Celebrate 175 Years of Napa

By: Ethan Wescoatt

While 2022 presented its share of challenges, Napans had a particular reason to celebrate this year’s passing: the 175th anniversary of the city’s founding.

The City of Napa—then called the Town of Napa—was founded in 1847 by young pioneer Nathan Coombs. Originally from Massachusetts, he crossed the country and arrived in California when he was seventeen years old. He married his wife, Maria Isabel Gordon in 1845 and the pair moved to Napa Valley, purchasing a plot of land east of the Napa River from local rancher Juarez Cayetano. He participated in the Bear Flag Revolt of 1846, and in the following year he purchased over 400 acres of land, 80 of which he designed to become the City of Napa.

175 years later, those 80 acres have become one of the world’s premier travel destinations. This past year, several events were held in celebration of the city’s founding. WineD kicked off the year in March with a weekend-long tasting room crawl. 20 participating locations including neighborhood favorites including JaM Cellars, Napa General Store, and Vintner's Collective, opened their doors for those with the “WINED 175” passport to offerings from a glass and a bite to a library wine pour.

In June, the Downtown Napa Association organized “The Table,” an evening that began with hors d'oeuvres  at the Archer Hotel’s Sky & Vine Rooftop Bar, a VIP reception at Mia Carta Tasting Room Collective, then dinner at a 300-person long table down First Street, and finally a smattering of post-dinner bites and nightcaps across several locations. 

Rounding out the summer was the free-to-the-public “Saturday in the Park” held at Oxbow Commons, calling families and friends to join in food, music, dancing, and old-school games including three-legged races, apple bobbing, and hula-hoop contests.

And while the auspicious year may have passed, the celebrations of good food, good drink, and good company continue on.