 |
|
|
Saratoga Springs: Health · History · Horses |
| Saratoga
Springs is known as "the Queen of the Spas." It has
a rich heritage as a health resort and gambling center for much
of the 19th century. |
| HEALTH For over 400 years, before any
white man learned of it, High Rock Spring, in the city of Saratoga
Springs, was known to the Iroquois Indians. The area known as
Serachtague, "place of swift water," was sacred to
the Mohawks and other Native Americans. They believed the naturally
carbonated water had been stirred by the god Manitou, endowing
it with healing properties. In 1767 an ailing Sir William Johnson,
Indian Agent and friend of the Mohawks, was carried to their
sacred spring. After spending but a few days drinking from the
spring and bathing a long unhealed wound, he was able to walk
most of the thirty miles back to his home in Johnstown. Johnson
is generally considered the first white man to 'take the cure.' |
| HISTORY During the Paleozoic Era, a series
of faults, or cracks, split the underlying bedrock, creating
fissures through which water forced its way to the surface. These
springs are the only naturally carbonated mineral springs east
of the Rocky Mountains. Early settler John Bryan built an inn
above High Rock Spring, but Gideon Putnam is the visionary who
set out to create a spa resort in the midst of a wilderness.
He built Union Hall, the forerunner of vast hotels such as the
United States, Congress Hall and the Grand Union. He laid out
streets and tubed Congress Spring in what is now Congress Park.
He donated land for a burial ground, and become the first person
to be buried there. Dwellings and businesses lined streets he
created and tourists arrived by stage and buggy. In 1831, with
the advent of the railroad, tourism blossomed. Less than a century
after the first 'cure' at High Rock, 'taking the cure' at Saratoga
was a firmly established tradition for thousands of visitors. |
| HORSES In 1863, a racing meet for thoroughbreds
marked the beginning of "the oldest race track in America."
The race course bears the additional distinction of being the
oldest sports facility in the country! With the exception of
1911 and 1912, when the track closed in response to gambling
reforms, and 1943-45, when meets were cancelled due to World
War II, the track has continued to operate and grow in popularity.
Attendance at the famous Travers Day race has been known to double
the city's population! |
| Health
and Horses are the foundation of Saratoga's History. Without
the lure of the springs, settlers might easily have bypassed
the region. Mineral water, for drinking and bathing, long a European
tradition for the health conscious, was the impetus for the explosive
development of the city. The arrival of the railroad in 1831
was a huge boon to tourism. |
| Dozens
of springs were tubed for ease of access. Bath houses were built
where patrons, hoping to cure a host of ailments, bathed in the
mineral waters, under strict guidelines set by their personal
physician. Guests sallied forth from boarding houses and elegant
hotels for the ritual of walking, breathing the fresh air and
'taking the waters.' |
| The
summer season at Saratoga offered diversions as well: hot air
balloon ascensions, hops, balls, Indian encampments, and afternoon
carriage promenades down Broadway where people and horses were
adorned in the latest finery. The wide porches on the huge hotels
were also part of the social scene, a place for the influential
to meet and mingle. Many a business deal was sealed during an
afternoon meeting there. Excursions to Saratoga Lake were popular;
lakeside strolls, steamboat rides, or regattas were often followed
by fine dining at a lake house restaurant overlooking the water.
Legend has it that during one such feast at Moon's Lake House,
the potato chip was created in 1853. |
| As
early as 1847, when a meet for trotters was held on land adjacent
to Union Avenue in conjunction with the New York State Fair,
horses, racing and wagering have been a winning combination in
Saratoga. A dirt track, the present day Oklahoma Track, was built
on East Avenue near the intersection of Union Avenue. The simple
board and batten stables, built to house thoroughbreds and their
grooms during the meet, are still in use today. There was also
a small grandstand, but many spectators chose to view the races
from their elegant open carriages. Then as now, a day at the
races was as much about seeing and being seen as it was about
the winner's circle! |
| Inspired
by the growing interest in the sport, a group of private investors
formed the Saratoga Racing Association. The four day meet was
extended, and in 1864 a larger track was built on the opposite
side of Union Avenue, the site of the current Saratoga Race Track.
