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 »
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 »
Recognize this part of town? This World War I postcard shows military tanks passing through downtown Ballston Spa on April 23, 1919.
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 »
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.
The Old Iron Spring was drilled by the village of Ballston Spa to a depth of 647 feet in 1874. This spring continues to flow even to this day, and is still drinkable. It is not to be confused with the Public Well/Old Spring/Iron Railing Spring which was an Artesian well discovered by Beriah Palmer in 1771 (Jean Puckhaber Collection)…. Read more »
Frederick J. Wheeler built a new grist mill and storehouse on Science Street after a fire destroyed his family’s mill on West High Street during the 1920’s. Wheeler subsequently sold the business to Ballston Spa Co-Op GLF Service (later Agway).
Our society is constantly changing. Christa’s letter below is an invaluable demonstration of why local history and community resources remain important, no matter how fast the world moves forward. Here at Brookside, we work hard to remain relevant and current while continuing to help those who believe in remembering our history. Four or Five years ago (well before it’s recognition… Read more »
A frontal view of the New Presbyterian Chapel in Ballston Spa N.Y. on West High Street. Snow covers the ground and roof in the aftermath of a winter storm in February, 1925. Photographed by Jesse Sumner Wooley.
This winter has been particularly snowy. But what did it look like in the past? Here is an exterior view of the Lincoln Hotel on the corner of Milton and Malta Avenues, taken on February 14, 1914, a century ago! A trolley car of the Hudson Valley Railway sits to the right.
