Saratoga – Pacific Congress Springs CA 1876

Restored view of Pacific Congress Springs spa and hotel in Saratoga, California, 1876, published by Thompson & West.

In the 1850s Jud Caldwell discovered springs, which were called Pacific Congress Springs because the water had a mineral content similar to Congress Springs, in Saratoga Springs, New York. In 1865, the town received its final name, Saratoga. At the same time a resort hotel called Congress Hall was constructed at the springs, named after the famous resort Congress Hall at Saratoga Springs, New York. California’s Congress Hall attracted tourists to the area until it burned down in 1903.