Letters to the Editor: 'Where the Trout Leap in Main Street' is Saratoga's Slogan

The last thing the town of Saratoga needs is to throw away its nearly century old slogan of “Where the Trout Leap in Main Street” and start all over again! Read on and I’ll tell you why.—Dick Perue

A news item in the March 4, 1927 issue of “The Wyoming Eagle” notes: “In an editorial, ‘The Saratoga Sun’ declares that the city now has a slogan, it being the title of a short story written about the city and its surrounding territory as a resort.” (Author's note--I selected this out-of-town article to show that the new 1927 motto drew statewide, as well as national attention—which it still true today!—DP)

The 1927 article continues, The Sun editor writes: “Many local business men believe that Saratoga has gained a very valuable advertising slogan through the recent article written for ‘Outdoor Life’ by Billy Oneal who was one of our summer visitors last season. Mr. Oneal’s article was entitled, ‘Where the Trout Leap in Main Street,’ which when we come to think of it, is an absolute fact, and a statement calculated to arrest the attention of any tourist or sportsman who aims or desires to spend a part or all of his vacation in reach of good fishing water.

“All former efforts to evolve a slogan for advertising purposes have failed to bring forth anything as good, and this wording is now being used by several merchants on all envelopes and other printed matter which they have occasion to send out, and it is expected will soon be in general use by practically all local people and given the widest possible circulation. It gives us very valuable publicity and the cost of using the slogan is very little, if anything.”

Throughout Saratoga’s 150 year history hundreds of articles have been written about the town and surrounding area, with most making note of the town’s catchy moniker.

History reveals that Saratoga’s first motto was “Where Fish Jump” and was used from the early 1880’s to about 1910. With Saratoga’s reputation spreading throughout the country, a 1910 story on our town in “The Outing Magazine” entitled, “The Greatest Trout Fishing Town in the World”, sparked our forefathers to spread that message to the world until 1927.

Saratoga’s current motto — “Where the Trout Leap in Main Street” — was borrowed from the title of a 1927 “Outdoor Life” magazine article on the area by writer Billy Oneal. Local lore has it that Oneal was inspired to write the phrase as he was sitting on the riverside porch of what is now the Sierra Madre Trout Club at the corner of Main & River streets observing the aerial antics of Upper North Platte River trout as they jumped from the water flowing over “Main Street” which extended out into the river.

Even in this age of unrelenting hype, the slogan still seems perfectly appropriate and the last thing most residents want to see is it changed!

If you don’t think it’s unique just call our motto up on the internet and every time it will pop-up Saratoga’s slogan many times. I have yet to see any other town in the whole world bragging: “Saratoga, Wyoming, Where the Trout Leap in Main Street!”

The only benefit I see from the slogan change is to my son Alan Williams at Perue Printing when he get paid to re-print the thousands of brochures, booklets, letterheads, envelopes, business cards, etc., etc. with a new, unneeded and unwanted motto called a “brand” at a high and unnecessary expense of every citizen.

Be sure to get your Sun next week as we offer suggestions for things we want the committee, busy bodies, or whoever to do instead of working to change tradition.

Signed,

Dick Perue

Saratoga, WY

*Editor’s Note: This letter has been edited for clarity*