Timeline of Saratoga Springs, New York facts for kids

Welcome to a fun trip through time! This is a timeline of the history of Saratoga Springs, New York, a famous city in New York. It's known for its special mineral springs, horse racing, and beautiful parks. Let's explore how this amazing place grew over the years!

Early History of Saratoga Springs

• 1643 – A French explorer named Father Isaac Jogues may have visited the special springs that the city is named after.
• 1691 – English settlers built a fort nearby called Fort Saratoga.
• 1767 – William Johnson, a British soldier, was treated by Native Americans at the springs for his war injuries. These springs are now known as High Rock Spring.
• 1775 – The first European-American settler, Dirck Shouten, built a home near High Rock Spring. However, Native Americans warned him to leave the spring area, so he moved.
• 1777 – The important Battles of Saratoga were fought close by in the Town of Stillwater. These battles were a big part of the American Revolutionary War.
• 1783 – George Washington, a famous leader, tried to buy the High Rock Spring and other springs.
• 1789 – Gideon Putnam built the very first hotel for visitors coming to the springs.

Saratoga Springs in the 1800s

• 1802 – Gideon Putnam built another hotel called the Union Hall, near the Congress Spring.
• 1810 – The population of Saratoga Springs was 1,909 people.
• 1811 – Putnam sadly passed away from injuries he got while building Congress Hall.
• 1819 – The Town of Saratoga Spring was officially created. It was separated from a part of the Town of Saratoga.
• 1824 – The first United States Hotel was built, offering a grand place for visitors to stay.
• 1826 – The main community became an official village called Saratoga Springs.
• 1833 – The Saratoga and Schenectady Railroad started running, bringing steam-powered trains to the area.
• 1853 – Did you know? Potato chips were invented here by George Crum at Moon's Lakehouse!
• 1855 – The local newspaper, The Saratogian, began publishing.
• 1863 – The famous Saratoga Race Course opened, starting a long tradition of horse racing.

Saratoga Springs in the 1900s

• 1902 – The Adirondack Trust Company was started.
• 1903 – Lucy Ann Skidmore created the Young Woman's Industrial Club.
• 1911 – This club later became the Skidmore School of Arts.
• 1913 – Congress Park was created in its current beautiful form.
• 1915
  • April 7: Saratoga Springs officially became a city!
  • June 8: Walter P. Butler was elected as the city's first mayor.
  • June 26: The Spirit of Life memorial, honoring Spencer Trask, was dedicated at Congress Park.
• 1917 – St. Clements Roman Catholic Church was officially opened and held its first service.
• 1918 – Harry Pettee was elected mayor.
• 1919 – James D. McNulty was elected mayor.
• 1922 – Skidmore College was officially founded, growing from the earlier school.
• 1923 – Humorist Clarence Knapp was elected mayor.
• 1926 – Yaddo was created as a special place for artists to work and relax.
• 1927 – William Eddy was elected mayor.
• 1928 – The city's population grew to 14,000 people.
• 1935 – Addison Mallery was elected mayor. He would serve longer than any other mayor in the city's history.
• 1937 – The movie Saratoga was released.
• 1941 – June 26: The Saratoga Raceway opened for harness racing.
• 1945
  • The second Stewart's Shops opened in Saratoga Springs.
  • The large United States Hotel was taken down.
• 1946 – Horse racing started again at the Saratoga Race Course after a break during World War II. During the war, races were held at Belmont Park.
• 1950
  • August 1: The National Racing Museum and Hall of Fame opened at the Canfield Casino.
  • The Saratoga Springs Public Library opened near Congress Park.
• 1952 – The Grand Union Hotel began to be taken down.
• 1953 – Meyer Lansky served three months in the Saratoga County Jail for gambling.
• 1955 – The National Museum and Racing Hall of Fame moved to its current spot near the Saratoga Race Course.
• 1957 – A big fire destroyed a block of buildings on Broadway, and a police officer died.
• 1959 – November 3: James E. Benton was elected mayor.
• 1960 – May 20: Caffè Lena, a famous coffeehouse and music venue, opened for the first time.
• 1961
  • The Saratoga Springs train station opened in its current location.
  • June: Bob Dylan performed at Caffè Lena for the first time.
  • October 28: Skidmore College bought a large piece of land for its new campus.
• 1963
  • Saratoga Race Course celebrated its 100th anniversary!
  • July 19: A section of Interstate 87 (the Adirondack Northway) was finished in Saratoga.
  • November 5: Arthur J. Kearney was elected mayor.
• 1964 – December 4: A big ice storm hit Saratoga Springs.
• 1965
  • November 2: James A. Murphy was elected mayor.
  • November 9: Saratoga Springs lost electricity during a huge power outage across the Northeast.
  • November 14: Convention Hall on Broadway was destroyed in a fire.
• 1966
  • Skidmore College opened its first buildings on its new campus. The move took seven years to complete.
  • July 8: The Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) opened with a performance of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.
• 1969
  • Saratoga Springs High School moved to its current location. The old site became Lake Avenue Elementary School.
  • November 4: Sarto Smaldone was elected mayor.
• 1970 – The Tin & Lint, a popular bar, opened.
• 1973 – November 6: Raymond Watkin was elected mayor.
• 1977 – January 7: The Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation was started to help protect the city's historic buildings.
• 1979 – November 6: Ellsworth Jones was elected mayor and served throughout the 1980s.
• 1984 – August 2: The Saratoga Springs City Center opened.
• 1985 – Home Made Theater performed its first play, Wait Until Dark.
• 1986
  • The National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame opened.
  • The first Head of the Fish regatta (a rowing race) was held at Saratoga Lake.
• 1987 – Kayderosseras Park closed.
• 1989 – November 7: Almeda C. Dake was elected mayor, becoming the first female mayor in the city's history!
• 1990 – The population reached 25,001 people.
• 1995
  • The Saratoga Springs Public Library moved to its current location on Henry Street.
  • November 7: J. Michael O'Connell was elected mayor.
• 1996 – December 31: Saratoga hosted its first "First Night" New Year's Eve celebrations.
• 1997 – The Pfeil Building opened on Broadway, the first new building there in 50 years.
• 1999 – November 2: Kenneth Klotz was elected mayor.

