Saratoga Spa State Park - History

History

The area, part of which became the park, drew interest from Mohawk and Iroquois Native American tribes for its hunting and mineral springs. The Native American name for the area was "Kayaderosseras." The first recorded use of the springs was by Sir William Johnson during the French and Indian War; brought to Saratoga to recover from wounds.

The Saratoga Springs area has the only active spouting geysers east of the Mississippi River in the United States. The mineral springs for which the area is famous arise from fissures in the Saratoga Fault, which runs 65 miles (105 km) from Whitehall to Albany. The carbonated water which vents in springs and geysers is rich in minerals and salts.

Two of the most visited springs today are Island Spouter and Orenda Spring, along Geyser Creek. Island Spouter, which sends a narrow plume of water 10–15 feet (3–5 meters) into the air, first emerged in the early 1900s. Since that time, it has deposited minerals which grow a tufa deposit at the rate of two inches per year. Orenda Spring has created a massive tufa dome, which continues to fossilize leaves and other debris as it grows.

In the nineteenth century, the area became much visited for its purported medicinal effects. Entrepreneurs dug wells and bottled the mineral water for sale and gas companies sold the carbonation to soda fountains, reported Spa Park employee Ed Murphy. In 1907, the stage was set to protect the springs in a lawsuit Frank Hathorn vs Dr Strong's Sanitarium, which proved that pumping on one well decreased the flow of water in wells across the city. The court certified the relationship between wells and when Dr Strong stopped pumping the flow of water in Mr Hathorn's well resumed its natural flow. In 1908, as the springs were being depleted, the New York Assembly passed an injunction against pumping water. The injunction was ignored; in 1909, governor Charles Evans Hughes signed into law a bill which made the springs of Saratoga a state Reservation. In the 1930s Reconstruction Finance Corporation funds were used to develop bath houses. research facilities and a drink hall. The Saratoga Reservation was designed with graded walkways intended to help rehabilitate those with heart conditions. After World War 2 veterans were welcomed as part of their readjustment and Holocaust survivors began using the baths as part of their healing process. The Spa was named a State Park in 1962. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987.

The park hosts numerous theater and other events. The Saratoga Performing Arts Center, located on the State Park grounds, has been the summer home of the Philadelphia Orchestra and New York City Ballet since 1966. Jazz and dance are featured at SPAC. The SPAC Amphitheater itself is 110 feet (34 m) high, sits in a natural, curved bowl that is bordered by large pine trees and a large lawn space, but is afflicted by the roar of nearby Geyser Creek, which creates serious acoustical problems. Inside the amphitheater is seating for 5100, the lawn can easily hold an additional 20,000 people. The park is also home to the National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame, the Saratoga Automobile Museum, the Lincoln Mineral Baths and Spa, and the Gideon Putnam Resort & Spa.

The park offers picnic tables and pavilions, a pool, a playground, recreation programs, a nature trail, hiking and biking, fishing, tennis, golf, cross-country skiing and a museum and performance theater.

On March 19, 2007, it was confirmed by state officials that the reportedly "pure" mineral water used in the public baths at the state park is actually mixed with tap water from a nearby source. Admission to the baths at the park is $20.