Amy Shannon is a legend keeper, storyteller, and historian whose roots run deep in upstate New York. A lifelong resident of the Capital Region—Albany, Schenectady, and Saratoga Counties—Amy calls the Ballston Spa/Malta area her true hometown, a place where she’s planted her heart and built a life of meaning.
Research is done by utilizing all tools that are available, through libraries, online and in person, discussions with other local historians, and archived and out of print books, newspapers and obituaries.
Reading someone's obituary tells a story about their life, their families lives, and shows someone loved them. Amy is also a credible contributor and resource for the website findagrave.com.
Amy Shannon talks about Balls-Town and the inspiration for the book, and reads an excerpt
You can purchase an autographed copy of Balls-Town and/or The Forsaken on eBay at https://www.ebay.com/usr/niftynexts
Ballston Spa is currently the border of two towns, the town of Ballston and the town of Milton. It is an area within Saratoga County, in upstate NY. Ballston Spa has its village, and outskirts that outline Ballston and borders Saratoga Springs.
It used to be distinguished by being called Ballston Centre. Before its incorporation in 1807, Ballston Spa was referred to as Ballston, (shortened from Ball’s Town), Ballston Springs, Bath, Springs, never really called Ballston Spa. Ballston Spa has its village, but its town and history have so many stories on how it got started, and when people realized how special this area is and was. Small hamlets or towns may have been forgotten, or the only thing that remains is a simple sign, such as Factory Village. Other hamlets are now just street names, such as the East Line hamlet. Bloodville and Craneville is long gone, and today, many would be surprised to know the infamy of the Old Iron Springs, and its healing mineral waters. Those waters still run, but not as vast as they did, and some forgot about them, and head north to Saratoga Springs, where they can enjoy, if they have a taste for it, the mineral water that pours from various fountains and salt banks.
With such lush and savage history, the Towns of Milton and Ballston were one, Balls-Town. The settlers, pioneers may still be recognized for the start of the towns, but there is more to the story. People, not just prominent, and the writings of people, long past, where their work may be long forgotten. It is a shame that some are forgotten, so with this being a history of Balls-Town, the incorporation of the Village of Ballston Spa, it is also an homage to those who wrote about these precious lands of the towns. Some stories, poems, historical writings about these hometowns, may have been once lost, but in this book, some of them are being revived.
I'm Amy Shannon, and this is my hometown, and its community of history, lingering spirits, and neighbors.
To share the history of our county, our town, and the people, especially those that no one has ever heard about, but are the reason why we are here.
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Kindness is not weakness.
It’s the strength to listen when others turn away.
It’s the courage to speak gently in a loud world.
It’s the choice to see worth in every soul—especially our own.
I created this campaign because I’ve been dismissed.
But kindness refuses to be silent.
Join me. Wear it. Share it. Live it.
Be kind. Always.