The SAR and Saratoga Battlefield

Charles Ogden, early member of the Empire State Society Sons of the American Revolution.

Courtesy: Empire State Society Sons of the American Revolution, Rochester, NY.

How might individuals preserve memory?

That question challenged many people in early 20th-century New York and the U.S. Their focus and concern: Saratoga Battlefield.

Sparsely marked with 13 small monuments, through the Saratoga Monument Association’s late 19th-century work, the Battlefield remained private properties and a few public roads. Worse still, 1910s transportation development was damaging many historic sites, including Saratoga Battlefield. What to do?

The budding national conservation movement and rising expectations before the 150th anniversary of the Battles of Saratoga (1927) converged and pushed the question, but State and Federal government inaction stalled protective measures. Civic-minded individuals needed to act.

The Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), descendants of those who fought in the American War for Independence, responded with purpose and initiative.

In May 1923, Charles Ogden of the Rochester Chapter of the SAR, supported by the National SAR, created a committee to negotiate purchasing 2 farms on the site of the Battles of Saratoga. This became the Saratoga Battlefield Association (SBA), with Ogden heading its board.

Once the SBA purchased the Freeman and Sarle farms, Ogden started negotiations for the Neilson and Gannon farms. The combined purchases created momentum and gained support from other patriotic organizations (Daughters of the American Revolution), historical societies, civic organizations (Rotary), politicians (Mechanicville Mayor George Slingerland, NYS Assemblyman Burton Esmond), and businessmen (New York Times editor Adolph Ochs, newspaper publisher Frank Gannett).

Ogden’s and the SAR’s efforts and initiative broke a lengthy impasse. By 1926, New York State finally showed support for Saratoga Battlefield…just in time for the 150th anniversary of the Battles of Saratoga.

The SAR’s vision for preserving memory of the Battles of Saratoga witnessed another milestone in 1927: NYS formally accepted it from the SBA as a State historical site.

How might you preserve memory?