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Napa County marks 175th anniversary, highlights agricultural preserve and wine heritage
Summary
Napa County is marking its 175th anniversary with a county-produced video that traces the region’s history from its Indigenous inhabitants and early agriculture to the creation of the Napa Valley Agricultural Preserve and investments in flood and fire protection.
Napa County is marking its 175th anniversary in 2025, commemorating its founding on Feb. 18, 1850, in a special county-produced episode of Through the Vine, county Communications and Public Information Officer Linda Weinrich said.
The episode traces the county’s history from Indigenous inhabitants through the ranchos and early agriculture to the rise of the wine industry, and it highlights preservation efforts such as the Napa Valley Agricultural Preserve and more recent investments in flood and fire protection.
The program opens by noting the county’s founding date and early county institutions: "It was on February 18, 1850 when Napa officially became a county," Weinrich says, and the county retains bound minutes and portraits documenting its earliest supervisors. She told viewers the county has "taken the time to consider and respect our history," arguing that historical continuity informs current policy.
The video places the county’s European-settlement era in the mid-19th century, when the 1852 California census recorded roughly 1,000 residents and transportation was primarily horse-drawn and by schooner. Early agriculture included wheat, fruit and nut trees, and livestock; the program states milk sold for about 10 cents a quart and an annual subscription to the Napa County Reporter cost about $5.
Weinrich highlights key local founders and developments cited in the program: Nathan Coombs, who incorporated the city of Napa in 1847; George Yount, the namesake of Yountville; and John Patchett, credited with opening the first commercial winery in 1858. The episode also names the Wappo and Patwin peoples as the county’s earliest inhabitants and notes the Rancho-era land grants that reshaped ownership patterns in the mid-19th century.
The program recounts several watershed moments for Napa County: the creation of the Napa Valley Agricultural Preserve in 1968 to conserve farmland, the Judgment of Paris tasting in June 1976 that raised Napa Valley’s international profile, and modern infrastructure projects such as the Napa River flood-protection work that reconnected the river to its floodplain.
On recent hazards and recovery, the video notes that following the 2017 and 2020 wildfires the county has pursued fire-prevention work funded by a mix of federal, state and local sources that Weinrich described as "around $60,000,000." The episode also points to governance milestones, saying Virginia "Ginny" Sims was the first woman elected to the board of supervisors in 1972 and that the county has its first all-female board of supervisors in 2025.
Weinrich framed the anniversary as a moment to reflect on continuity and resilience: "We as a county have taken the time to consider and respect our history, and it shows a continuity of purpose and mission in supporting the community," she said. Later she added, "It's the first time we've ever had that in Napa County. And to me, I'm really proud of the residents of Napa County for having the foresight and the openness to elect female representatives." Those are direct quotes from the county-produced episode.
The county’s video also mentions historic structures and local place names still evident in the landscape, lists the cities that incorporated over time — Napa, Saint Helena, Yountville, Calistoga and the later incorporation of American Canyon in 1992 — and connects those developments to the county’s present-day focus on land preservation and hazard resilience.
The episode directs viewers to the county’s website for more information about the 175th anniversary and related materials; the video is identified as a county communications production and is presented by Linda Weinrich. The program serves as a county-curated overview of local history and recent policy priorities rather than a forum for new board action or formal government decisions.
Looking ahead, the county encouraged residents to view archival materials and anniversary content on the county website and on its social channels to learn more about local history and ongoing preservation efforts.
