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Our History
Ballston Spa and the township of Ballston got their names from Eliphalet Ball, a minister who led members of his congregations in Bedford and Stamford, Connecticut, to this territory in the early 1770s. Early settlers "discovered" the first of several mineral springs at about this time, water already believed to have medicinal powers by the Mohawk Indians who regularly hunted here.
For many decades that followed, Ballston Spa was known as a resort area, visited by the rich and famous in search of better health. George Washington was among them. Author James Fenimore Cooper is said to have used the locale as a setting for part of his novel The Last of the Mohicans. The area he chose was a hill and pond overlooking Ballston Spa's first hotel, built in 1792. Now called [Brookside], it is a museum and center for historical research.
Throughout the county are located numerous sites of Revolutionary War activities, including that of the Battle of Saratoga, traditionally known as its turning point.
In 1791, Saratoga County was formed from the vast area of Albany County. The first county seat was on a hill in the town of Milton, just outside Ballston Spa, which in 1807 was incorporated as a village. When the original county buildings burned in 1816, Nicholas Low offered land to re-build them within village limits. Consequently, 3 years later, Ballston Spa became the county seat.
Ballston Spa thrived on its springs of sulfur and iron, but then the first one vanished in 1835. By mid-19th century, mills and tanneries had sprung up around two creeks, the Gordon and the Kayaderosseras. These slice through the village and join on the eastern side of it. During this time period, George West's facilities produced more paper bags than any other manufacturer in the world.
With the advent of electricity in the early 20th century, however, water-powered mills were no longer functional. Other small industries took their place.
Currently, the largest local employer is State Farm Insurance, located outside the village limits. Ballston Spa residents often commute to places of employment located throughout the Capital District of New York State.
Ballston Spa Today
[Ballston Spa] is still a small, busy community today. Every July it hosts the [Saratoga County Fair] for 6 days. The village itself sponsors a Winter Festival during the February school vacation, sometimes importing snow so that one of its central hills can be used for tobogganing. The Sunday before the 4th of July is Family Fun Day, ending with an exciting display of fireworks. The Falling Leaves Festival takes place in October, the weekend before Halloween, and features a giant bonfire and more fireworks. In summers, families enjoy the Village Pool, where children can sign up for daily swimming lessons.
Ballston Spa has a number of active fraternal organizations including an Elks Club, and a Rotary. The Ballston Spa Business and Professional Association meets at the library on the last Monday of most months. They sponsor a beautification program called Adopt-a-Plot, a Village-Wide Garage Sale, complete with entertainment, in June, summer concerts in Wiswall Park, which is half a block from the library, an August ice cream social, a storefront Halloween painting contest for students, and on the first Friday evening in December, a Christmas tree lighting/Victorian Christmas celebration.
Besides Brookside, Ballston Spa is also the site of the [National Bottle Museum]. A growing [Ballston Spa Central School District] recently resulted in the building of a brand new high school, complete with an indoor pool. The existing schools re-organized to form a primary school, two elementary schools, and a middle school.
Much information on the county can be found on the web site for the [Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce].
This page last modified: Thursday November 09 2000