A Taste of History: The Mineral Springs of Saratoga Springs

Quench your thirst with a tour of the springs.

Story and photos by Elizabeth Piseczny

Believed to cure any ailment, prized by the Mohawk Indians, and the catalyst for the birth of a city, the mineral springs at Saratoga Springs have been valued by anyone who has come across them for centuries. Even the father of our country, George Washington, tried to buy one, unsuccessfully. Every year, they draw thousands of people looking for a taste of history to Upstate New York.

Discovered by Sir William Johnson in 1771, the mineral springs were treasured by the Mohicans, who inhabited the area of what would become the Upper Village of Saratoga Springs for centuries before European settlement.

“The land and the springs were prized by the Mohicans for thousands of years before first contact with Europeans. Sir William Johnson… was brought to the high Rock Springs by the Mohawk Indians to heal a wound that he suffered in the battle of Lake George,” Mary Ann Fitzgerald, the city historian of Saratoga Springs, says.

The Native American’s act of kindness sparked a series of events that would make Saratoga Springs the city of health, horses and history. “Everything in Saratoga Springs that we know of today starts at the High Rock Springs with the Native Americans,” Fitzgerald says. “They were aware of it for centuries way before we knew of it.”

“Our reason for being is the mineral springs.”

Since their discovery by Europeans, the springs have enjoyed popularity, initially with those who bought the land and tried to settle the area, and eventually with the tourists that visited the city known as the “Queen of Spas,” for its horse racing and the springs’ reputed health benefits. The springs made such a big impression on George Washington that when he came to Saratoga Springs to examine the battlefields in 1783, he made a trip to High Rock Spring. After drinking the waters, he made an offer to buy land adjacent to the springs, but the titles to that land were owned by the Livingston and Walton families.

“Our reason for being is the mineral springs,” Fitzgerald explains. “Anything we have beyond that… came into the area to give people that came into the area another activity.”

In the 1930’s, Saratoga Springs became a key vacation spot for the elite looking for rest, relaxation and recreation in the spas. “They would get up in morning from the various hotels that were springing up and they would go to their spring and drink it,” Fitzgerald says, describing the typical day of a visitor to the “Queen of Spas,” in the 1930’s, which would include concerts, and a morning stroll. Later in the day, tourists “would have lunch, then they would take a carriage ride, to view the battlefield, enjoy the beauty of the lake, and eat Saratoga chips. They would go to races in the afternoon, and in the evening, there were always concerts in the park.” Attending horse races became one of Saratoga Spring's top attractions because it gave visitors another activity to enjoy while visiting the springs.

However, as the springs grew in popularity, so did the amount of the water that was pumped from the ground to be bottled or used in mineral baths. Known to be high in minerals such as calcium, potassium and sodium, all of the mineral water springs are naturally carbonated. Each spring has its own distinct taste, due to the combination of minerals that it comes in contact with underground before being brought to the surface by the pressure of the carbon dioxide gas in it. 

The springs had been privately owned until 1909, when the state of New York bought them and made them available for public use and enjoyment.

Forming a commission, the state government hoped to prevent the destruction of the springs from excessive pumping and distribution of the mineral water and carbon dioxide gases.

In the past, many flocked to Saratoga Springs to “take the cure,” and they believed that each spring was attributed with its own special health benefits. In modern times, visitors choose to indulge with a visit to taste the springs or take a mineral bath, reflecting the continued belief that the mineral springs will convey health.

“With some of the push back toward natural medicines, there has actually been kind of a significant interest over the last 10 years… because of the heath benefits, or supposed health benefits,” says Greg Dixon, the Vice President of Tourism for Saratoga Springs.

The curious characteristics of the springs still draw people to Saratoga Springs, to experience a self-guided walking tour that invites visitors to grab a cup, put on some comfortable shoes, and set out to locate and sample each of the seventeen springs. 

“In some shape or form, I’m sure there’s been informal tours that have gone on for hundred of years.”

Dixon says there are misconceptions about the spring, and that the tasting tour debunks any myths. “They (tourists) think it’s all the same spring, that it tastes the same and looks the same, and that’s not necessarily the case. It’s kind of interesting in that respect and I’m glad that we have something like it (the tasting tour) to offer people.”

