Over the years, much has been written about the Freemasons (or Masons) involved in the American Revolution, including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Paul Revere. Freemasonry is a voluntary self-betterment association that teaches moral, intellectual, and spiritual lessons through three initiation ceremonies. It was the preeminent fraternal organization in the 18th century, especially in American, English, and French cities and ports as the political, commercial, and intellectual elites gathered within a lodge or meeting.

The Battles of Saratoga, America’s Turning Point ended with the victory of the American army of General Horatio Gates over British forces commanded by General John Burgoyne at Saratoga, New York, on October 17, 1777. Historians have always pointed to America’s Turning Point as being the most significant in the world’s history, as there was a transfer of territory so vast, and the influences were so far-reaching. Saratoga’s capitulation triggered two centuries of revolution elsewhere. It ushered in the end of the British Empire and brought the United States of America to life.

There were many freemasons involved in the American victory, but probably none as important as Benjamin Franklin. Franklin was not on the field of battle but was positioned in France. Benjamin Franklin helped to build support in France by using French Masons to help the American Revolution. One of his tools was the Lodge of the Nine Muses — the intellectual center of French Freemasonry. Franklin was admitted into the Nine Muses and was elected Master of the Lodge. He devoted himself to a propaganda campaign that leaned French public opinion in favor of the American cause. A clandestine method to secure and deliver military supplies to rebel forces in America was designed and implemented. In the spring of 1777, a shipment of French military material bought by the United States arrived at Portsmouth, NH. It included 1,000 barrels of powder, 12,000 muskets from Charleville, thousands of blankets, and other military articles. These supplies enabled the American victory at Saratoga in the autumn of 1777.

The Surrender of General Burgoyne was painted by John Trumbull on the exhibition at the rotunda of the United States Capitol. The painting depicts the sword surrendering at the end of the battles of Saratoga. There are 27 people in the picture, 20 of them Masons. Not all masons were members of the fraternity before the battles.

Three of the masons would become governors: John Brooks of Massachusetts; Morgan Lewis, third governor of New York; and William Hull of the Michigan territory. Morgan Lewis (1754-1844) was the son of one of the signatories to the Declaration of Independence, Francis Lewis (1713-1802). Lewis had an extensive military career as Chief of Staff to General Horatio Gates and Quartermaster General of New York State during the Revolutionary War. He was the United States quartermaster general in the early days of the War of 1812. He later served as brigadier and then major-general on the Niagara frontier and commanded the battle of Fort George. Lewis sat in the New York State Assembly and Senate and was Attorney General and Chief Justice of the State Supreme Court. Lewis County in New York goes by his name. He served as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of New York from 1830 to 1843.

The Master’s Masonic Lodge in Albany performed degree work during the war, including initiating Morgan Lewis and making Master Masons of Henry Dearborn, John Stark, Robert Troup, and James Wilkinson. The Albany Lodge was visited by John Greaton. The provincial Grand Master issued a charter to “Union Lodge No. 1” in Albany dated February 21, 1765. On April 12, 1768, the cornerstone of the new Masonic building was placed at the intersection of what became the northwest corner of Lodge Street and Maiden Lane. 

During the 8-year war, there were traveling military lodges, American Union and Washington Masonic, that were convened at the American army’s encampment and were frequented by Brooks, Hull, Rufus Putman, and Thomas Seymour

The St. John’s Lodge in Portsmouth, NH, was the home lodge of Henry Dearborn, Alexander Scammell, and William Whipple (who also signed the Declaration of Independence). Joseph Cilley was a member of a nearby lodge in Lee, New Hampshire. St. John’s Lodge is the oldest Masonic lodge in New Hampshire and claims to be the oldest active Masonic lodge in America. The lodge convened and formed the Grand Lodge of New Hampshire in Wm. Pitt Tavern, which is now part of the Strawbery Banke Museum.   

John Armstrong’s home lodge was in Pennsylvania. Massachusetts’ lodges were the home of John Glover, Elnathan Haskell, Enos Hitchcock, and William Lithgow. Matthew Clarkson’s lodge was the famed Holland Lodge in New York. The Holland Lodge was founded in 1789 and initially used Low Dutch as its primary language.

The Battles of Saratoga, America’s Turning Point, was the first time an entire British army was captured. More importantly, the victory gave Franklin some good news to convince the French to go to war. When the French entered the war, what was only a North American war became global, with battles in India, Africa, Europe, and especially in the Caribbean. It took another five years, but in the end, Saratoga made the words written in the Declaration of Independence an excellent achievement for all humanity. It is not surprising that the masons, members of the preeminent fraternal organization in the 18th century, were involved in the battles of Saratoga, America’s turning point.  

