Saratoga County Historical Society at Brookside Museum - News

News

Carriage Drive on a Sunny Day

On a sunny day like today, carriage driver George West, Jr. and another man sit in a small open carriage drawn by one horse in an elaborate harness. The stone block on the sidewalk behind the horse reads Geo. West, thus may have been the West’s house on corner of Prospect Street and Milton Avenue.

Discoveries on the Jonathan Filer Homestead.

When remodeling was done on the Jonathan Filer Homestead on Middle Line Road, a charred braided rope was found in the wall.  Legend has it that the rope was used as a torch by raiders in an attempt to burn the house in 1780.  Stories also suggest  that Jonathan Filer’s mother-in-law put out the fire after the rest of the… Read more »

Almost Time for the Farmer’s Market!

It’s that time of year again! Next month, the Farmer’s market will begin again. This black and white photo is of Farmers Market in Wiswall Park Area on May in 1986, Ballston Spa, NY.

Ballston Boys

The Ballston Boys at Fort Ethan Allen, May 13, 1917.

Trolley Drives By the Old Iron Spring

Below is a black and white photograph of a reproduction Schenectady/Saratoga Trolley on Front Street. You can just see it passing by the Old Iron Spring on the left, here in Ballston Spa, NY.

Looking Good!

Thanks to a private donor and the Ballston Spa Lions Club, Brookside has a new fence in the front yard! The previous fence had fallen into dis-repair and badly needed to be replaced, so a private donor purchased the fence materials and about twenty Lions installed it on Saturday, April 19. In addition to the fence, volunteers also cleaned up… Read more »

The Galway Grist Mill

Located northeast of the village on the Glowegee Creek, the first grist mill in the Town of Galway was erected on this site in 1785 by Daniel Campbell. Levi Parkis bought the mill in 1858. It was operated by other members of the Parkis family; Edward and then Henry, until the business moved to Ballston Lake in 1926. Henry Parkis… Read more »

Tank Travels through Downtown

Recognize this part of town? This World War I postcard shows military tanks passing through downtown Ballston Spa on April 23, 1919.

Little Sleep for BSHS Seniors in 1916

Below is a portrait of Ballston Spa High School seniors in front of Mt. Vernon, Virginia, April 6, 1926 from the Saratoga County Historical Society collection. A portion of article that appeared in the Ballston Journal on April 5, 1926: “Students At Washington” “The Washington excursionists left Ballston Spa at 4:25pm, April 2nd. We arrived at Albany safely with an… Read more »

April’s Patriotic Parade

Hooray, it’s April! Below is a postcard of the Patriotic Parade held in Ballston Spa, April 29th 1917. Shown are volunteers leaving Ballston Spa to volunteer to fight in WWI. The image is of the Lincoln Building, looking North up Milton Avenue. Photographed by Jesse Sumner Wooley.