heights, surrendered to General Gates and his Patriot army at Saratoga in what is now known as the Turning Point of the American Revolution. [Read more…] about Saratoga County Unveils Efforts for 250th Anniversary of the Revolutionary War

Saratoga County Fair: A Tumultuous Two Years

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Saratoga County Fair Grandstand2020 was an unusual year for the Saratoga County Fair. Due to the corona virus pandemic, the Saratoga County Agricultural Society, operators of the Fair, felt they had to enact changes. When large public facilities began to close and large public events were canceled, the Society’s Board of Directors unanimously voted to cancel the fair.  They did however, open the grounds to the public and some food vendors with no entrance fee.

Another important issue that occurred in 2020 was discussions about the fate of the Fair’s historic grandstand, which was in very poor condition. [Read more…] about Saratoga County Fair: A Tumultuous Two Years