Sean Kelleher is the historian for the Town of Saratoga, the vice president of the Saratoga County History Center, and the vice chairman of the Saratoga County 250th American Revolution Commission.  Kelleher is a contributing writer to More Saratoga County Stories

When the readers of the Gloversville Daily Leader turned to page eight on the morning of January 7, 1901, they were confronted with the news that 70-year-old Hiram Van Buren had shot and killed Edward Eddy in the hamlet of Trevett in Providence, Saratoga County. As we will soon hear, for weeks afterward details continued to emerge that told a story of jealousy, revenge, and obsession.

As is often the case, a woman was at the center of it all. For years before the murder took place, Mrs. “Tug” Wilson had been living in the home of Edward Eddy, where she was said to have been employed as a housekeeper. Towards the end of 1900, Mrs. Wilson was hired by 70-year-old Hiram Van Buren to do his washing. Eddy, not pleased with this new arrangement, told Wilson that if she continued to work for Van Buren, to take everything she owned with her and not come back to his home. When she complied and moved out, he then threatened to “burn her out” if she did not return.

By Saturday, January 5, 1901, Mrs. Wilson had moved into the house where Hiram Van Buren lived with the widow Mary A. Shanley, his 79-year-old housekeeper, and her 39-year-old son, Charlie. That evening a winter festival was held at the schoolhouse in Trevett, an event that brought together nearly everyone in the neighborhood, including Hiram, Widow Shanley, and Mrs. Wilson. One other person who attended that night was Ed Eddy, who, fueled by alcohol and enraged at his loss, was heard to boldly threaten that he would soon cut Mrs. Wilson’s throat.

Van Buren and his housemates returned from the festivities by Midnight, and soon turned in for the night, unconcerned by the drunken threats from Ed Eddy. With the noise of those returning home from the night’s entertainment Hiram slept fitfully, waking as the lanterns of those passing by flashed past his window. One particularly bright light brought him to his feet, suddenly realizing that the house was on fire. Using a nearby bucket of water he was able to quickly subdue the flames that had started climbing up an outside wall. By this time, the rest of the household had woken up, and accompanied by Charley Shanley, Hiram checked the property to make sure the arsonist was not still nearby.

Unsure if the attack would continue, Hiram and Shanley decided to keep watch, with each man posted at open doors at the back and front of the house. By three o’clock, Charley gave up and went to bed, leaving Hiram to keep watch alone. Two hours later, Hiram was shocked to see a face pressed against his bedroom window. Grabbing his shotgun, he rushed out the front door and saw two men standing under a nearby apple tree. When the men realized they had been seen, one ran and the other crotched behind a handpump hoping to conceal himself. In what he later described as an attempt to shoot the man behind the pump “in the leg in order to identify him,” Van Buren raised the shotgun to his hip and fired. Unfortunately, his aim was off, and the shotgun pellets struck the man in both the neck and the heart, knocking him to the ground. The man was Edward Eddy, and though attempting to flee after he had been shot, he only went a short distance before falling down dead.

After the shooting, Van Buren quickly proceeded to the local justice where he told what had happened and gave himself over for arrest. After Justice Allen heard Hiram’s account of the incident, he allowed him to return home until the coroner could determine the cause of death. On the same day as the killing an inquest was held, and after evidence of the attempted arson and testimony of Eddy’s threats were considered, Hiram Van Buren was discharged on the grounds that his actions were justifiable. The second man in the attempt to burn down the house was never positively identified, the only possible suspect being able to provide an alibi for that night.

Unfortunately, Hiram’s difficulties concerning the killing of Edward Eddy were far from over. The day after the shooting District Attorney George R. Salisbury came to Trevett to look over the scene and the next day had Van Buren charged with murder and arrested. Taken to the county jail in Ballston Spa, he was arraigned with an examination scheduled for the next morning, Wednesday, January 9th. For his defense, Van Buren hired town of Ballston attorney Frank H. Brown, who was granted a week’s postponement to build his defense. On January 17th Hiram Van Buren was arraigned before Ballston Spa Justice Esmond, charged with murder in the first degree. At that time, his attorney waived examination for his client and the case was scheduled to be heard before the Grand Jury. It was fortunate that the next session of the Saratoga County Grand Jury was set to convene at the end of January, as Hiram was to be held in the county jail while he awaited his trial.

