Town of Ballston NY Historian's Office

06/09/2026

You all know Mama's at Route 50 and Lakehill Rd. Long before it was Mama's, it was Clint Wescott's service station. And what a story that is! Read all about Clint, the man who lived under a bridge!

https://brooksidemuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/SCHC-bi-weekly-article-Rick-Reynolds-June-3-26-compressed.pdf

06/02/2026

Thanks to the Turnbull family for the donation of this bench near the creek and the old Hawkwood mansion in Anchor Diamond Park. The Turnbull family owned this land and house from about the 1870s to the 1890s.

05/18/2026

Thanks to WTEN's Courtney Ward, their Digital Content Producer, for this great article about Ballston's Forest Park Amusement Park. Details for signing up for my upcoming tour of Forest Park are in the article. Join us on June 2!

Residential homes currently dot the shores of Ballston Lake, but 100 years ago, it was the site of one of the first places to offer an escape for Capital Region city dwellers.

05/13/2026

The Burnt Hills Ballston Lake Rotary Club will be sponsoring a free walking tour of Forest Park on Tuesday, June 2nd at 5:00 PM led by Rick Reynolds, Town of Ballston Historian. In the early 1900's, amusement parks played a major role in people's lives and Ballston Lake was home to Forest Park Amusement Park. Rick Reynolds' tour of Forest Park will include experiencing the layout of the park as well as seeing some structures that still exist today. This is a walking tour (approximately 1 mile total, 1 ½ hours time) on mostly level ground and takes place in wooded areas some of the time. It is advisable to wear comfortable clothing, good walking shoes or sneakers, and protect against ticks. No bathroom facilities are available. For the tour, meet at 62 Westside Drive, Ballston Lake. Westside Drive is off Main Street in Ballston Lake, next to the now closed Carney's Tavern. Parking will be along Westside Drive and signs will be posted for your convenience. Please contact Susan Stec at [email protected] by May 26th for reservations.

05/01/2026

Have you picked up your copy yet? All the stories of the town of Ballston's role in our Revolution 250 years ago! Get your trifold brochure today- free- at one of the following places: Ballston Town Hall, Ballston Community Public Library, Fo'Castle Farm Country Store, Ballston Spa Village Hall, Ballston Spa Public Library, County Historian's Office in Ballston Spa, and they will be available next week at Brookside Museum in Ballston Spa.

04/24/2026

Thanks to the High School for planning and scheduling the annual Seniors Prom for our senior citizens to eat, talk, reminisce, and enjoy! Thanks to the 100 seniors and high school students who turned out for this event. Lots of fun and lots of good conversation! If you were not there, plan to attend next year!

04/20/2026

Old South Church at the Boston Marathon Finish Line. Yesterday was the blessing of the Athletes for all runners in the Marathon. This church, built in 1875, was the successor to one in which Sam Adams held meetings about the Boston Tea Party and which William Dawes (who rode with Paul Revere) attended. Beautiful church; beautiful service.

03/28/2026

Thanks to all the Scouts and their parents of the Charlton Heights Pack and Troop for helping me clean up Hillside Cemetery after this long winter! Cleaning gravestones, raking leaves- all fun- and then I told them some classic stories of people associated with the cemetery: the traitor Joe Bettys, the Gately family, and the Quivey family of Goode Street.

03/25/2026

March 6, 1951- the official beginning of the Burnt Hills Ballston Lake Rotary! 75 years ago! From a amazing number of community service projects in the 1950s to an amazing number of community projects today! A great success story. Thanks to Rotary for inviting me to be a part of your grand celebration last night!

03/06/2026

This coming Tuesday, March 10, at 6:30 at the Ballston Community Public Library on Lakehill Road, come see the documentary film, “What Was and What Is: The Communities of Burnt Hills and Ballston Lake and their School District, 1938-1940 and 2025." The scene below, taken directly from the film, is the corner of Lakehill Road and Kingsley Road in the late 1930s. Love those cars!