Saratoga Springs in the 2000s

• 2000
  • The population was 26,186.
  • The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery opened at Skidmore College.
• 2001 – The Lake Avenue armory became home to the New York State Military Museum.
• 2002
  • June: The carousel from Kayderosseras Park reopened in Congress Park.
  • June: The Saratoga Automobile Museum opened at Saratoga Spa State Park.
  • Fun fiberglass painted horses appeared around downtown!
• 2003
  • August 14: Saratoga Springs was affected by another major power outage.
  • November 4: Michael Lenz was elected mayor.
• 2004 – January 28: Saratoga Gaming and Raceway opened.
• 2005 – November 8: Valerie M. Keehn was elected mayor.
• 2007
  • The Ellsworth Ice Cream plant closed after 74 years.
  • November 6: Scott Johnson was elected mayor.
• 2010
  • The population reached 26,586.
  • February 5: The Arthur Zankel Music Center opened on the Skidmore campus.
• 2011
  • Saratoga Gaming and Raceway changed its name to Saratoga Casino and Raceway.
  • August 28: Three-quarters of Saratoga Springs lost power, and a horse race was canceled during Hurricane Irene.
• 2012
  • July 24: The city's memorial to the September 11 attacks was dedicated at High Rock Park.
  • Market Center Apartments opened.
  • A new parking garage opened on Woodlawn Avenue.
• 2013
  • Saratoga Race Course celebrated its 150th anniversary!
  • November 5: Joanne Dittes Yepsen was elected mayor.
• 2014
  • August 31: Tom Durkin called his last race at Saratoga Race Course after 24 years.
• 2015
  • Saratoga Springs celebrated 100 years since becoming a city!
    • Centennial Park and Saratoga Waterfront Park were dedicated.
    • June 26: The Spirit of Life statue in Congress Park was renovated.
    • Fall: The High Rock Spring was recognized again as the city's original spring.
• 2016
  • Summer: SPAC celebrated its 50th anniversary!
• 2017
  • November 7: Megan Kelly was elected mayor.
• 2018
  • August 17: City Hall caught fire after lightning struck the building.
  • September 3: Sam "The Bugler" Grossman retired after 25 years at the track.
• 2019
  • November 5: Ron Kim was elected mayor.
• 2020
  • The population was 28,491.
  • Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state):
    • The Saratoga Performing Arts Center season was canceled for the first time ever.
    • July 16 – September 7: The 152nd Saratoga Race Course meet was held without fans in attendance.
• 2021
  • July 15 – September 6: Saratoga Race Course reopened to fans at full capacity for the 153rd meet, as COVID-19 rules became less strict.
• 2023
  • November 7: John Safford was elected mayor.
• 2024
  • June 8: The Belmont Stakes horse race was held at Saratoga Race Course for the very first time, because Belmont Park was being renovated.