On Wednesday, January 30, 1901, Hiram Van Buren came before the Saratoga County Supreme Court Grand Jury, presided over by Judge L. W. Russell. At the trial, the grand jury agreed with the coroner’s initial decision from the day of the killing and deemed the shooting justifiable homicide. The local community praised the action of the grand jury, and Van Buren was heartily congratulated all around.

Van Buren was released from prison, and the next day he headed home. Even with this victory, Hiram’s struggles were not over. Destitute as a result of the trial, and with no one to help, he left Ballston on foot to walk the twenty miles home through the severe winter weather. Fortunately, before he has traveled far friends showed up and gave him a ride home.

Dave Waite is a resident of Blue Corners, Saratoga County and has written many articles on upstate New York history, including several in the recently published book, Saratoga County Stories. Dave can be reached at davewaitefinearts@gmail.com

Saturday, October 8, 1927, was a great day for a burglar in Ballston Spa. The Saratogian newspaper announced that “Ballston Spa closed down shop this noon and went to the Saratoga Battlefield celebration. Scores of Ballstonians, many of them taking part in the pageant, went to the historic battlefield this morning, but the great exodus did not take place until early this afternoon. Stores, mills, offices and shops closed at noon and throughout the forenoon there was a hustle and bustle of people getting ready to go to the celebration.”  

The early 1920s was a period of intense growth in the Rotary movement in Saratoga County. On May 1, 1922, the Ballston Spa Club was chartered, followed by the Mechanicville and Saratoga Springs Clubs in 1924.

With the energy and enthusiasm of recent converts, they looked around for “big” projects to tackle to demonstrate their commitment to the ideals of Rotary. The upcoming sesquicentennial anniversary of the Battle of Saratoga, scheduled to take place in 1927, appealed to the “live wires’ of the nearby Rotary Clubs who quickly became a part of a movement which included citizens of Vermont and New England (whose ancestors fought at the Battle of Bennington and Saratoga).  

Two men; Adolph Ochs, owner of the New York Times and George O. Slingerlands, Mayor of Mechanicville and founding member of the Mechanicville Rotary Club soon emerged as the movement leaders.  Because of Ochs’ social status, he is often cited as being the prime mover in the effort, but this is what Ochs said of Slingerlands’ role “My interest in the Battlefield of Saratoga is due to the enthusiasm, self-sacrifice and patriotism of Mayor George O. Slingerlands of Mechanicville. He is the man who brought me to the field.”

On September 18 and 19, 1925, over 400 Rotarians and their wives from New York, Vermont and Massachusetts gathered at the site of the Battlefield, which at that time was privately owned. They passed a resolution calling on Rotarians to work for a sesquicentennial commemorative event and urged support for permanent recognition of the Battlefield by either the State or Federal government. Spurred on in large part by Slingerlands, this grassland campaign took root and blossomed.  

In 1926, the State of New York approved the purchase of four farms and created a State Historic Preserve which became known as the Saratoga Battlefield.  Slingerlands was appointed the first Superintendent. One of his first duties was to begin planning for the upcoming sesquicentennial celebration scheduled for October 8, 1927. Judging by the numbers involved, the celebration was a great success. An estimated crowd of 100,000 spectators and participants viewed the pageants and heard speeches from the governors of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Governor Al Smith, of New York. The 25,000 automobiles that tried to get to the event overwhelmed the primitive road system and many were still in long lines at the close of the day’s program. Crowd control was handled by a 200-member contingent of State Troopers and logistics by units the New York National Guard.

The pageant was directed by Percy Burrell the “king” of pageants.  Each of the 6,200 participants was provided with a four-page set of instructions which covered everything from the time and place of assembly to what to do about their costumes and such items as chewing gum, wrist watches and glasses – all prohibited.

The pageant started at 2 p.m. but was preceded by a 150-gun salute at 9 a.m., the dedication of the New Hampshire monument at 10 a.m. and speeches by the three governors at 11 a.m. The show was described as “(a) gigantic historical pageant depicting in dance, song, and drama the opening scenes of the American Revolution, and more particularly the striking events and episodes in the Battle of Saratoga.” Participants included musicians, choristers, dancers, and volunteers costumed as soldiers, farmers, Indians, and women and children.  

