From the Napa Chamber of Commerce, here's a recap of the history of Napa:

"The name 'Napa' is reportedly a word from the language of the Wappo Tribe of Native Americans who once shared the lush green valley with deer, grizzly bears, elk and panthers.  The first recorded exploration of Napa Valley, led by Padre Jose Altamira, was in 1823.  The population at the time was estimated between three and six thousand natives.

"In the 1830's, the Napa Valley became one of the first in California to be settled by American farmers.  When California was granted statehood in 1850, Napa Valley was in the territory of California, district of Sonoma.  In 1850, when counties were being organized, Napa became one of the original 27 counties of California, with "Napa City" as the county seat. By 1870, the white man had inhabited the Valley and the Native American who had once roamed freely were wiped out by smallpox and other diseases brought to them by the white man.

"In 1848, Napa City was laid out by Nathan Coombs on property he acquired from Nicholas Higurerra's Rancho Entre-Napa, and 1836 Mexican Land Grant.  But it was the gold rush of the early1850's that caused Napa City to grow.  After the first severe winter in the gold fields, miners sought warmer refuge in the young city where there was plenty of work on the cattle ranches and in the lumber industry.   Sawmills in the Valley were full of timber hauled by horse team to Napa City where it was then shipped out via the Napa River to Benicia and San Francisco.

"Napa is now known mostly for its premier wines.  In the beginning, white settlers planted vineyards with cuttings supplied by the Catholic priests from Sonoma and San Rafael.  In 1861, Riesling cuttings were introduced to the valley, and from these small beginnings, Napa Valley has become one of the world's premier winemaking regions.

"Noted author Robert Louis Stevenson drew the most eloquent word picture of the Valley at the close of the pioneer period.  After riding the train from Vallejo to Calistoga in 1880 on his honeymoon, he wrote this passage in 'The Silverado Squatters': "A great variety of oaks stood now severally, now in a becoming grove, among the fields and vineyards. The towns were compact, in about equal proportions of bright, new wooden houses ad great and rowing forest trees; and the chapel bell on the engine sounded most festally that sunny Sunday, with the townsfolk trooping in their Sunday's best to see the strangers, with the sun sparkling on the clean houses, and great domes of foliage humming overhead in the breeze."