What do you think?
Rate this book
Haunted Saratoga County
Saratoga County, NY may be the most haunted of American counties. Desperation, first between Indian tribes, then between Indians and Europeans and finally between Gen. Burgoyne's British army and the rebelling Americans caused blood to flow for centuries. This era was followed by an influx of health seekers, desperate to regain their health at the developing mineral water springs, and on their heels came the gambling joint operators, promoters of thoroughbred horse racing, and wide open casino gambling. Fortunes were won and lost at the stumble of a horse or turn of a card. Next came Prohibition, with its gangland characters, women of easy virtue and opportunists of all stripes. Outside of the resort area lives were lost to tragedy and farm and industrial accidents. Many of those souls still haven't left Saratoga County. Following on the heels of Saratoga County Ghosts, author David J. Pitkin has compiled over 120 intriguing stories.
318 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 23, 2017
A decent 3.5 stars.
This satisfies requirements in two different reading challenges ('takes place in your hometown' & 'micropress book') and it was an enjoyable afternoon read to boot. It's rare that I find anything that takes place in the Saratoga County I am familiar with. Usually, I'm relegated with its historical importance in the American Revolution, i.e. the decisive Battle of Saratoga at Bemis Heights.
I have a very ambiguous opinion regarding the nature of ghosts; I believe that perhaps they may exist, but I have never once experienced it (them?). In several cases, I have been to the locations in Pitkin mentions (sometimes more than once) and have never experienced anything supernatural! Still, anything is possible.
Pitkin is very earnest in his attempt to portray the ghost stories as both history and a probable cause of mysterious happenings, wrapping it around local beliefs and rumors. It was fun, but unlikely to win awards for breathtaking prose.
This satisfies requirements in two different reading challenges ('takes place in your hometown' & 'micropress book') and it was an enjoyable afternoon read to boot. It's rare that I find anything that takes place in the Saratoga County I am familiar with. Usually, I'm relegated with its historical importance in the American Revolution, i.e. the decisive Battle of Saratoga at Bemis Heights.
I have a very ambiguous opinion regarding the nature of ghosts; I believe that perhaps they may exist, but I have never once experienced it (them?). In several cases, I have been to the locations in Pitkin mentions (sometimes more than once) and have never experienced anything supernatural! Still, anything is possible.
Pitkin is very earnest in his attempt to portray the ghost stories as both history and a probable cause of mysterious happenings, wrapping it around local beliefs and rumors. It was fun, but unlikely to win awards for breathtaking prose.
January 6, 2026
Rounded from 2.75
This book wasn't great but it wasn't terrible. Organized by towns, this book is a collection of local ghost stories/histories of "important" houses in the areas along with speculations on possible hauntings. Very few of the stories actually caught my interest, I had been hoping that this book would inspire some questions about my local area but nothing really jumped out. The writing also feels quite dated despite being published in 2005.
This book wasn't great but it wasn't terrible. Organized by towns, this book is a collection of local ghost stories/histories of "important" houses in the areas along with speculations on possible hauntings. Very few of the stories actually caught my interest, I had been hoping that this book would inspire some questions about my local area but nothing really jumped out. The writing also feels quite dated despite being published in 2005.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews