Santa
Clara County
Biographies
LEWIS
ALVIN SAGE
LEWIS ALVIN SAGE. The tract of land upon which Congress Springs
is located has been the property of Lewis Alvin Sage since the spring of
1872. That it fulfilled its mission as a
summer resort and ideal home, delighting its many votaries of pleasure, and
through the medium of waters unequaled for their efficacy, restored the boon of
health to hundreds, is due solely to the energy and resourcefulness of this
prominent promoter and business man of Saratoga. Mr. Sage became identified with the
springs in 1871, and a year sufficed to convince him that the location was all
that could be desired, that the restorative qualities of the waters were
unquestioned, and that the seven hundred and twenty acres comprising the
property offered facilities both for general farming and the laying out of
beautiful pleasure grounds. After
erecting the large hotel for the accommodation of guests, he managed the same
with gratifying success until 1895, and then leased the land and hotel to
proprietors who desired its use for ten years.
The large hostelry, which had witnessed so many social events, and
uninterruptedly sheltered summer tourists for so many years, was burned to the
ground June 15, 1903, and as yet no definite plans have been made for its
reconstruction. In the meantime, since
giving up the hotel, Mr. Sage has lived retired, and in spite of the loss
entailed by the fire, still remains one of the financially strong and prominent
men of the community.
The early settling of the life of Mr.
Sage was in New York City, where he was born June 17, 1848. At the time his father, Lewis P. Sage,
was engaged in a wholesale grocery business, in which he acquired that general
knowledge of commercial affairs so profitably employed on the coast of California. He came to this state with other Argonauts by
way of Panama in 1849, and had a brief experience in the mines at Parks Bar,
Feather river.
Afterward he gathered many interests under his sagacious business wing,
and for years was identified with a large warehouse business. He was an energetic promoter of Republican
issues, held many offices of importance, and aside from serving a term as
public administrator, was a member of the now historical vigilance committee. He was a well educated, well informed man,
and inherited traits and refinements from early New England ancestors located
for years in the state of Connecticut.
He was born in Hartford, Conn., was educated in the public schools of
that conservative town, where his father, Alvin, was for many years
superintendent of the Asylum for the Deaf.
Mr. Sage relinquished active business in San Francisco in 1890,
took up his abode with his son at Congress Springs, and died there in 1896, at
the age of seventy-four years. His wife,
formerly Sarah Edith Ball, is still living at No. 226 North Market street,
San Jose. She was born in London,
England, as was also her mother, Mary (Faulkner) Ball, who was for years
connected with the St. Charles and Oriental hotel of San Francisco, and
who is now deceased.
The former proprietor of the Congress
Springs started out in life with a liberal education, acquired in the public
schools of California, through private instructors, and a course at Santa Clara
College, from which he graduated in the class of 1867, with the degree of
Bachelor of Science. After engaging in
assaying for a time he spent four months in Nevada in order to regain his
health, and upon returning to San Francisco turned his attention to street
contracting for a couple of years. In
1870 he became identified with the Ransom Patent Stone Company, of which he
later became secretary, and which manufactured artificial stone from the Ransom
patent. The company put in the tiling of the state capitol, and repaired the stonework of
many banks in different parts of the state.
Severing his relations with this company, Mr. Sage came to Congress
Springs, the improvement and management of which occupied twenty-four years of
his life.
April 13, 1873, Mr. Sage was united
in marriage with Mary Cloelia Lewis, a native of
Charleston, S.C., and of which union three sons have been born: John Alvin, deceased; Fred Lewis, and Philip
Faulkner. Like his honored father,
Mr. Sage is a stanch adherent of Republicanism, and has creditably served
the community as school director, justice of the peace, and road supervisor,
and as chairman of the county central committee for eight years. His fraternal relations are with the Los
Gatos Blue Lodge, No. 294, F. & A. M., and San Jose Lodge, No.522, B. P. O.
E., of which latter he is a charter member.
With his family he is a member of the Episcopal church. In his public and private capacities
Mr. Sage has won the respect and good will of his associates, and many
years of activity for the public good have established his name among the highminded and successful men of Santa Clara county.
Transcribed by Donna Toole.
ญญญญSource: History
of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Pages 389-390. The Chapman
Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
ฉ 2015 Donna Toole.