While it is not clear when the idea of a tasting tour originated, Dixon says, “In some shape or form, I’m sure there’s been informal tours that have gone on for hundred of years.”
The tasting tour encompasses three distinct areas of Saratoga Springs: Congress Park, High Rock Park, and Saratoga Spa State Park. Each of the springs in Congress Park is marked by a fountain under a pavilion. 

Congress Park is the location of the first four stops on the tour: Congress Spring, Columbian Spring, and Deer Park Spring, which are located within the park, and Hathorn Spring # 1, which is located only a block away. Congress Park is directly across the street from the visitor's center, and all of the springs within Congress Park are located within less than a minute’s walk of each other.

The discovery of Congress Spring marks the beginning of the development of the Lower Village, a venture motivated by Gideon Putnam, who is known as Saratoga’s founding father. Congress Spring spouts from a fountain under a large Greek revival pavilion marked by its large columns, and is by far the most impressive on the tour. Columbian Spring, discovered in 1806, is no longer active. Instead, fresh drinking water now flows from the Federal style domed pavilion that covers it. Deer Park Spring is marked by a cast iron fountain, with water derived from Congress Spring. Within a 5 minute walk from the park, located on Spring Street, Hathorn Spring # 1 can be found under another pavilion.

The High Rock area of the tour may prove trickier for any adventurers trying to experience all of the springs. While Governor Spring and Peerless Spring pour from fountains marked by pavilions, the original High Rock Spring no longer flows. It’s marked by a pavilion with steps that lead down to a hardened mineral cone, the remains of the deposits of minerals left by the spring revered by the Mohawk Indians. Sir William Johnson was carried to this spring in 1771 to treat his wounds. This dead spring serves as a monument with a stone erected to honor the Mohawks who venerated it for centuries before European settlement and pays homage to the initial discovery of the springs. If they choose to explore a few feet further, visitors looking to delve deeper into the history of the springs can view another stone inscribed with an Indian Prayer

Empire Spring, stop number eight on the tour will dupe even the most experienced scavenger hunter. This spring was rerouted in 2004, to combine with stop number nine, the Old Red Spring. If you continue down High Rock Road on which Governor, Peerless and High Rock Springs are located, The Old Red Spring is marked by a pavilion on the left hand side of the road.

“State Seal tastes fantastic. Most of other ones aren’t as pleasant.”

The final stage of the tasting tour brings visitors to the Saratoga Spa State Park. While only 8 springs are marked on the tour, there are at least 10 springs in the park. Lincoln Spring feeds its mineral water into the Roosevelt Bath House, and can be tasted at a fountain in the bath house or from the spigot near the corner of Crescent Street and Broadway.

By far, the most acclaimed spring for tasting in the Saratoga Spa State Park is the State Seal, located with the Geyser Spring under the Joseph Bruno Pavilion. “At the State Seal, there’s people filling up bottles all day long,” Dixon says. Many come to this spring to fill bottles and jugs with fresh or mineral water from one of the six taps. While Dixon says it is his opinion that “most of the springs don’t taste great,” he also says, “State Seal tastes fantastic. Most of other ones aren’t as pleasant.” Dixon says tasting the springs is “popular… but someone will take a big cup and take a big drink and go, ‘Oh!’”

The State Park also offers 3 spouters: the Polaris, Coesa and Island Springs. These springs are often confused with geysers because the carbon dioxide infused in the water forces it to spout several feet into the air. The largest spouter is the Island Spouter, located on an ever-growing island of hardened minerals, called a travertine. Unfortunately, visitors can not sample this spring, as the travertine is located in the middle of Geyser Creek, which flows through the park. It is easily viewed from the Hayes Well Spring, a highly mineralized spring.

If visitors are looking to sample water from a spouter, the Polaris is a much smaller spouter; located just off Loop Road within the park. This spring, while unmarked, is easily accessible.

Each spring has its own taste, smell and look, but they are made more fascinating by their distinctive histories. The tasting tour offers a chance to try something different, enjoy the outdoors and learn more about the local history of Saratoga Springs, all while enjoying the expressions on friends’ faces as they taste the more unique flavors of various springs. Visitors should expect the tour to take about three and a half to four hours to experience each of the springs at their leisure.

Have you tasted the springs?