For the Love of History: The Rise of The Gristmill
By Paul Perreault
If there is a story to tell, it begins in the spring of 2018, which now seems so very long ago . . .
A group of history enthusiasts, myself included, had just created the Saratoga County History Roundtable, known then as the Ballston Area History Roundtable. We shared a love of local history that brought many of us out of retirement to do research and host events. At one of our first meetings, we were discussing how to best reach those in the county who shared our interest in the past. I mentioned that from the late 1960s until the 1990s Brookside Museum had published a quarterly journal, The Gristmill, that both provided an outlet for researchers to share their work and offered a source of interesting stories for the general public.
Jim Richmond, originator and driving force behind the Roundtable – and never one to miss an opportunity – immediately suggested that I assume the grand title of editor-in-chief, and revive the endeavor. Not being able to think of an excuse quickly enough, I agreed.
My first task was to assemble a team of volunteers. Luckily, I had some experience in this area, having worked for many years as a history teacher, school principal, and Town of Malta Historian. I felt that if I could get half of the people asked to say yes, I would be a success. I contacted Richmond, Anne Clothier (staff at Brookside Museum), Lauren Roberts (Saratoga County Historian), Charles Hogan (retired journalist), and John Cromie (local attorney), all of whom graciously agreed. Later, our group was joined by Michael Landis (newly-arrived historian). Although each team member has contributed, Hogan, our publisher, has done the lion’s share of the work by laying out each issue and printing the paper copies.
Our first decision, although very important, was quite simple. Having no budget at all, we decided to be a virtual publication. By the summer of 2018, however, the Roundtable had established a website, which we gratefully employed. Later, as some funds became available through donations, we began printing a few hundred paper copies. At first, the journals were distributed only to local libraries, but then, as interest and donations increased, we expanded to all members of the new Saratoga County History Center.
Our first issue was published in the Fall of 2018. The feature article, written by John Cromie, told the story of how the Ballston Spa Area History Society (later to be known as the Saratoga County Historical Society) came into existence in 1961. John Scherer, dean of the municipal historians, contributed an article about Robert Van Patten, the “Father of Clifton Park.” And in honor of the upcoming 100th anniversary of the end of World War One, the late Paul Loatman, Mechanicville City historian, wrote of the origins of Veteran’s Day.
With a mission statement that promises “to provide an opportunity for local historians and history buffs to publish their research in a local setting to be shared with readers in Saratoga County and beyond,” we have thus far produced fourteen quarterly issues, written by twenty-eight different authors about fourteen different locations within the county. Our goal is to engage as many “history buffs” as possible to tell the story of every corner of our storied region.
The written record of Saratoga can be traced back to Hudson’s voyage in 1609, but the archeological chronical spans over 10,000 years. Surely, there are enough interesting stories to fill The Gristmill for a long time to come!
Paul Perreault is the editor of The Gristmill history journal. If you are interested in receiving or contributing to the publication, or you just want to learn more about Saratoga County, please contact Paul at pkp.nys@gmail.com
