Saratoga County: Location & History
Saratoga County is located in the east-central part of New York State. It is
surrounded by Washington, Rensselaer, Albany, Schenectady, Montgomery,
Fulton, Hamilton, and Warren Counties.
Saratoga County is highlighted in the map of New York. For an interactive map
of Saratoga County, go to our
map page.
In 1791, Saratoga County was taken from Albany County which had been
established as one of the original New York counties in 1683. As described by
Sylvester
1
: "In the angle formed by the junction of the Mohawk and Hudson rivers, lies
the territory now known and distinguished on the map of New York State as the
county of Saratoga."
Among the several opinions concerning the origin of the name "saratoga", that
presented in Saratoga County Heritage
2
seems acceptable, "The fruitful hunting ground of the Iroquois Indians was
called Sarach-togue, 'hillside of a great river; 'place of the swift water'
until February 7, 1791 when it became Saratoga County."
Geographically situated at the junction of the two great valleys, one
stretching north to the St. Lawrence River, the other west to the Great Lakes
and beyond, Saratoga has a rich and varied history. Henry Hudson and his crew
may have been the first white men to see this area in 1609 when they ventured
as far as the rapids near the junction of the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers. The
site of numerous early colonial settlements, the pivotal Revolutionary War
Battle of Saratoga in 1777, and a gateway for the westward migration of many
local as well as New England settlers, were all important early roles played by
Saratoga.
1
History of Saratoga County, New York
, Nathaniel B. Sylvester,
(1878), 1979.
2
Saratoga County Heritage, Violet B. Dunn, Ed., 1974.
Complete Texts and Illustrations
Heritage Hunters is privileged to be able to offer the complete text of Sylvester's History of Saratoga County , together with the original accompanying illustrations. View this important volume by starting at Sylvester's History .
We are honored to present William L. Stone's 1880 work Reminiscences of Saratoga and Ballston . The complete text and illustrations are available here for your edification and enjoyment. Start with the Table of Contents.
Thanks to Bill Carr for these two useful volumes.
Project Gutenberg has graciously offered links to:
AmericanWars.org has offered a link exchange to
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Heritage Hunters of Saratoga County
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