Were there other saints in Shirdi before Sai Baba's return with Chand Patil?

Yes, the Shri Sai Satcharitra confirms the presence of other holy figures in Shirdi before Baba's return. The prologue to Chapter 5 explicitly states that prior to Baba's arrival with Chand Patil's wedding party, other saints had already made Shirdi their home. Specifically, the text mentions that Devidas had already established himself in Shirdi, and that another saint, Janakidas Gosavi, also came to live there. This information, provided in Chapter 5, gives context to the spiritual atmosphere of Shirdi even before Baba made it his permanent dwelling.