Dr. John Clarke
Civic Leader, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, Developer of Congress Park
John Clarke, known later by the courtesy title of “Doctor,” was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1773. Although it is not known when he first came to America, he was in New York City by 1819, when he opened the first soda fountain there. Four years later he was in Saratoga Springs, buying the Congress Spring and its surrounding marsh from the successors to Gideon Putnam’s lease. He laid out the park, drained the swampy land and built houses. By 1825, John took over the simple bottling operation at the spring and built a huge structure that could fill and cork 1,200 bottles of spring water a day.
John’s real contribution lay in his ability to promote the carbonated spring water and the place of its origin. He exported it abroad and saw that it was supplied to the best hotels, trains and ocean-going vessels. But he never sold Saratoga’s most famous product to rival resort towns like Newport, R.I., a policy that created a growing demand for people to come and taste the real thing at its source.
John Clarke enjoyed life in Saratoga Springs, living like an English squire, vitally involved in the economic and civic growth of the young village. A frequent attendee of auctions, he gathered a large collection of useful objects that were often supplied to those in need.
He died in 1846, age 73, leaving Saratoga Springs well positioned to become a renowned summer health resort. He is buried in Greenridge Cemetery.