On this day – September 15

On this day in 1777, in Schuylerville, the British moved south as Historian John Brandow described, “the serried hosts of King George, recently from Canada, as they streamed by with airy step confident in their ability to drive the dastardly rebels before them like a flock of sheep” and loyalist John Butler receives Royal Warrant to raise Butler’s Rangers, a regiment of loyalists; in 1789, James Fenimore Cooper, American novelist, short story writer, and historian was born, in his novel called The Chainbearer, he wrote “While at Saratoga, I was much struck with the air, position and deportment of a gentleman who appeared to command the respect, and to obtain the ears of all the leaders in the American camp, while he held no apparent officials station, he wore no uniform, though he was addressed by the title of general, and had much more of the character of a real soldier than Gates, who commanded, he must have been between forty and fifty at that time, and in full enjoyment of the vigor of his mind and body, this was Philip Schuyler, so justly celebrated in our annals for his wisdom, patriotism, integrity, and public service,” (it should be noted that this is a work of fiction and unfortunately Schuyler suffered from gout and pleuresy from 1751 though his life); in 1850, the USS Saratoga got underway and proceeded to the western Pacific for service in the East India Squadron; in 1857, William Howard Taft served as both President of the United States and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court was born; in 1861, David Davenport, Wells Green, and Sylvester S. Haight enlisted in 77th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company K; in 1862, John and Thomas Cooney enlisted in the 77th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company K, Thomas Cooney was discharged a little over 3 months afterwards for disability (he enlisted at the age +/- 44 years and did live to be 69) and in 1990, in what has been described as one of the best football games of that decade, in the region, Schuylerville 22 defeated Stillwater 14 , when Schuylerville’s Henry Weatherwax batted down final-play pass at the goal line to preserve the Black Horses’ season-opening win.

On this day is a chronological timetable of events that occurred on this day in history around the Town of Saratoga. Discover what happened today in local history by subscribing to our blog at https://ift.tt/2czXtwq

(Thank you to Deputy Historian Patricia Peck and Town Supervisor Thomas Wood for compiling information for this timetable.)

September 15

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Meaders Owned the Springs in 1878

Sylvester’s History published in 1878 says that Isaac W. Meader owned the Springs at that time. Mr. Meader was a well known business man in Quaker Springs for many years. During the time of his ownership, a collection was taken through the community for the repair of the springs and grounds.

Today, the Mineral Springs at Quaker Springs are maintained by the Town of Saratoga. The Springs are open for visits and inspection. The Springs are located on Quaker Springs road just off NYS 32. Saratoga has been defined by the natural forces that shape the land and influence ecosystems.

Our community is defined by glacial features include drumlins, rock drumlins, striations, and glacial lake features. A series of glacial lakes named for the location of the impoundment such as Glacial Lake Albany, Glacial Lake Quaker Springs, and Glacial Lake Coville formed in front of the retreating glacial ice edge in the Hudson River area. Associated with these lakes are clay, sand, beach, and shoreline features throughout our community. When the lake’s impoundment was breached, torrents of water flushed southward and lake bottom sediments including sand, silt and clay were available to prevailing winds. In Saratoga, these deposits accumulated into dune fields.

There are many sites like the Mineral Springs in Quaker Springs that help define this community and our region. By better understand the role of natural resources in our history, in our present environment and in our daily well-being, we as individuals and as a community will make better decisions for the future. Building on past and on-going efforts to remedy environmental resources, communities like Saratoga are actively living our history and shaping our environment.

On this day – September 14

On this day in 1752, the British Empire and its American colonies replace the Julian calendar with the Gregorian calendar, this error between calendars was rectified by eliminating 11 days; in 1757, British engineer, Colonel Montressor finished almost a month of overseeing the work at Saratoga (Fort Hardy); in 1759, the Marquis de Montcalm dies of wounds at 5 am the morning after the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, at age 47, when informed he is dying, Montcalm supposedly replied, “So much the better. I shall not live to see the English masters of Québec”; in 1776, Congress finally focused attention on the northern military department and voted to send large quantities of flints, lead and cartridge paper to General Gates, General Schuyler was ordered to erect suitable winter quarters for the soldiers; and General Schuyler formally offered his resignation, but Congress declared that it could not dispense with his service, and its President, John Hancock, requested him to continue in command, Schuyler wrote “I do, therefore, now, agreeable to my resolution signified in that letter, hereby resign my commission as Major-General in the Army of the American States, and all and every other office or appointment which I have been honoured with by the honourable Continental Congress; it is a duty I owe to myself, to my family, and to the respectable Congress of this State… I will readily persevere to fulfill the duties of a good citizen, and try to promote the weal of my native country by every effort in my power;” in 1777, General Burgoyne and Philips along with the train of artillery crossed the Hudson River just north of Saratoga; in 1836, Aaron Burr dies; in 1861, Earl Green and William Ingham enlisted in the 77th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company K; Green was listed as missing after battle of Spottsylvania (May, 1964) and never heard from; Ingham transferred to the Veteran’s Battalion; in 1862 the 77th Regiment was in a skirmish at Crampton’s Pass, South Mountain in Western Maryland; in 1884, Mrs. Frank Patterson and Mrs. Harvey Bordwell were baptized after the evening service at the Schuylerville Baptist Church; in 2000, there was a horrible accident on Fish Creek when a Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office marine patrol boat collided with a racing shell which resulted in a 8th grade girl being sent to the Albany Medical Center; in 2002, the Village of Victory conducted their annual open house and community day and in 2009, the Town Board adoption of Local Law #6 of 2009, which amend the Subdivision Regulations by reducing minimum lot size in the Lake Commercial District depending on percolation tests and presence of public sewer.

On this day is a chronological timetable of events that occurred on this day in history around the Town of Saratoga. Discover what happened today in local history by subscribing to our blog at https://ift.tt/2czXtwq

(Thank you to Deputy Historian Patricia Peck and Town Supervisor Thomas Wood for compiling information for this timetable.)

September 14

On this day –

Well there seems to be an error with this day listing…

It looks like this is a listing for yesterday…. it will take some time to figure this out but here it is… yesterday

On this day in 1759, the British under General James Wolfe achieve a dramatic victory when they scale the cliffs over the city of Quebec, defeating the Marquis de Montcalm’s French forces on the Plains of Abraham; in 1775 , Benedict Arnold leaves Massachusetts for Maine to lead an expedition up the Kennebec River to Quebec, while Richard Montgomery heads up the Hudson toward the Richelieu River; in 1777, John Burgoyne wrote in “the State of the Expedition from Canada” that “the store of provisions, amounting to about thirty day’s consumption, was completed, I have stated, in m letter to the secretary of state my reasons against proceeding with less quantity” and British Lieutenant William Digby of 53d Regiment of Foot described, “We received orders to be in readiness to cross the Hudson river at a moment’s warning but all that day was a continued fall of heavy rain which continued till the 13th; when the morning being very fine the army passed over the Bridge of boats and encamped on the heights of Saratoga. We encamped in three columns in order of Battle. The duty here turned very severe such numbers being constantly on either guards or picquets during that day and the next we had many small alarms as parties of theirs came very near our camp but a few companies soon sent them off;” in 1778, there was the Raid on German Flats, New York, now known as Herkimer, was attacked by Iroquois led by Chief Joseph Brant, who led a force of 150 Indians and 300 Loyalists; although the town, consisting of about 70 buildings, is burned to the ground, only 3 individuals die in the engagement; in 1794, Schuyler’s son-in-law, Alexander Hamilton to Daniel Morgan (veteran of the Battles of Saratoga) wrote, “I am instructed by the President to express to You his wish that every practicable exertion may be made to accelerate the assembling of the Militia at their appointed places of Rendezvous, Winchester and the Vicinity of old Fort Pleasant Alias Moorefield. you are probably informed that a junction of the Virginia and Maryland Troops at Fort Cumberland has been contemplated,” as part of the Whiskey Rebellion which was a revolt against the US government in Pennsylvania, provoked by a tax on whiskey, and was the first serious challenge to federal authority; in 1814, Francis Scott Key As the evening of September 13, 1814, approached, Francis Scott Key, a young lawyer, was detained in Baltimore harbor under guard by the British navy. T pens a poem which is later set to music and in 1931 becomes America’s national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner;” in 1864, 77th Regiment, New York Infantry was in a skirmish at Gilbert’s Ford, Opequan Creek in the Shenandoah Valley; in 1949, Brian D. Myers Sr. was born, our community remembers Firefighter/Engineer Brian D. Myers‚ Sr., who lost his life in the line of duty while conducting interior fire suppression operations at the Prospector’s Bar & Grill fire on January 1‚ 1997 which was one of the saddest days in this community’s history; and in 1970, the Schuyler Prep School began its 8th year with 65 students.

On this day is a chronological timetable of events that occurred on this day in history around the Town of Saratoga. Discover what happened today in local history by following our twitter account @historysaratoga

(Thank you to Deputy Historian Patricia Peck and Alice Lowder Zetterstrom for compiling information and Heritage Hunters of Saratoga County sharing information used for this timetable.)

On this day – September 12

On this day in 1777, American General Gates’ army begins fortifying Bemis Heights to block the advance of British Burgoyne’s army; in 1814, during the War of 1812, British Sir George Prevost’s expedition of 11,000, supplied to winter at Plattsburg, marches back to Canada; in 1814, British fleet under Sir Alexander Cochrane starts bombarding Fort McHenry, the last American defense before Baltimore; in 1846, a building lot for the Episcopal church in Schuylerville was gratuitously offered by the Victory Manufacturing Company was duly and gratefully accepted; but the society did not build at that time, and services were not maintained regularly for some years after 1850; in 1863, John H. Forester of the 77th Regiment, New York Infantry, Co. K; transferred to Invalid Corps; in 1893, the 52nd annual Fair was held at the Ballston Fair Grounds; in 1918, the American Expeditionary Forces under commander in chief General John J. Pershing launched its first major offensive in Europe as an independent army; and in 1998, David Nevins Fire Co celebrated their 50th anniversary.

On this day is a chronological timetable of events that occurred on this day in history around the Town of Saratoga. Discover what happened today in local history by subscribing to our blog at https://ift.tt/2czXtwq

September 12

Brick removal at the Victory Specialty Mill

Faces and Places: Town of Saratoga Historian’s Photographic Archives

Title: Brick removal at the Victory Specialty Mill c. 1988

The bricks were being removed near the power plant.  The bricks were being recycled and oral history has them going to projects in Boston.

The images contained in this digital Faces and Places collection document Town of Saratoga’s past through its villages, buildings, and events. They are drawn from the Town of Saratoga Historian’s Collection. The majority of these photos were taken by former Town Historian Thomas N. Wood or Deputy Historian Veronica Wood. The images on Faces and Places collection are part of the Town of Saratoga Historian’s Photographic Archives. They are the property of the Town of Saratoga, which retains all right thereto. No publication or reproduction, electronic or otherwise, is allowed without the expressed permission of the Town of Saratoga Historian’s Office. The collection is opened by appointment. You may contact us by e-mail at historiantosaratoga@gmail.com

The vast majority of the collections with Town of Saratoga Historian have been donated by many generous individuals and organizations throughout our community. We greatly appreciate such generosity and continue to rely heavily on this support in order to continue building collections for future generations. If you are interested in making a donation, contact us by e-mail at historiantosaratoga@gmail.com

OTD: Surrender Ball dignitaries announced

#Onthisday in 1967, the Surrender Day Ball dignitaries were announced.

The Saratogian newspaper reported that

“Legislators To Attend Dance

SCHUYLERVILLE — Among officials who will be attending the Surrender Day ball being staged in the junior high school Saturday evening, Oct. 14, will be Assemblyman Fred Droms and Mrs. Droms and State Senator Douglas Hudson and Mrs. Hudson. The ball is being sponsored by the Revolutionary War Celebrations Inc., as one of the feature events of the Surrender Day week-end October 13, 14 and 15th.

Committee on arrangements is Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Still, Fire Chief and Mrs. Raymond Zerwick and Mr. and Mrs. Spencer Boyce. Tickets will be available this week. A large attendance Is expected and since the facilities at the school are limited, it has been suggested by the committee, interested persons make their purchase well in advance of the event Gary Steven’s orchestra, which formerly appeared over WRGB-TV, will play.”

A few weeks before the Saratogian reported on 28 August 1967 that

“Surrender Day Ball Set Oct. 14 in School Gym “

SCHUYLERVILLE – The first annual Surrender Day Ball will be held in Schuylerville the evening of Oct. 14 with Gary Steven’s Orchestra playing. The semi-formal event will be held from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. in the gym of the Schuylerville School under sponsorship of the Revolutionary War Celebrations, Inc.

Because of the limited space at the school, persons wishing to attend the event should plan to purchase their tickets well in advance of Oct. 14th. The Steven’s Orchestra appeared for several years during the dinner hour over WRGB. Several national and state officials are planning to attend, according to N. S. Langdon, co-chairman.

Committee on arrangement includes Mr and Mrs J. T. Still, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Zerwick, Mr and Mrs. Spencer Boyce. The ball is being held in conjunction with the Oct.13 weekend observance of the Surrender of General Burgoyne to General Gates here.

Other activities will be the teenage dance the evening of Friday, the 13th, a parade the afternoon of Oct. 14 and a Tactical Demonstration by the Brigade of the American Revolution at Saratoga National Historical Park, Sunday, Oct. 15.”

In addition the Saratogian reported on 25 September 1967 that the event was limited to 200 couples. The tickets were on sale at the Hotel Schuyler in Schuylerville and Holmes Pharmacy in Greenwich, NY. The event was held at the Junior High School in 1967 which is where the current high school on Spring Street in the Village of Schuylerville.

The Brigade is still an active organization that is active in our community. The Brigade’s website is http://www.brigade.org/ In 2016, they held a firelock match at the Old Saratoga Muzzle Loading Club on Duell Road. The Muzzle Loading Club website is https://ift.tt/2dJlJbC

To learn wish to learn more about the Battles of Saratoga, you can visit the Saratoga National Historical Park in the towns of Saratoga and Stillwater. The park website is at https://ift.tt/2cxkI82 The Schuylerville Public Library schuylervillelibrary.sals.edu/ and all the libraries in the region have a number of books on the Battles of Saratoga. One of the more popular and well written books is Richard M Ketchum’s Saratoga: Turning Point of America’s Revolutionary War. (1997) New York: Henry Holt. ISBN 978-0-8050-6123-9. OCLC 41397623

Commemorations of the Battles of Saratoga help define a shared American identity and an evolving sense of patriotism. Governor Horatio Seymour said at the Centennial of the Battles said “On this spot, American Independence was made a great fact in the history of nations. Until the surrender of the British army under Burgoyne, the declaration of Independence was but a declaration. It was a patriotic purpose asserted in bold words by brave men, who pledged for its maintenance their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor. But on this ground it was made a fact, by virtue of armed force. It had been regarded by the world merely as an act of defiance, but it was now seen that it contained the germs of a government, which the event we now celebrate made one of the powers of the earth. Here rebellion was made revolution. Upon this ground, that which had in the eye of the law been treason, became triumphant patriotism.”

Saratoga is “sacred ground” and the commemorations represent efforts to honor those who died or were wounded in service to their country and the causes for which they made their sacrifices.