Saratoga County

Logging, Forestry, Wildfires & Forest Rangers: William Fox’s Legacy

May 23, 2023 by Guest Contributor 1 Comment

Driving by the Saratoga Tree Nursery, just south of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), most barely notice the state tree nursery’s rustic entrance sign – and you need to squint to see that its full name is “Colonel William F. Fox Memorial Saratoga Tree Nursery.” The state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), which owns the nursery, considers William Fox the “father” of today’s DEC forest ranger program, as well at the guy who believed the state should raise young trees for later replanting.

Yet the story of the 19th century Ballston Spa native, who also served with valor in the Civil War, is little-known to the general public. [Read more…] about Logging, Forestry, Wildfires & Forest Rangers: William Fox’s Legacy

New Book On Seneca Ray Stoddard Published

May 18, 2023 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The new book Seneca Ray Stoddard; and Intimate Portrait of an Adirondack Legend (Warren County Historical Society, 2023) by Daniel Way, MD is a complete biography of Seneca Ray Stoddard, including unique photographs and a virtual tour of Stoddard’s house, which no longer exists. [Read more…] about New Book On Seneca Ray Stoddard Published

Grant Cottage Master Plan Meeting Set for May 23rd

May 17, 2023 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Friends of Grant Cottage are in the beginning stages of developing a Site Master Plan for the Ulysses S. Grant Cottage State Historic Site & National Historic Landmark it’s hoped will provide a roadmap for a comprehensive set of “improvements to enhance visitor engagement, accessibility and safety, and circulation while expanding the site infrastructure for increased visitation and grand events,” according to an email sent to supporters. [Read more…] about Grant Cottage Master Plan Meeting Set for May 23rd

The Saratoga County Family That Lost 2 Of 6 Sons During WWII

May 10, 2023 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

On July 1, 1944, as the Second World War raged in Europe and the Pacific, a Western Union telegram arrived at the Saratoga Springs home of Aurora Asheych notifying her of the death in combat of her 21-year-old son, U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. Joseph Leonard Gagnon. Two months later, she received word that another son, Army Pvt. Victor Francis Gaynor, 19, was reported killed in action in France. Earlier that year, all six of Aurora’s sons were in the military. [Read more…] about The Saratoga County Family That Lost 2 Of 6 Sons During WWII

A Bridge at Vischer Ferry: Some Clifton Park History

April 27, 2023 by Guest Contributor 1 Comment

Before the Northway was built, travelers would gain access to Clifton Park from the south by crossing the Mohawk River at either the Route 9 bridge to Crescent, or the Route 146 bridge to Rexford. These bridges existed since the early nineteenth century. Between these two bridges there were three ferries: Dunsbach Ferry, Forts Ferry and Vischer Ferry. The most logical place for another bridge was at Vischer Ferry. This would provide direct access into the heart of Clifton Park. [Read more…] about A Bridge at Vischer Ferry: Some Clifton Park History

Saratoga Battlefield Acquires Stolen Surrender Cannon

April 24, 2023 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The National Park Service’s Saratoga National Historical Park has accepted a donation of a light six-pound British cannon from the Department of the Army. The park will permanently preserve Cannon #102 as a part of its museum collection. [Read more…] about Saratoga Battlefield Acquires Stolen Surrender Cannon

Fallen Rock Climber Rescued In The Adirondacks; Unprepared Hikers Located

April 19, 2023 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents throughout 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 Fallen Rock Climber Rescued In The Adirondacks; Unprepared Hikers Located

Prestons of Galway, NY: A 19th Century American Family

April 14, 2023 by Bob Cudmore Leave a Comment

This week on The Historians Podcast, a conversation with Alan Maddaus, author of The Prestons of East Street, the Story of a 19th century American Family (Epigraph, 2019). This family lived in Maddaus’s childhood home in Galway, Saratoga County, NY, and he always wondered what became of them.

Life’s Fleeting Breath: An Epitaph for Jeremiah Clark

April 13, 2023 by Dave Waite 4 Comments

The small rural cemetery that sits along Clark Road in Providence, Saratoga County, NY, silently beckoned me to stop and visit as it came into view one Autumn morning. I was happy to oblige, hoping to be rewarded with a glimpse of insight from these final reminders that mark the end of the life of those who, like us, also once smelled the fragrance of autumn and felt the warmth of the midday sun. [Read more…] about Life’s Fleeting Breath: An Epitaph for Jeremiah Clark

George West: Saratoga County’s Paper Bag King

April 12, 2023 by Maury Thompson Leave a Comment

“The Paper Bag King” developed his paper-making skills as an apprentice in England and his business acumen as a 19th century entrepreneur in Saratoga County. George West earned the nickname from being on the cutting edge of offering flour companies a choice between cotton and paper sacks, the latter of which was cheaper and, hence, became more common.

West’s mill at Rock City Falls in the town of Milton was among the first in the United State to make bags from paper. It was one of about a dozen 19th century paper mills in Saratoga County that West would come to own. [Read more…] about George West: Saratoga County’s Paper Bag King