For 10 minutes or so in the 1803, Ballston Spa, NY, was home to the Sans Souci, then America’s largest, swankiest hotel. Presidents, governors, senators and celebrities all stayed there for $8 a night, attracted by the mineral water, which, it was thought, had the power to heal. A couple of things, however, doomed the town’s future as a posh resort. One was the rise of factories, drawn by the Kayderosseras Creek. Early 19th Century A-Listers didn’t fancy looking at grimy mills while on vacation and they certainly weren’t going to mingle with the sweaty working class. The other nail in B Spa’s economic coffin was a totally blockhead business decision by the guy who owned the hotel, Nicholas Low.
© 2024 John Oliver
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