Timeline of Saratoga Springs, New York

The following is a timeline of the history of Saratoga Springs, New York, USA

Prior to 19th century

1643 – Father Isaac Jogues reported to have visited the springs for which the city would be so named.
1691 – English settlers build Fort Saratoga.
1767 – William Johnson, a British soldier and hero of the French and Indian Wars, is treated by Native Americans for his war wounds at springs outside of the village.
1775 – The first European-American settler, Dirck Shouten, builds a dwelling near the High Rock Spring. However, he is later forced to relocate on warnings from the Native Americans to stay away from the spring.
1777 – The Battles of Saratoga are fought nearby in the Town of Stillwater.
1783 – George Washington attempts to purchase the High Rock Spring and others.
1789 – Gideon Putnam builds the first hotel for travelers.

19th century

1802 – Gideon Putnam constructs the Union Hall hotel near the Congress Spring.
1810 - Population: 1,909.
1811 – Putnam dies of injuries sustained during construction of Congress Hall.
1819 – The Town of Saratoga Spring established; set off from a western portion of the Town of Saratoga.
1824 – The first United States Hotel is built.
1826 – Principal community incorporated as the Village of Saratoga Springs.
1833 - Saratoga and Schenectady Railroad opens for service with steam powered trains.
1853 - Potato chips are created by George Crum at Moon's Lakehouse
1855 - The Saratogian begins publication.
1863 – Saratoga Race Course opens.

20th century

1902 - The Adirondack Trust Company is founded.
1903 – Lucy Ann Skidmore founds the Young Woman's Industrial Club.
1911 – The YWIC is chartered as the Skidmore School of Arts.
1913 - Congress Park in its present incarnation is created.
1915
* April 7: The City of Saratoga Springs is incorporated by charter.
* June 8: Walter P. Butler is elected the city's first mayor.
* June 26: The Spencer Trask memorial, The Spirit of Life, is dedicated at Congress Park.
1917 - St. Clements Roman Catholic Church is consecrated, and holds its first Mass.
1918 - Harry Pettee elected mayor
1919 - James D. McNulty elected mayor
1922 – Skidmore College founded.
1923 - Humorist Clarence Knapp elected mayor.
1926 - Yaddo established as an artists' retreat.
1927 - William Eddy elected mayor.
1928 - Population: 14,000.
1935 - Addison Mallery elected mayor; he would become the longest-serving mayor in the city's history.
1937 - Saratoga released.
1941 - June 26: The Saratoga Raceway opens.
1945
* The second Stewart's Shops opens in Saratoga Springs, following the opening of the first shop in nearby Ballston Spa.
* The United States Hotel on the corner of Broadway and Division Street is razed.
1946 - Racing resumes at the Saratoga Race Course after three years due to wartime rationing; during that time, all Saratoga races were run at Belmont Park.
1950
* August 1: The National Racing Museum and Hall of Fame opens at the Canfield Casino.
* The Saratoga Springs Public Library opens on the corner of Broadway and Spring Street near Congress Park.
1952 - Demolition of the Grand Union Hotel begins
1953 - Meyer Lansky serves his only prison sentence: three months in the Saratoga County Jail for gambling at the Arrowhead Inn.
1955 - The National Museum and Racing Hall of Fame relocates to its current location on Union Avenue, near the Saratoga Race Course.
1957 - A block of buildings on Broadway is destroyed in a massive fire; one police officer is killed.
1959 - November 3: James E. Benton elected mayor.
1960 – May 20: Caffè Lena opens for the first time.
1961
* The Saratoga Springs train station opens at its current location off West Avenue.
* June: Bob Dylan first performs at Caffè Lena.
* October 28: Skidmore College acquires the Jonsson Campus in the former Woodlawn Park.
1963
* Saratoga Race Course celebrates its centennial.
* July 19 – The section of Interstate 87 in Saratoga between Exits 14 and 15 is completed.
* November 5: Arthur J. Kearney elected mayor.
1964 - December 4: Ice storm hits Saratoga Springs
1965
* November 2 - James A. Murphy elected mayor.
* November 9 - Saratoga Springs loses electrical power as a result of the Northeast blackout of 1965.
* November 14 – Convention Hall on Broadway near Congress Park destroyed in fire.
1966
* Skidmore College opens its first buildings on the uptown Jonsson Campus off North Broadway; the move would take seven years to reach completion.
* July 8: Saratoga Performing Arts Center opens with a performance of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.
1969
* Saratoga Springs High School relocated to present location between West Avenue and West Circular Street; former site becomes Lake Avenue Elementary School
* November 4: Sarto Smaldone, owner of the Malta Drive-In, elected mayor.
1970 - The Tin & Lint opens on 2 Caroline Street as "The Bar With No Name".
1973 - November 6: Raymond Watkin elected mayor.
1977 - January 7: The Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation is founded.
1979 - November 6: Ellsworth Jones elected mayor; serves in that post for the entire 1980s.
1984 - August 2: Saratoga Springs City Center opens.
1985 - Home Made Theater stages its first performance at the Spa Little Theater: Wait Until Dark
1986
* The National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame opens
* First running of the Head of the Fish regatta at Saratoga Lake
1987 - Kayderosseras Park closes
1989 - November 7: Almeda C. Dake elected mayor; first female mayor in the city's history.
1990 - Population: 25,001.
1995
* The Saratoga Springs Public Library relocates to its current location on Henry Street.
* November 7: J. Michael O'Connell elected mayor.
1996 - December 31: Saratoga hosts its first ever "First Night" New Year's Eve celebrations.
1997 - The Pfeil Building opens on Broadway; the mixed-use building is the first to open on Broadway in 50 years.
1999 - November 2: Kenneth Klotz elected mayor

