Community History

Description printed in the Illustrated History of McDonald County, Missouri

Edited & Compiled by J. A. Sturges in 1897



In one of the abrupt hollows, or brakes, that make down from the level lands near the edge of Cow Skin Prairie, in Prairie township, is one of the finest springs of water in this famous country of springs. It flows boldly from the side of the bluff some thirty or forty feet above the bottom of the hill in a stream some three or four inches in diameter. At the top of the hill, some two hundred yards away, on a nice, level tract of land, part timber and part pairie was laid out the town of Saratoga Springs. The original town was surveyed in October, 1880, for Bullock, Wisdom & Cox. Bullock & Wisdom's first addition, Bullock & Whitney's second addition, and Colvin & Baker's addition were all laid out in November, 1881.

This was one of the Medical Springs towns and for a year or two promised to be a place of some importance. It had the prettiest location and most abumdant water supply of all the medical towns. Several good business houses and many neat dwellings were erected. A good school was maintained, and a newspaper flourished in its palmiest days. But the pride of her glory has long since departed; the bloom of her beauty faded slowly away, and there is now only a few families, a post office and a couple of small stores remaining of the once promising little city.

The Community's newspaper was the Saratoga Sentinel

September 28, 1883

The “Saratoga Sentinel”, the new paper at Saratoga, made its appearance on Thursday of last week.  It is edited and published by Sam T. Holden, and is gotten up in good style both editorially and mechanically.  We welcome Brother Holden to our county, and wish him success in his new field of labor.

The “Saratoga Sentinel” man thinks it a strange thing that he has not seen a Negro during his two or three weeks residence in the county.  We have not seen one that was a resident of the county during our two and a half years stay here.  We guess this section does not suit their health.

(Article found in the Pineville News - November 23, 1883)

Bro. Holden, of the Saratoga Sentinel, takes us severely to task, on account of our article in last weeks issue, descriptive of Southwest City and its businessmen, and accuses us of ingratitude toward the citizens of Saratoga; claiming that we got our start in the newspaper business at that place.  True, the editor of this sheet first engaged in that line at Saratoga, but on the part of the publisher, he was in the paper business and running a paper himself before Saratoga was ever dreamed of.  We filled our contract with the press company there to a letter, and left unable to pay our paper bill until we could make the money elsewhere to do so.  We owed no man aught but good will, and that we still maintain.  We left Saratoga because it did not pay to run a paper there, and pay the rental for the press that was asked.  The Sentinel man get b-a-d this week and goes for two of the businessmen of Saratoga for advertising in the News.  Such a Hold-on!  Who are the men of Saratoga that stood by the proprietors of the News and placed them in “their present comfortable position?”  Pray, du tell!

Pineville News - October 13, 1880

Saratoga is improving very rapidly.  There have been some fifteen or eighteen houses erected there already, and there are to be several others started this week.  The town company has finished surveying Saturday, and now have their town properly laid off.  We enjoyed the luxuries of a splendid dinner at the residence of Mr. Dave Bullock.  Mr. J.W. Shields, the first man to open up a store there, is doing a good business.  We have no doubt but that these springs are the equal to the Eureka.

Pineville News - November 3, 1880

Saratoga Springs is on ‘a big boom’.  Several new buildings commenced the past week, and quite a number of new visitors from different points.  Several families camped on the ground.  The contract was let Saturday last for a new school and church building be completed by the first day of January next.  Mr. N.H. Newland will take up a school here next Monday. 

The invalids here are all improving very fast, quite a number of them have given certificates as to the curative properties of the water, etc. which will be published next week. – J.M. Wisdom

Pineville News - December 1, 1880

Judge Bullock was up from Saratoga Springs last week.  He reports about 100 inhabitants, besides a large number visiting.  A good school is in operation.  Church edifice completed and two ministers permanently located there.  Improvements going ahead as rapid as lumber can be had.

Pineville News - January 19, 1881

Saratoga Springs now has a post office.

Pineville News - March 3, 1883

J.H. Young, of the neighborhood of Saratoga Springs, was in town, Tuesday.  He said he came up to have the deed to his hog ranch recorded.

Pineville News - May 3, 1883

Mr. Ed Shunky, of this place, has bought of Dr. Gather, of Southwest City, a parcel of land near that place, and we learn will put up a new bakery and candy factory in that city in the near future.

Pineville News - May 10, 1883

The people of our community observed the first day of May with a very pleasant May-day party at Saratoga.  The people met at the school house in the forenoon and formed a procession headed by the banner carriers, Misses Birdie Nichols and Eureka Mayfield, and marched around through town and took up a stand on the public square.  Then came first instrumental, then vocal music, then the crowning of the May Queen by the maids of honor; next an address by Rev. Ramsey, after which came the picnic dinner.  After dinner we were favored with short and appropriate addresses from Rev. Anderson, Dr. Preston, and A.W. White, interspersed by music.  Taken all in all, we had quite a pleasant and enjoyable day.

Our town has for some time been without a saloon, and we hope it may never be cursed with one again.  It is no argument in favor of saloons to say that if we don’t have one people will get whiskey other ways.  Let everyone turn away from that in his hands and this will sweep the curse of intemperance from the land.  Has the State of Missouri any right to license men to sell that which will madden the brain of man, and make it morally certain that they will commit crime, and then punish those men for committing the crime?  Is this not an inconsistency which will not stand the test of reason and common sense for a single moment?  When will men learn to reason with logic and common sense on this subject?  We hope the day of reason is dawning on our land.  Yours Truly, (Published in the Pineville News - May 7, 1883)

Pineville News - November 16, 1883

On his way home to Pineville from Southwest City, a News correspondent wrote:  “On our return home we called on the enterprising young merchant, J.W. Shields, of the beautiful and quiet little village of Saratoga.  Mr. Shields has recently returned from St. Louis with a large stock of general merchandise, and is offering great inducements to the people of that vicinity to trade with him.  Wes is a thorough going little fellow and makes things lively around him in the mercantile business.  He also believes in advertising in the paper that has the largest circulation.

We also give Isaac N. White a call.  He runs the Star meat market and furnishes the citizens of Saratoga with meats, vegetables and other provisions.  He is also in the real estate business and will attend to selling or renting of any property that may be placed in his hands for that purpose.