Napa

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About the time Napa was founded, the California Gold Rush (1849) was also just beginning, making Napa an ideal place for the 49ers to find food, shelter, libation (at that time, just beer and hard liquor), and entertainment (let your fantasies go wild). During the winter months when it was too cold in the mountains to dig for the precious metal, miners flooded into the city.

In the 1870s, silver was discovered near Mount Saint Helena, causing the next wave of settlers to come to Napa. References to this time period are still part of the valley: think of Silverado Trail, which runs parallel to Highway 29 between Napa and Calistoga.

As you walk around the Historic Napa Mill, you can see the Napa River that used to connect Napa with San Francisco via steamships. Most of the old industry along the river (mills, shipyards, warehouses) has disappeared, but a new wave of development is taking place.