Saratoga County is blessed with four beautiful seasons, including pleasant summers and autumn weather that is usually accompanied by spectacular fall foliage. Summers are warm and occasionally humid. The river valleys and mountains reduce the effects of the Northwest winter winds. As a result, winters are generally cold, but not severe. A mix of culture, past and present, makes Saratoga County the most unique and popular county in upstate New York.
The fruitful hunting ground of the Iroquois Indians was called Sarachtogue, "hillside of a great river," "place of the swift water," until 1791 when the area became Saratoga County. Because of its favorable position in the angle of the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers, Indian trails crossed the County in all directions. Early fur trading on the southern border of the county was indicative of its fur and game potential. The mineral springs were used as medicine by the Indians and the superior quality of the fur was attributed to the saline springs from which the animals drank.
After the American Revolution, colonization began to accelerate, and the great forest then covering a large part of Saratoga County was cleared and lumbered for timber. The lumber and by-products were carried by many streams to the Hudson River and distant markets. Because of the density of the forest, the pine trees grew tall and straight and were in great demand for ship masts. Clearing of the land led to the establishment of mills. The tanning industry and other types of mills developed as use was made of the abundant water power within the County.
The mineral springs in Ballston Spa and Saratoga Springs became the lodestar for fashionable society; the two villages vied for the title of "Queen of the Spas." Famous names from all over the United States such as Daniel Webster, Martin Van Buren, Washington Irving, Andrew Jackson and Franklin Pierce were found on hotel registers. Life was fast and money even more so.The Spas' fame continued to rise to international acclaim. The Vanderbilts, Whitneys, Rockefellers, J.P Morgan, "Diamond Jim" Brady, Lillian Russell and others added glamour to the County. With the influx of the social elite and the
wealthy, horse racing was the natural development; it flourished until the name Saratoga became internatioanlly synonymous with racing.
Today, Saratoga stands proud and prosperous. A revitalization of the past combined with new investment of the present by community leaders, banks, citizens and organizations has made Saratoga County a center of culture,
education, and clean industry.
Skidmore Collegeand other educational institutions have enriched the academic environment of the area. The Saratoga Performing Arts Center, opened in 1966, is the summer home of the Philadelphia Orchestra, the NYC Ballet, the NYC Opera, and top performers of jazz, pop and rock music.
The countryside's historic aura is accentuated not only by the Victorian homes that flourish in Ballston Spa, Round Lake, Stillwater and Saratoga Springs, and the remembrance of the Battle of Saratoga which marke the turning point of the American Revolution, but also by the National Museums of Racing, Dance, and the National Bottle Museum. From the well-preserved Saratoga Race Track, and the beautiful Harness Track, to the mineral springs on the 2,100 acre Spa Park, residents and visitors alike can rediscover the treasures of Saratoga. So come and see us... for a weekend or a week. You'll be glad you did.
