That question challenged many people in early 20th-century New York and the U.S. Their focus and concern: Saratoga Battlefield.
Sparsely marked with 13 small monuments, through the Saratoga Monument Association’s late 19th-century work, the Battlefield remained private properties and a few public roads. Worse still, 1910s transportation development was damaging many historic sites, including Saratoga Battlefield. What to do?
The budding national conservation movement and rising expectations before the 150th anniversary of the Battles of Saratoga (1927) converged and pushed the question, but State and Federal government inaction stalled protective measures. Civic-minded individuals needed to act.
In May 1923, Charles Ogden of the Rochester Chapter of the SAR, supported by the National SAR, created a committee to negotiate purchasing 2 farms on the site of the Battles of Saratoga. This became the Saratoga Battlefield Association (SBA), with Ogden heading its board.
Once the SBA purchased the Freeman and Sarle farms, Ogden started negotiations for the Neilson and Gannon farms. The combined purchases created momentum and gained support from other patriotic organizations (Daughters of the American Revolution), historical societies, civic organizations (Rotary), politicians (Mechanicville Mayor George Slingerland, NYS Assemblyman Burton Esmond), and businessmen (New York Times editor Adolph Ochs, newspaper publisher Frank Gannett).
Ogden’s and the SAR’s efforts and initiative broke a lengthy impasse. By 1926, New York State finally showed support for Saratoga Battlefield…just in time for the 150th anniversary of the Battles of Saratoga.
The SAR’s vision for preserving memory of the Battles of Saratoga witnessed another milestone in 1927: NYS formally accepted it from the SBA as a State historical site.
How might you preserve memory?
Last updated: September 30, 2022
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Contact Info
Mailing Address:
648 Route 32
Stillwater,
NY
12170
Phone:
(518) 670-2985
Saratoga National Historical Park information desk available daily from 9am - 5pm. If no one is available to take your call, please leave a message, and someone will return your call as soon as possible.