After the excitement of the sesquicentennial celebration, Superintendent Slingerlands began working toward including the Battlefield in the National Park System.  Although he did not live to see it, (dying in 1932) in 1938, with the help of former Governor and later President Franklin Roosevelt, the Saratoga Battlefield became part of the National Park System, as it remains today.  

Paul Perreault has been the Malta Town Historian since 2009. He served as principal in the Ballston Spa School District from 1978 until 1998 and as a history teacher at Shenendehowa High School from 1967 until 1975. He is a member of the Association of Public Historians of New York State, the Saratoga County History Roundtable and the Ballston Spa Rotary Club. Paul can be reached at historian@malta-town.org

What do you suppose history will say about politicians of current times? Hindsight is often different from what was presumed by contemporaries. But for John Taylor, who became New York’s first Speaker of the House of Representatives, that does not seem to be true. He was always seen as a man of high standards, even if those high standards irked some people in his own political party.

Many years ago, it was said by an unknown author that “Mr. Taylor was a gentleman of the old school, polite and courteous, an eloquent and forcible speaker, and delivered frequent orations on literary and national topics…..In private life he was retiring, fond of cultivating his garden, and generous in distributing its fruits and flowers.  He hated corruption in politics and spurned the use of money for political personal success, and his constituency always returned unwavering confidence in his sterling integrity.” John Taylor (1784-1854), whose house still stands on West High Street in Ballston Spa, was a highly respected gentleman and a man who gave a great deal of his life in service to our country.

Taylor was born in what would become Charlton, lived in Ballston Spa, and then for a time in Corinth.  He was a graduate of Union College, the valedictorian of his class at the age of 19, and, soon thereafter, was admitted to the bar to practice law.  He was elected to the State Assembly (1812-1813) where he was known for his efforts to combat corruption especially in relation to banks who were exercising more power and influence than they should at the time. After that short stint, he was elected to the US House of Representatives where he served for 20 years, from 1813-1833.  It was during that time that he was Speaker of the House twice, making him fourth in line in the succession to the Presidency, should anything happen to the President, Vice-President, and President pro-tem of the Senate.  (In later years, the positions of the President pro-tem and Speaker of the House were reversed in the Presidential succession order.)

His goal as Speaker was to be totally impartial, not favoring either party’s agenda but doing what he felt was best for the country.  That did not set well with some of his colleagues, thus ensuring that his two terms as Speaker were split, as he lost an intervening term.  Then, after losing the election of 1832 because the party leaders were again dismayed with his non-partisan performance, he resumed the practice of law in Ballston Spa.  Later he became a member of the State Senate.

In the state legislature, he was actively involved in the conduct of the War of 1812 and, while in the Assembly, he became highly respected and known as an excellent debater.  In the Congress, he aligned himself with James Tallmadge and Rufus King, both from New York, who strongly believed that slavery should not be extended into the territories.  With that belief, he disagreed with Henry Clay, the “Great Compromiser” of the time. 

Despite those differences with the very influential Clay, the two men maintained a healthy respect for each other. Clay visited Ballston Spa at one point and made quite a scene with his praise for the integrity of Taylor.  Taylor also knew Dolly Madison, the President’s wife, who remarked once that there was “always something wanting at a dinner or a party if Mr. Taylor was absent.” Her respect for him was exemplified by the fact that she gave him a small piece of Martha Washington’s wedding dress as a memento.  In addition, he accompanied General Lafayette of France, famous in our Revolution, around the New England states while Lafayette was visiting the country in 1824.

It was from his State Senate position that he resigned in 1841 because of a crippling stroke. He moved to Cleveland, Ohio to live with his daughter where he died on September 18,1854.  He is buried in Ballston Spa Village Cemetery.

But, besides the esteem, his fame truly lies in the fact that he was the only New Yorker to ever be Speaker of the House of Representatives…… sort of.  In reality, there was ONE other person from New York who was Speaker of the House, but for a very short period of time.  His name was Theodore M. Pomeroy, born in Elbridge NY and later moving to Auburn, NY. Schuyler Colfax, who was Speaker from 1863-1869, was elected Vice-President with Ulysses S. Grant.  In order to be sworn in at noon on March 4, 1869, inauguration day at that time, Colfax resigned his speakership at 11AM the day before. Within about an hour, Theodore Pomeroy was sworn in as the new Speaker. Since that 40th Congress ended at noon the following day, so did Pomeroy’s term as Speaker, the total length of his term approximately 24 hours.  It was the shortest term of office for a Speaker in our history and since his term is often forgotten, Taylor usually gets the credit for being the only New Yorker to be Speaker of the House of Representatives! 

