Visitors’ Guide: Saratoga and the Santa Cruz Mountains
History of Saratoga
Maclay’s Bank Mills and Tollgate(courtesy of Saratoga History Museum)
Martin McCarty leased the mill in 1850 and was responsible for building its success and a local toll road. Other businesses followed, including Charles Maclay’s Bank Mills (grain and leather goods), the Saratoga Paper Mill, and a furniture factory.
The town was known by a handful of short-lived names before residents drew a comparison between the minerals in a local spring and the one in Saratoga Springs, New York. The name became official in 1865. Saratoga saw its first tourist attraction a few years later with the opening of the Pacific Congress Springs Hotel near the site.
The local economy evolved quickly with the development of fruit orchards and vineyards in the wake of the lumber boom. Legendary vintner Paul Masson acquired land in Saratoga in 1896 and founded La Cresta Vineyards in 1905 (now Mountain Winery) with the planting of vine cuttings from France.
Pacific Congress Springs Hotel(courtesy of Saratoga History Museum)
With the arrival of railroads and automobiles, Saratoga became a commuter town of Santa Clara Valley as the demand for housing outweighed the need for farms. Villa Montalvo was built in 1912 for US Senator James Phelan, and that landmark is now one of Saratoga’s cultural centers. The dominance of housing increased significantly after World War II, securing Saratoga’s identity as a residential community.
Saratoga took a giant leap in 1956 when it became an incorporated city, but its inviting blend of chic cultural activities and country living remains unchanged.
