August 15, 2026
By Simon J. Lau
Field Notes
Jean and I visited Calistoga, another small town in Napa’s upper valley. It’s known for its natural hot springs and mineral water, which have drawn visitors to the area since the 19th century.
Samuel Brannan was the founder of modern Calistoga. A prominent businessman who made a fortune during the Gold Rush and became California’s first millionaire, Brannan began acquiring land around the area’s natural hot springs in 1859, eventually amassing more than 2,000 acres.
He laid out the town and developed a sprawling hot-springs resort, hoping to create a western version of Saratoga Springs, New York. The name Calistoga combined California and Saratoga, reflecting Brannan’s vision for the new town. Despite his early success, Brannan eventually lost much of his fortune, in part through a costly divorce, and died in relative obscurity in 1889.
To bring visitors to the town and his new resort, Brannan backed the Napa Valley Railroad, investing his own money and persuading other local businessmen to support it. The railroad reached Calistoga in 1868, with a depot built at the end of the line. It made the town much easier to reach from San Francisco and helped establish Calistoga as the transportation center of the upper valley. The railroad eventually became part of the Southern Pacific system.
The town’s main street is Lincoln Avenue. As automobiles became more common in the early 20th century, they gradually displaced the railroad as the primary way of reaching Calistoga. Southern Pacific ended passenger service to the town in 1929, although freight trains continued to serve Calistoga for another 40 years.
Calistoga also developed the civic institutions of a more established town. The Calistoga Library is one example. Local women organized a public library in 1902, initially renting a room on Lincoln Avenue for $3 a month. After years of fundraising by the local Civic Club, a permanent library building was completed in 1924. More than a century later, the same building still serves as Calistoga’s public library.
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