Famous trotting ostrich ‘Oliver W,’ harnessed for a spin record 2.02
Stereoscope (only one half pictured) of ostrich harnessed to a cart on a Jacksonville, Florida ostrich farm. One of the more interesting footnotes to Saratoga’s history is the short-lived ostrich farm that graced Ballston Avenue. This farm was the summer home of the Florida Ostrich Farm. While little evidence has been uncovered in local sources to document the ostrich farm,… Read more »
American Hide and Leather Company Snapshot, 1939
In 1899 the American Hide and Leather Company purchased the Ballston Spa tannery from Hall, Haight & Co. At its height, the plant at Ballston Spa could store 125 carloads of hides in cooling plants. During processing they were washed, fleshed, unhaired, and soaked in various chemicals in preparation of tanning. After tanning, the hides still had to be split,… Read more »
Elmwood Farm House
Pictured below is the Elmwood Farm House, from the Lucy Stever Collection. Elmwood Farm was located on Middle Line Road. This photo was taken on August 6, 1932.
The Sylvester C. Shaeffer Meat Market
This photo of the interior of the Sylvester C. Shaeffer meat market was taken in August 1916. S.C. Shaeffer began in business in 1896 and his sons, John S. and Warren P., were active participants in the business. The store was located on Front St. next to the Opera House until the market was sold in 1947. This photo is… Read more »
Saratoga Springs, 1898
This black and white photograph was simply titled “Broadway,” This is what a portion of downtown Saratoga Springs, NY once looked like in 1898. Owners of the photograph originally wrote “this one of the hotels near Spring Street,” but it is actually a photo of Congress Hall.
Booth Family Album Photos
Family photo albums can be fascinating sources of information about the past. These images of Samuel W. Cooke riding a bicycle are from the Booth Family album and were taken in July of 1897.
Eagle Hotel Fire
Ballston Spa lost one of its famous hotels on July 8, 1932, when the Eagle Hotel burned to the ground. The U.S. Post Office is now located on the site which is on the south side of Front St. at Milton Ave. The first building on this location was a blacksmith shop built in 1812 (Warren Shaeffer Collection). Ballston Spa,… Read more »
Strike Sabotage in 1910
On the evening of Sunday, July 31, 1910, a passenger train derailed on the Delaware and Hudson line in Ballston Lake. This photo postcard shows the aftermath. A week later, eight trackmen were arrested for removing spikes from the track near a curve in the line. The sabotage was part of a labor strike and the arrested men said they… Read more »
The Verbeck House
The Verbeck House was built in 1889 for James W. Verbeck, Esq. It is located on Church Avenue near the West High Street intersection. For a time, it was the home of the National Bottle Museum and now houses offices.
Sunny Front Street
Front Street in downtown Ballston Spa on a sunny day like today complete with buildings hung with bunting, and a trolley car coming down the street along with both horse and horseless carriages. Taken during the Ballston Spa Centennial Celebration by Jesse Sumner Wooley.
