Were there other saints in Shirdi before Sai Baba returned with Chand Patil's wedding party?

Yes, the text indicates that Shirdi was already home to other holy figures before Sai Baba's well-known return. Chapter 5 of the Shri Sai Satcharitra explicitly states that prior to Baba being found in the Muslim wedding party, a saint named Devidas had already established his home in Shirdi. Furthermore, it mentions that another saint, Janakidas Gosavi, also came to live in Shirdi at a later time. This context suggests that Shirdi had a spiritual atmosphere even before Baba made it his permanent abode.