By the turn of the century it was firmly established as the showplace
it is today. |
| Like
the ambience of the elegant hotels, Saratoga Race Track attracted
those with money to spend frivolously. John Morrissey's Club
House, the current Casino building and museum in Congress Park,
opened in 1870. Following an afternoon at the race track, millionaires
gathered to gamble for high stakes, surrounded by high Victorian
elegance. Diamond Jim Brady, Lillian Russell, Lily Langtry, and
Bet-A-Million Gates were among those who added glamour to the
Saratoga scene. |
| Ornate
mansions reflecting every type of Victorian architecture, were
built by the rich on North Broadway and around town from the
1870's to the turn of the twentieth century. Dubbed summer "cottages"
by their wealthy owners, they hosted visiting Presidents, ex-Presidents,
politicians and business magnates. Other notables, including
Susan B. Anthony, Sarah Bernhardt, Caruso, Victor Herbert, John
Philip Sousa, Daniel Webster, and Oscar Wilde also visited Saratoga
Springs, the Queen of the Spas. |
| During
the last quarter of the 19th century, a building boom reflected
the village's affluence: Town Hall was built on an entire city
block at the intersection of Broadway and Lake Avenue. The first
firehouse, an attractive brick building, with graceful curved
doorways, was built near the business district and massive commercial
buildings sprang up along Broadway. Convention Hall, overlooking
Congress Park, was built in 1883 with a seating capacity of 5000
to accommodate conventions, activities and sporting events. |
| Saratoga
Springs was primarily a summer resort, but year-round residents
provided the base for its burgeoning success. African-Americans
came for the summer season to work in the hotels; some settled
in the village. During the 1840's, the Irish population increased
dramatically, forming in a cohesive neighborhood, known as Dublin,
on the West side of the town. In the 1880's, Italians arrived,
drawn by railroad jobs, but many established small businesses
including barbershops, shoe-shops and grocery stores. There were
few Jewish residents in the 1800's, but by 1910 there were about
25 families, and a synagogue was being planned. Many Jewish residents
engaged in operating boarding houses and small hotels to accommodate
hundreds of Jews who traveled from New York City to partake of
the waters. |
| At
the turn of the century, the rise of anti-gambling sentiment
initiated the decline, and subsequent demise, of several venerated
establishments. Morrisey's Club House, operating as the Congress
Park Casino under the ownership of Richard Canfield, closed in
1904 and was put up for sale. In the absence of any interested
buyers, the Casino property was purchased in 1911 by the village.
The Race Track did not hold meets in 1911 or 1912, resulting
in fewer visitors during the summer season. Unable to survive
this loss of revenue, the Congress Hall Hotel, located near the
Casino, closed. In 1913, the city bought the site, razed the
building and added the property, with the previously purchased
Casino property, to Congress Park, enlarging it to its current
size. The Grand Union Hotel, generally noted as the largest hotel
in the world, and the United States Hotel, two elegant and massive
fixtures on Broadway, were razed in 1953 and 1945 respectively. |
| During
the last years of the 19th century, the mineral springs were
being depleted at an alarming rate. Gas companies, with no conservation
laws or guidelines to deter overuse of the springs, pumped thousands
of gallons of spring water just to extract carbonic gas for use
in carbonated soft drinks and soda fountains. To conserve and
preserve the mineral waters, the New York State Reservation was
created in 1911 and the threat of the springs' extinction was
averted. The Lincoln and Roosevelt bath houses were built in
the 'Reservation,' currently the Saratoga Spa State Park. The
Lincoln Bath House is still in use, offering visitors the chance
to relax in private tubs filled with warm, effervescent mineral
water. |
| The
Depression years began a downward spiral in the city as tourism
dwindled. The 1940's brought even more challenges for the city
with the onset of gas rationing during World War II. The subsequent
decrease in travel; the closing of the Race Track from 1943 through
1945, and the decline of the railroads, combined with post war
economic uncertainty, caused severe financial problems for hotels
and economic problems for the city. |
| The
start of the 20th century saw the addition of several major structures,
including the current post office at Lake and Broadway(1911),
the current fire station on Lake Avenue (1920), and a new high
school (1923) on Lake Avenue, currently a grade school. In addition,
the Trask estate opened Yaddo as an artists' retreat (1926),
the Van Raalte Company reopened (1931), and the Harness Track
opened (1941), but the city was still in a state of crisis. A
series of devastating fires, including a blaze which killed eight,
and another that destroyed several businesses on Broadway in
1957, heightened the sense of gloom. Fires continued to plague
the city, with five major conflagrations in seven months, including
a hospital fire and the loss of Convention Hall in 1965. |
| The
1960's ushered in a series of positive changes. A master plan,
created in accordance with the Federal Urban Renewal, changed
the face and direction of Saratoga Springs. The Saratoga Performing
Arts Center (SPAC), the summer home of the NYC Ballet and the
Philadelphia Orchestra, opened in 1966. Light industries moved
in to diversify the economic base. The NYS Thruway (I-90), and
Northway (I-87) greatly increased the ease of access by car. |
| The
momentum of the '60's continues today. In less than thirty years,
the population almost doubled as the result of a housing explosion.
Other changes include: a new convention center, an improved infra-structure,
expanded recreational facilities, and the restoration of Victorian
mansions and landmarks. The once depleted business section, in
the heart of the city, is now charming and vibrant. Beautification
projects, including the creation of small parks and lush seasonal
plantings maintained by the "Flower Power Crew" under
the guidance of the city's Department of Public Works, bring
an annual burst of lush color throughout the city. Protecting
green space in and around the city is an important aspect in
maintaining the ambience of this "city in the country." |
| Cultural
offerings abound, including programs sponsored by the Saratoga
County Arts Council, private galleries, museums, music and theater
groups. In addition, winter sports and events, including the
Victorian Street Walk, Chowder Fest, Winter Fest, and the largest
First Night celebration in the area, make the city a year-round
resort destination. |
|
|
| Historic Scenes |
 |
| The pavillion
in High Rock Park. |
 |
| The Grand
Union Hotel. |
 |
| Morrissey's
Gambling House |
| This information
was compiled by Martha Stonequist, former City Historian, and
Mary-Jane Rau Pelzer, Heritage Events Coordinator at the Visitor
Center. |
| For additional
details about Saratoga's history, refer to the Bibliography section,
or contact Marriane Finneran, City Historian at 297 Broadway,
Saratoga Springs New York, 12866 or 518-587-2358. |
|
|
