Old Red Spring Springwatercolor

Old Red Spring is one of the oldest springs of the chain of springs in Saratoga Springs. In 1784 a bath house was erected at this site, making it the first bath house in America.

The water has been known for centuries to cure skin ailments. Along with curing skin ailments, it has these other redeeming qualities, it cures- gout, heartburn, kidney difficulties, inflamed eyes and/or mucous membranes, it revitalizes blood circulation, and stimulates appetite. There was such a demand for the water at one point, there was a bottling plant built on the property. I found a bottle on Ebay for sale, from back before it was just a young "Red" greenhorn, and not so "Old" I guess....

Anyway, I heard the mineral content is not the same as it used to be, here's an old breakdown of the old recipe...

 I have read that about 200 years ago, the old Sadler Cemetery used to be up the hill from the Old Red Spring, (now the Roohan's property) until they dug up the graves and moved them to Greenridge Cemetery, that must have produced some nice runoff. 

  Also, back in the early 90's I was in high school or whatever, and we had a class called PIG (Precipitation In Government or something) and we had to go to City Council meetings. NiMo had spent our bill money on polluting our local area, including where we get our drinking water. They are still cleaning it up to this day, and high school was forever ago!!! I remember sitting in on this one, and thinking, I ain't drinking that one past High Rock, on that goofy 3 way corner!

  

 Coupled with that random brick public works utility looking building that emits sewage smell, Starks and Bardino's, it's hard to believe that Old Red stuff is good to ingest. 

  

  I went to see if there is any mineral deposit, or if it's just tap water like some of our other springs seem to be, and lo and behold, it is actual mineral water folks! 

So, I used the mineral deposit for my painting, along with the Old Red Springwater, I hope you like it! 

Check out my other blog posts, under archive, right hand column, and go to my art show opening Sunday May 1st at Putnam Den, 4:30 pm-6 pm!!!!