History of the Mineral Waters

During the fourteenth century the Iroquois Indians were initially attracted to the Saratoga area for its hunting. What they didn’t know was the high content of salt in the waters attracted the animals to this site. When the Indians discovered the springs they guarded them with secrecy. They believed the springs had special healing powers and were a gift from the Great Spirit. Eventually, the Indians introduced the early settlers to the springs as a cure for ailments.

By the mid 1800’s bathing in the mineral waters had become a popular health treatment with several bathhouses in operation in Saratoga Springs. Saratoga had become the seasonal “Watering Hole” for the rich and famous, and was referred to as “The Queen of Spas.”

By 1880, private industry also discovered a use for the springs. Over 200 mineral wells were in operation in the area, most used for the extraction of carbon dioxide gas. This process, inevitably, became abused by 1908 and New York State stepped in and passed anti-pumping legislation, followed by the formation of a state reservation to protect the mineral waters.

In 1930, construction of the “New Spa” was initiated. By 1935, the complex of buildings and landscape malls, modeled by the spas of Europe, were completed as they are seen today. This new facility brought in individuals seeking medical treatment for heart and internal afflictions, followed by the wealthy and the fashionable who came for preventative therapy, social amenities and an over all atmosphere of health, well-being and social stature.

The Bottling Plant was the last building constructed for the Spa complex. From 1935-1970, three types of mineral waters were bottled from the Geyser, Hathorn and Coesa springs. A fresh, non-carbonated water was also bottled under the name “State Seal.”

The mineral waters all originate in a layer of dolomatic limestone that underlies the shale and glacial drift of the sea. The original springs appeared at the surface through faults or cracks in the shale. The mineral salts are leached from the dolestone, with the infusion of carbon dioxide in a process not clearly defined. The shale forms an impervious cap. Faults in the shale provide a release for the gaseous waters and pressures, pushing the waters to the surface through these cracks.

To be considered a mineral water it must have 50 grains of salt per gallon, carbonation and a small amount of radioactivity (all waters contain radioactivity to a certain extent.) All waters flow from the ground at a fairly constant 50 degrees.