Rick Reynolds has been the Ballston Town Historian since 2004. He is a retired social studies teacher at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Middle school and is the author of the book “From Wilderness to Community: The Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Central School District. Rick can be reached at rreynolds@townofballstonny.org

As the 1970s dawned, Saratoga Springs was showing exciting signs of rebirth after half a century of decline. The new Skidmore College campus, the performing arts center, the historic preservation movement and, especially, a downtown revitalization campaign (“The Plan of Action”) promised a bright future. 

The “Plan” grew out of the work of the half-century-old Greater Saratoga Chamber of Commerce. Over the years its efforts had centered narrowly on coordinating events and promotion for tourism. That was changing rapidly in the early 1970s under new leadership as it broadened its scope to include economic development. But with an otherwise full program and a small staff, there was a limit to what it could take on.

There was a challenge ahead, more daunting than the shopping-mall competition facing Broadway stores that had spurred the Plan of Action. Saratoga County was losing its manufacturing base. While tourists were its bread and butter, well-paying factory jobs had been plenty in Schuylerville, Mechanicville, Waterford, South Glens Falls, Corinth—even in resort-oriented Saratoga Springs. In 1976, manufacturing provided the county with one-third of its jobs and fully one-half of its payroll. But like everywhere in the Northeast, the factories were moving South or closing. During the 1960s alone 12,000 to 14,000 manufacturing jobs were lost. As they disappeared, unemployment rolls grew. This was a challenge not usually addressed by chambers of commerce in that era. 

The solution grew out of a November 1977 lunch at the Hayner House in Ballston Spa. Bob Schock, the chamber chairman, and Joe Dalton, its president, met to discuss the county’s economic future with Paul Brown, a Ballston Spa attorney who was about to become chair of the county board of supervisors. They proposed an entirely new agency, the Saratoga Economic Development Corporation (SEDC). It was to be independent of the chamber but work closely with it; most importantly, it would be independent of government so that its beneficiaries would not be indebted to politicians. “That was the first major hurdle, and we got over it,” remembers Dalton. The SEDC would provide financial planning, site analysis, tax planning, and employment training, all to smooth the path for potential manufacturers interested in locating in the county. It would even have the ability to buy land and build and equip a building.

Brown was elected in January, and immediately presented the plan to the county board, which demonstrated a willingness to trust the private sector, providing $40,000 in seed money. Schock raised an additional $12,474 from business people. On March 23, 1978 the SEDC was incorporated, a “private sector, non-profit consulting firm that works to create jobs in Saratoga County, New York.”

It was understood that it had three years to prove its value—or dissolve. A jump start was essential. Frank Quinn of Saratoga Springs met a dynamic young man at a seminar in Oklahoma and the new board invited him to apply. “We interviewed him at 10 o’clock in the morning,” said Schock, “and at 1 o’clock in the afternoon we had hired 22-year-old Jeff Randol as executive director of the SEDC.”

Randol and Dalton went to work immediately. They made the rounds to  sell the SEDC program along with a new state tax-abatement program that reduced taxes for a number of years in return for job creation. Best of all, SEDC offered to help companies design advantageous financial services packages, something that other communities were not doing at the time.

In that first year, four new companies made a commitment to locate in Saratoga County, bringing 70 new jobs. But that was just the beginning. 

Executives from Ball Corporation visited Saratoga County, but Randol didn’t know about their visit until they had left. In two days Randol assembled a package of information and shipped it to Ball where it was waiting for the executives when they returned to their desks. Securing Ball’s commitment required land, railroad tracks, roads and sewers, as well as financing, but it was done. On October 16, 1981 the first cans rolled off the line. SEDC had landed 250 to 300 jobs with a $6 million payroll. Nationwide visibility followed: in Newsweek magazine, Ball’s CEO praised SEDC.

The next big success was Quad/Graphics, which announced plans in 1983 to bring 1,000 jobs to the county. By January 1985 the presses were rolling, soon to print Time magazine and later People as well.

As early as 1982 Randol had speculated that Canadian and European businesses and technology firms offered great opportunities. Marketing efforts abroad had already begun in 1981. Then, in 1985, SEDC began negotiating with a state agency for the purchase of acreage in Malta for a high-tech industrial park.

