CITY OF NAPA PROCLAMATION
Recognizing the Anniversary of the City of Napa’s Incorporation August 16, 2022
WHEREAS, The Napa Valley area was home to the native indigenous Wappo tribes who thrived on the land and were famed as basket makers and hunter-gatherers; and WHEREAS, One of the Wappo groups, the Mey’ahkmah resided in the southern tidal areas of Napa, known as the “Water Going Out Place”, and lived in small villages above the flood plains; and WHEREAS, Following Spanish exploration of the area, in 1823 Nicolas Higuera was granted Rancho Entré Napa, a Mexican land grant that encompassed what is now downtown and South Napa. Higuera raised cattle herds and horses; and WHEREAS, In 1847, Nathan Coombs received land from Higuera as payment for carpentry work that he completed and laid out the initial streets from Brown Street on the west to the Napa River on the east, and from the Napa Creek on the north to the foot of Main Street on the south; and WHEREAS, Coombs positioned the town at the northerly terminus of the navigable portion of the Napa River and the settlement became an important freight and trading post; and WHEREAS, On March 23, 1872, the settlement was first incorporated as the town of Napa and two years later reincorporated as the City of Napa; and WHEREAS, Although its history includes hostility, intolerance and discrimination, Napa was a multicultural city from the beginning. In addition to indigenous peoples, and Californios of Spanish descent, Napa was home to Chinese immigrants who came to the region to build the railroads and work in the vineyards. They established a “Chinatown” which was home to almost 2,000 residents; and WHEREAS, Napa’s growth and importance in the region continued to expand, and Napa became well known for tanneries, including the Sawyer Tannery which was established in 1869, later becoming the largest tannery west of the Mississippi and which set the stage for Napa to continue serving as an industrial center, home to the Basalt Rock Company founded in the 1920s and Kaiser Steel in the 1940s, as well as becoming the home for many workers commuting to Mare Island; and WHEREAS, Napa was the home of multiple inventions in the first half of the 20th century. In 1915, Peter Jensen and Edwin Pridham blasted music and their own voices over the first loudspeaker. Just as important to Napans, the Italian Dish Malfatti was first introduced around 1930 at the Depot Restaurant and remains a local favorite; and WHEREAS, City of Napa public servants and elected officials have often demonstrated a forward-thinking approach to infrastructure and municipal services early on, dedicating land for public parks and recreation, purchasing the private Municipal Waterworks Company to ensure public control in 1923, and executing large infrastructure projects such as the County’s Flood Project; and WHEREAS, Napans have always shown perseverance and resiliency and in the recent decades have had to manage through floods, earthquakes, and wildfires – each time resulting in a more dedicated and prepared community; and WHEREAS, The City of Napa has transformed from an agricultural and industrial-based City to one that supports the world-famous wine growing region throughout the Napa Valley with over 3.85 million visitors annually to the Valley; and WHEREAS, The City of Napa is internationally renowned for its food, wine and hospitality, hosting events for visitors and locals alike, including the Napa Lighted Art Festival, BottleRock Music Festival, the annual 4th of July Celebration, and others; and WHEREAS, The City of Napa today serves a population of just under 80,000, is the seat of Napa County, and employs over 500 staff dedicated to providing a full complement of municipal services, including police, fire, utilities, public works, and parks and recreation; and WHEREAS, Celebrations of the 150th anniversary of our city’s incorporation and the 175th anniversary of our founding, remind us of the deep pride Napans feel in our home – the generations of families who have shaped the community, its beautiful landscape and weather, the caring and welcoming community, and the dedication of our public servants and elected officials in looking forward to the City’s future.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that I, Scott Sedgley, Mayor of the City of Napa, along with the City Council, do hereby recognize the 150th anniversary of the incorporation of the City of Napa and call upon the people of Napa to observe our sesquicentennial with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and celebrations.
Dated: August 16, 2022
SCOTT SEDGLEY, MAYOR
CITY OF NAPA
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