Saratoga Stereopticon
History of a city through the life of a resident
By Willys Peck
If there is anything that makes me feel old, it's learning that someone of my acquaintance is turning, or would have turned, 100, an age I have no intention of attaining. That's the situation with Charles Herbert Smith, who died 26 years ago at a young 74. He would have passed the century mark Aug. 1.
His family history, intertwined with that of Saratoga, is worth repeating in part because, to quote an old saw, how can we tell where we're going if we don't know where we've been?
Charles, or Herbert as he was known during most of his life, was born in Saratoga, as was his sister, Elsie. He graduated from Stanford University with bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering and, after a two-year teaching stint there, went to work for the C.F. Braun Co., manufacturers of oil-refining apparatus, where he ultimately was promoted to senior management positions in sales and engineering.
On taking early retirement in 1960, he returned to his native town--by then the city of Saratoga--where he made his presence felt. He served eight years on the Saratoga Planning Commission; was on the board of the Good Government Group; and was a member of the Saratoga Men's Club, IOOF Lodge No. 428 of Saratoga; a member of the Saratoga Lions Club; and was chairman of the Saratoga Federated Church board of trustees.
He was the son of Thomas E. Smith, whose grandfather came to Saratoga in 1878, some 22 years after immigrating to the United States from England. On coming here, the grandfather purchased 56.68 acres along what is now Saratoga Avenue for (are you sitting down?) $3,000 in gold. It was on this property that subsequent generations settled and built their homes.
One was John Ellsworth Smith, who, in 1916, built the home known as Rawdon Dell, named for the family's ancestral town in England and now occupied by a granddaughter. Besides Thomas, John Ellsworth Smith had two other sons, Fred, who maintained an orchard on a portion of the original property, and Harry, who became a lawyer. Both Thomas and Harry had the middle name of Ellsworth.
Thomas went to work for Samuel H. Cloud, who operated a general store at Third Street and Big Basin Way, then Lumber Street. The building is now occupied by the Harmonie European Day Spa. Around 1895, he built the adjoining residence that is now the Bella Saratoga restaurant. Thomas married the boss's daughter, Laura Cloud, and the couple's two children, Charles and Elsie, were born in that house.
The second floor of the store building, now apartments, was a large meeting hall, used by the Odd Fellows and Rebekah lodges.
In back of the store, Cloud had built a large barn to store hay and grain as part of his merchandising operation. In more recent years, the building housed, at various times, the Saratoga Fixit Shop, an ornamental-iron works, and a printing plant for the Saratoga News. It has also been proposed for refurbishing as a theater.
In Sam Cloud's day, a spur track from the Penninsular Railway interurban line ran up the stub end of Third Street so heavy loads could be brought to the barn. It ran from a switch on Big Basin Way, from the line that continued on up to Congress Springs.
In April 1907, Sam Cloud was getting off a Penninsular car in front of his house when, on starting up again, the car jumped the switch. It struck Cloud, injuring him fatally, and he was brought into his house, where he died. In later years, Charles Smith spoke expressively of the trauma he experienced as a small child because of this.
There is a rather persistent legend that the old Cloud-Smith house, now the restaurant, is haunted. I have never spoken with anyone who has seen or heard any spectral phenomena, but I've heard the stories. I'm sure if he were around today, Charles would have some salty comments on the subject.
Speaking of ghosts, I think I can claim an authentic ghost writer, who sent the following to be used under my name:
"Offering little relief from my laments at the passing of the Valley of (orchard) delights, and commenting on the Newspeak of the prune marketing revisionists, my neighbor, Gene Tart, while awaiting award of the Black Belt in Haiku, sends this:
"Noble, wrinkly prune,
Sad to hear you have become
Humble, dried-out plum."
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Saratoga, California Since 1955