The project stalled due to the parcel’s Superfund status, but SEDC went ahead with the purchase of 100 acres in Halfmoon for another industrial park.

In 1987 SEDC added the development of corporate office parks to its goals in order to retain college-educated natives. The new initiative got a strong start beginning with Clifton Corporate Park that summer, while in autumn State Farm announced its plan to build a regional service center in Malta, bringing 500 jobs to the county. And there was a changing of the guard: Randol left to start his own consulting firm and was succeeded by Ken Green, who had joined SEDC in 1981 to direct the increasingly essential research and marketing initiatives.

Two decades of successes were followed in the late 1990s by a big push to develop high tech industry. The target location was the tract in Malta that had been in negotiation back in 1985. The state turned over the land in 1997 and SEDC filed a Planned Development District (PDD) application with the Malta and Stillwater towns.

The PDD was approved in 2004, and SEDC purchased 1,186 additional acres surrounding the original tract. At the suggestion of state Senator Joseph Bruno, who had been influential in setting up the land transfer, SEDC spun off an independent agency, the Luther Forest Technology Campus Economic Development Corpration, with its own board. 

In June 2006, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) announced it would build a$3.2 billion microchip fabricating plant there. It would be the most advanced semiconductor manufacturing facility in the world, and the largest private sector industrial investment in New 

York State history. AMD spun off its manufacturing, forming the new division named GlobalFoundries early in 2009, soon after the start of construction. Manufacturing began in 2012, and the payroll quickly grew to 3,000 employees.

Meanwhile, there was another leadership transition when Green left in 2007 and was succeeded by Dennis Brobston. This remarkable continuity, with only three presidents in 40 years, has been part of the SEDC success story. 

At 40, SEDC looked back with satisfaction on an impressive record. It has brought 21,000 jobs to the county, with $16.5 billion invested. Well over 100 firms have come to Saratoga as a result, and over 150 existing firms have been provided the assistance they needed to remain profitable without relocating. It has had a pivotal role in the arrival of such now-iconic Saratoga County businesses as Ball Metal, Quad/Graphics, State Farm, ACE Hardware, Target Distribution, Cascade Tissue and, of course, GlobalFoundries. 

But most of its work has been less glamorous, yet equally important to the county’s economic well-being: the daily efforts to assist small start-up and existing companies and to expand employment.

It brought together private business and government—successfully. Without the innovative model of SEDC, Saratoga County’s economy in 2019 would far less healthy and dynamic.

Local historians and writers have previously told the story of Tothmea, the 3600-year-old Egyptian mummy that was presented to a local museum in Round Lake in 1888. Her travels have taken her from Egypt to Round Lake to Brazil and several places in between. After I learned of some recent developments in her story, I was inspired to recount her journey and update it a bit more.

Tothmea was first discovered in the Egyptian city of Thebes. Sources differ on her discovery date, but she was found either in the late 1700s or in the 1880s. Some sources indicate she was a priestess, but what is more likely is that she was a musician, likely a singer, and served the goddess Isis when she was alive. She was one of a pair of mummies initially given to Samuel Cox, an American ambassador to Turkey in the 1880s. Cox took a trip to Egypt and was gifted the mummies by the khedive after he read Cox’s book titled, “Why We Laugh.” Upon Cox’s return to America, Dr. H.C. Farrar, curator of the George West Museum of Art and Archaeology in Round Lake, expressed his interest in Tothmea and eventually obtained her.

In 1888, a reception took place for Tothmea, where she was presented to a large audience at the Round Lake Auditorium. The picture accompanying this article features some of the men who spoke during the reception. Bishop Newman, the second man from the right, delivered, “the first in a series of lectures on biblical archaeology.” Professor Lansing, who is on the far left, spoke of, “the history and styles of embalming.” The man on the far right is said to be unknown, but some sources identify him as Dr. Farrar. Farrar is recognized for giving Tothmea her name, as her original name is unknown. After the men spoke, Tothmea’s casket was tipped up, the lid was removed, and she was revealed to the audience. 

She was then taken out of the casket, unwrapped, and examined. Unfortunately, preserving Tothmea was not on the list of concerns that day. At one point, they wanted to move her into a sitting position and broke several bones, including a rib. After her reception, she was kept on display at the George West Museum until it closed in 1919. It seemed no one knew what to do with Tothmea at this point. There are stories of village residents, on several occasions, staging her around town to scare people, including one Halloween. Tothmea was eventually purchased by a man named J. Franklin Clute shortly after the museum closed.