21st century

2000
* Population: 26,186.
* The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery opens on the Skidmore College campus.
2001 : The Lake Avenue armory becomes home to the New York State Military Museum.
2002
* June: The carousel formerly at Kayderosseras Park reopens in Congress Park.
* June: The Saratoga Automobile Museum opens at Saratoga Spa State Park.
* Fiberglass painted horses appear at various locations downtown.
2003
* August 14: Saratoga Springs is involved in another major blackout.
* November 4: Michael Lenz, former Commissioner of Finance, elected mayor.
2004 - January 28: Saratoga Gaming and Raceway opens.
2005 - November 8: Valerie M. Keehn elected mayor.
2007
* The Ellsworth Ice Cream plant closes after 74 years of operation.
* November 6: Scott Johnson elected mayor.
2010
* Population: 26,586.
* February 5: The Arthur Zankel Music Center opens on the Skidmore campus.
2011
* Saratoga Gaming and Raceway becomes Saratoga Casino and Raceway.
* August 28: Three-quarters of Saratoga Springs loses electricity and the card at Saratoga Race Course is cancelled during Hurricane Irene.
2012
* July 24: The city's memorial to the September 11 attacks is sited and dedicated at High Rock Park.
* Market Center Apartments opens on Railroad Place between Division and Church Streets.
* New parking garage opens on Woodlawn Avenue.
2013
* Saratoga Race Course celebrates its 150th anniversary.
* November 5: Joanne Dittes Yepsen elected mayor.
2014
* August 31: Tom Durkin calls his last race at Saratoga Race Course after 24 years.
2015
* Saratoga Springs celebrates the centennial of its city charter.
** Centennial Park and Saratoga Waterfront Park dedicated.
** June 26: The Spirit of Life statue in Congress Park is renovated.
** Fall: The High Rock Spring is re-recognized as the origin of the city.
2016
* Summer: SPAC celebrates its fiftieth anniversary.
2017
* November 7: Megan Kelly elected mayor.
2018
*August 17: City Hall catches fire after lightning strikes the building
*September 3: Sam "The Bugler" Grossman retires after 25 years at the track.
2019
*November 5: Ron Kim elected mayor.
2020
*Population: 28,491
*New York (state)
**Saratoga Performing Arts Center season cancelled for the first time ever
**July 16 – September 7: The 152nd Saratoga Race Course meet is run without fans in attendance
2021
*July 15 – September 6: Saratoga Race Course reopens to fans at full capacity with the loosening of COVID-19 restrictions for the 153rd meet
2023
*November 7: John Safford elected mayor.
2024
*June 8: Belmont Stakes to be run at Saratoga Race Course for the first time ever due to renovations at Belmont Park