Alexander Bryan
Saratoga Springs’ First Permanent Settler
Alexander Bryan was Saratoga Springs’ first pioneer settler and a hero of the Revolutionary War. Born in 1733, Alexander operated his first inn 2 miles north of Waterford in present-day Saratoga County. He was a patriot, but the area had many settlers who remained loyal to the crown. It is said that during the war his inn was frequently visited by both Patriot and Loyalist troops. Bryan is credited with gaining vital information from the British, warning the Americans of the British plan of attack, helping to secure victory at the Battles of Saratoga.
The story of Alexander Bryan in Saratoga Springs begins a few years before the war, however. In 1773 Dirck Schoughten built a cabin at High Rock Spring and was followed in this by a number of short-term residents. Finally in 1787, the inn’s owner Gilbert Morgan sold the property to Bryan. Alexander was the first settler to successfully exploit the natural spring waters, serving as a model for future entrepreneurs such as Gideon Putnam.
Alexander Bryan epitomized perseverance, patriotism and daring, as well as becoming one of the Spa City’s first pioneering businessmen.