In 1939, Tothmea was loaned to the Schenectady Museum by Mr. Clute. Much of Tothmea’s time in Schenectady was spent in the basement of the museum. The museum’s director, George Cole, was quoted as saying Tothmea was, “a rather disgusting mummy.” It’s not clear when it happened, but an object had fallen onto her head and created a hole on one side of her face. Also, the material she was wrapped in was very tattered and decayed. 

Much of what I found about Tothmea’s time in Schenectady indicated that the museum was trying to find another home for her. One issue was that the museum was provided, “unauthenticated documents,” and didn’t have the funds to spend on affirming her authenticity. Since Clute loaned Tothmea to the museum, they needed his consent to get rid of her. Any attempts made by the museum to contact Clute were unsuccessful. After The Knickerbocker News published an article about Tothmea in 1972, the museum received an outpouring of calls asking to “adopt Tothmea.” She was also put on display for a fundraising event benefitting a local tv station, but other than this, she remained in the museum’s basement.

Tothmea’s next move came in 1978. Mary Hesson, Round Lake Historian at that time, placed a call to the Schenectady Museum asking for the mummy back, to which they agreed. Hesson placed her in a plexiglass case and would occasionally display her during festivals, or for schoolchildren. In October 1978, a competition was held for children to submit pictures and write letters to Tothmea telling her what they loved about Round Lake. As time passed, Hesson recalled that Tothmea’s smell began overwhelming her office. A decision was made to find a place to bury her, rather than display her, since she had deteriorated so much over time. To do this, they needed the permission of Inez Sewell, who had inherited Tothmea from Clute.

In 1984, Tothmea was stored at the residence of one of Sewell’s relatives, while plans were made to find a burial site. When Tothmea’s burial site was confirmed and arrangements were made to get her, she had disappeared. Years later, Hesson received several newspaper clippings that revealed Tothmea was in California. A 1988 Los Angeles Times article indicated Tothmea was a part of an Egyptian mummy collection at the Rosicrucian Museum in San Jose. Then, in 1995, the museum in San Jose decided to donate her to the Rosicrucian Museum in Curitiba, Brazil.

The most recent development in Tothmea’s story was the result of the “Tothmea Project” at the museum in Curitiba. In 2019, the museum did a digital facial reconstruction to show what she may have looked like while she was alive. Pictures of this can be found on the museum’s website. Tothmea is still in Curitiba today and is the only Egyptian mummy in Brazil. The museum has a dedicated a climate-controlled room for her that mimics the appearance of an ancient Egyptian tomb.

Matt Bonk graduated from SUNY Albany in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in History and is currently working at Brookside Museum in Ballston Spa as a museum assistant.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — City Historian Mary Ann Fitzgerald will deliver a presentation about the Feast of St. Michael, celebrated on the city’s west side dating back to the early 20th century.   

The event, free and open to the public, will take place 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 27 at The Saratoga Springs History Museum, 1 East Congress St.

Starting in 1914, the Feast of St. Michael was celebrated in late September in Saratoga Springs’ Dublin neighborhood, which had started as an Irish enclave, then became home to Italian immigrants and African Americans, among others, and is now known as the Beekman Street Arts District. 

As the statue of Saint Michael was paraded down Beekman Street, people pinned money to him, which benefited the Principessa Elena Society, a community resource for newly arrived Americans that still exists today in the neighborhood. The “Festa” grew into a widely beloved celebration that embraced live music, plentiful cuisine at Dublin’s numerous Italian restaurants, and even fireworks on the outskirts of town. It ended in the 1970s, occasionally revived between 1997 and 2001.

“Everyone in Saratoga Springs went to the St. Michael’s Feast street celebration, not just Catholics and not just Italians,” says Fitzgerald, co-founder of the Saratoga Springs West Side Oral Narrative Project, which is the basis for the presentation. Funding for the event is provided by the Alfred Z. Solomon Charitable Trust.  

“One commonality of the interviews in the project,” Fitzgerald says, “was that everyone remembered the Feast of St. Michael, and everyone wished it could come back.” 

Many consider the opening of the City Center in the summer of 1984 to be one of the most important achievements in the rebirth of Saratoga Springs. Without it, Saratoga would not have the substantial convention business that has strengthened the city’s economy. Saratogians worked for more than 18 years to make the new facility a reality, ever since the city’s historic Convention Hall was destroyed by fire in 1965.

The convention business began in the 1830s. Political conventions, professional meetings of dentists and teachers, reformers, and religious conferences were among the large events that found Saratoga Springs a perfect meeting place. The American Bar Association and American Bankers Association were both founded in City Hall. All but a handful of these meetings were scheduled between May and September, as the vast majority of Saratoga’s 3,000 hotel rooms were unheated. The convention business expanded so rapidly during the 1870s that by 1883, civic leaders admitted that a larger facility was needed and citizens voted to build one. Groundbreaking took place in 1892, and Convention Hall opened in 1893.

The massive building with its twin towers rose on South Broadway where the Park Place condominiums now stand. The hall seated 5,000 in its auditorium and balcony and was key to attracting convention business, which began to boom. Its zenith was almost certainly in September 1907 when 40,000 Civil War veterans descended on Saratoga Springs for the “encampment” of the Grand Army of the Republic.

As the 20th century went on, the mix of events attracted to Convention Hall changed. The hall provided space for pro, semi-pro, industrial league, and high school basketball competitions – repeatedly hosting the Harlem Globetrotters – as well as wrestling matches and Skidmore College commencements. Enrico Caruso and John McCormack sang there; Paul Whiteman’s and Fred Waring’s orchestras, the Kingston Trio, and Peter, Paul and Mary performed there in concert. But the stock of hotel rooms declined dramatically when the grand old hotels came down between 1943 and 1953. It became difficult to house conventioneers; in 1960 only nine conventions came to Saratoga, bringing fewer than 3,000 conventioneers.

Another Convention Center to replace the one that burned was proposed at the present city arts council site. But before a final  decision was made, catastrophic fire destroyed the old hall. The building was insured, and Commissioner of Public Safety John T. Roohan insisted that the $800,000 payout be deposited in a dedicated account. The Chamber of Commerce urged the City Council to take “immediate” action and a planner was soon hired, but no decisions were made, in part due to the insurance fund’s inadequate size. Years followed without decisive action by successive city councils. Fifteen years passed before newly elected Mayor Ellsworth Jones joined forces with the Chamber of Commerce to identify completion of a new City Center as top priority.

The plan was to increase sales tax by one percent for three to five years, raising $4 million, and the City Council adopted it in August 1981.

A group of the city’s civic leaders traveled to various convention centers sites in the eastern U.S. looking for design and financing ideas.

Planners estimated that the new facility would lose $150,000 to $200,000 a year, so it was clear it would require a subsidy. Under the chairmanship of Charles Wait of the Adirondack Trust Company, a planning committee began in December 1981 to assemble a creative and complex financing plan: the plan called for the city to build the new $4 million Convention Center, and sell it to an investment group. The city would then lease the facility from the investment group for fifteen years. At the conclusion of the fifteen year lease the city would purchase the center at a price agreed upon to at the initial sale. Due to the interest rate differentials, the city would then own the building it had maintained and still have over $3 million of the original $4 million in the bank. The operating deficit would be paid by a hotel built adjacent to the City Center through a “payment in lieu of taxes.” This assured that the anticipated City Center deficit would be covered by the privately owned hotel complex and not by the existing property tax base.

Meanwhile, planners recognized that the City Center would not be successful unless its operations were independent of political forces. In July 1982, a bill creating a seven-member Saratoga Springs City Center Authority, sponsored by State Senator Joseph Bruno, was enacted into law.

The new City Center could seat 2,500 in 37,000 square feet. After 19 long years, the city once again had a convention facility and, unlike the beloved Convention Hall, the new one was up-to-date.

Filling it was the next challenge. David Morris of the Saratoga Harness Track, Dan Murphy of the adjacent Ramada Renaissance Hotel, and Mary Reed of Saratoga Circuit Travel & Tours formed the Saratoga Convention and Tourism Bureau. The bureau, in cooperation with Mark Baker, president of the City Center, initiated action that began filling the center on a regular basis. 

In 1999, the city bought back the facility. Ten years later, the timing was right for a major expansion. The City Center board, headed by Michael Toohey, led the planning process. 

A funding package of $16 million was secured, including $12 million from the state by-Senator Majority Leader, Joe Bruno, plus Authority funds. Expansion would increase floor space by 50 percent.

Through an increase in the room occupancy tax the City Center cover its operating deficit, maintenance, and capital improvements.

Through convention business, Saratoga Springs had permanently broken its old reputation of “The August Place to Be.” It is now “The Year-Round Place to Be.”