Town of Ballston – In 1905, the Ballston Lake Depot of the Delaware and Hudson Railroad was located on Main Street in the Village of Ballston Lake. Aside from a waiting room and ticket booth, there was a telegraph office. Mail was delivered by train three times a week. Pictured here, from left to right, are station agents, Hugh Davis, William Markham and mail carriers, Walter Osborne and Henry Merchant. The McKain Feed and Grain Store is pictured on the far right.
Town of Ballston – In 1906, the 5th Regiment of the United States Infantry encamped on the fields of Burnt Hills, behind what is now the Homestead Restaurant. The soldiers were marching south from Plattsburgh. They were under the command of Colonel Cowles. Local folks visited the encampment with delight and curiosity.
Town of Ballston – Shenandahora meaning “near the beautiful water,” was the name of the hotel on the left. It was located in the Village of Ballston Lake and was run by William Egan, Sr. In 1936, the hotel was converted to a tavern by Tom & Catherine McDonough and it is now Carney’s Restaurant. Many travelers took the train to this site. The Schenectady to Saratoga Railroad was the second in the United States. The tree-lined dirt road is pictured going south towards Clifton Park.
Town of Ballston – At the intersection of Kingsley and Lakehill Roads, there was a town flagpole, pictured on the left. The village well was at the base of the flagpole, and many tourists stopped to get water for their automobiles. The car is a 1913 Buick with the top folded down. The people are standing on Johnson’s store porch. This general store dates to the late 1700’s, as does the Kingsley Inn on the right. The Inn was a major stop on the Schenectady to Saratoga Stage Coach Route.
Town of Ballston – J. B. White established White’s Beach in 1932 on the northwest bank of Ballston Lake. White sand was hauled in for the beautiful beach. There were baseball diamonds, clambake sheds, pony rides and a boat shaped snack shop. It was a popular spot for school picnics.
Town of Ballston – In the early 1900s, people were still fascinated with “Indian Rock,” which is located on the east side of Ballston Lake. A diary was found in a closet of a house nearby, one that was built in 1772. The diary contains an account of a Mohawk Indian capture and torture of two grown sons and a daughter from a founding family of Ballston. The Indians tied their captives to this rock with rawhide straps. They scalped the girl and left her for dead. Her brothers escaped and sought revenge on the Mohawks. The red stains on the rock are said to be war paint. Edward Leahey stands in front of “Indian Rock” in the photograph, which was taken c. 1925.

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