The confrontation at Saratoga was one of the earliest Civil War actions in Kentucky. On Oct. 26, 1861, 300 Union soldiers surprised 160 Confederate recruits stationed here, resulting in 7 Confederate deaths and 3 Union injuries. Lyon County saw clashes between Union and Confederate forces and Confederate-aligned guerrillas until the end of the Civil War. Saratoga Methodist Church was established in 1822 in a log structure and was later replaced in 1859 by a contemporary edifice. It is thought to be one of the oldest churches in Lyon County and the only one there to serve as the scene of a Civil War battle. The clapboard on the east side of the church has a bullet hole from the conflict.