Tuesday, September 1, 2026

Question: California’s first millionaire built a hot-springs resort at the head of Napa Valley and, as legend has it, fumbled his own toast, accidentally naming the town we call Calistoga. What had he meant to say?

Answer: “The Saratoga of California.” Founder Sam Brannan meant to bill his new resort as the Saratoga of California, a nod to the famous spa town in New York. But as the story goes, it came out “the Calistoga of Sarafornia,” and the mangled name stuck.