Celebrating Saratoga Springs • Celebrating Sar
High Rock & Seltzer Springs
High Rock Park; where it all began
By Charlie Kuenzel and Dave Patterson, photos provided by The Saratoga Springs History Museum
F
spring’s existence was revealed. Sir William had fought in the Battle of Lake George in the French and Indian War in 1755 for the British. He was wounded in that engagement and suffered for years from that injury. After bathing and drinking the waters at the High Rock, Sir William was able to walk the majority of the way back to his home in the Mohawk Valley to continue in his position as Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the Crown. He communicated to friends the story of his trip to this amazing healing spring and soon many people wanted to visit this great location. Sir William was in many ways the FIRST member of the Chamber of Commerce when he helped to broker a deal with the Mohawks that allowed future access to settlers.
inally, after a long snowy winter it’s time to get outdoors and celebrate Saratoga Springs; better yet it’s a great time to celebrate Saratoga’s springs. Our city’s name comes from a Mohawk term, Sarach’togoe, whose true meaning may have been lost in time. Many historians believe that it translates into “The area of the great salt springs”. Soon, people from all over the world will visit our city and, like thousands and thousands before them, they will come to drink the mineral waters that first put us on the map. Our start as a community began in High Rock Park which, today, is home to the Farmer’s Market and the 911 memorial Tempered by Memory. This is also the site of the High Rock Spring first discovered by the Mohawks hundreds of years ago. It wasn’t until the Mohawks brought Sir William Johnson to the spring in 1771 that their closely guarded secret of the
Dipper Boy 19th Century
Among the early visitors to the High Rock Spring was future president George Washington who was accompanied by New York Governor George Clinton and General Phillip Schuyler (Alexander
56 | Simply Saratoga | SPRING 2014 saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com