Napa

Geography and environment

According to the Office of the census of the United States, the city extends on 46,1 km ² (17,8 semi ²), including 45,8 km ² (17,7 semi ²) of dry land and 0,2 km ² (0,1 semi ²) are water 0,51%. Napa To rivet cross-piece the city to go to throw itself in bay of Suisin. The city set up several programmes of installation of the banks Napa River, including operations of reinforcement carried out by the Corps of the engineers of the army of the United States. A project of fight against the risings Napa River is in hand since end of the year 90, in order to limit the risks of flood of the center town.

History

The name of Napa probably comes from that of an Indian small village formerly located at the south from the city, village whose inhabitants divided the surroundings with dashes, hinds and grizzlis during centuries. During the first official exploration of the valley in 1823, there was only one Indian hundred. The father Jose Altimura, founder of the mission of Sonoma, carried out forwarding. The place remained under Spanish and Mexican control until the revolution which led to the creation of the Republic of California, the valley becoming thus one of the first places in California where American farmers settled (in 1830).

When the California accepted the statute of state, the valley of Napa was then on this Californian territory, in the district of Sonoma. In 1850 at the time of the installation of the counties, Napa then became one of the first of California, and in 1851 the first law courts were set up. About 1870, the majority of the Indians living the valley died of the variola and other diseases brought by the colonists. The little which remained was finally taken along in the Valley of Alexander, where some-a of their descendant reside still now, in federal funds.

The limits of the town of Napa were officially established in 1848 by Nathan Coombs on the property which it had received from Nicolas Higuerra, original owner of the Spanish concession. The first trade opened in this new city in 1849.

It was the Gold rush in second half of the 19th century which gave full sound rise to Napa. After hard winters in the gold mines, the minors found refuge in this city far from snows, of the floods and the diseases. A camp was set up along the street the main thing. There was a multitude of employment to provide for disillusioned minors. Much cattle coming from the ranches needed to be kept, and the industry of wood was in full growth. The sawmills in the valley were in load of the wood brought in the city, then dispatched it by inland waterway towards Benefica and San Francisco.

In the middle of the century, the main street of Napa was comparable with those several big cities, and one could see more than one hundred of saddles of horse fixed on the barriers the afternoon. The hotels were crammed, the money and gold ran with floods. The saloons and the gaming rooms were numerous, but it is at this time that the culture took its first steps in the city. One built a college, a room of reading, an opera, an association related to agriculture was created and still many other things testifying to the cultural development of the community.

In 1858 the great rush towards the money started in the valley of Napa, and the minors flowed greedily towards the hills more to the east. One continued then the operations of mining of mercury in many places of the area. The most famous mine was that of Silverado, located on the side of the Holy Mont Helens: it was immortalisée by Robert Louis Stevenson in his traditional Squatters de Silverado

At the twentieth century, the town of Napa became the economic center of the valley of Napa. Whereas the wine agriculture and productin developed in north, the majority of the small industry, the banks and the trade of the county evolved/moved in the city even of Napa, and even at the beginning along Napa River on the historical center town. Still today the majority of the county lives in Napa. The economic development program continued to support the industry of the wine and the agriculture of the valley until today.

Population

At the time of the census of 2000, one counted 72.585 inhabitants, 26.978 hearths and 17.940 families. The Population density was of 1583,3 hab/km ² (4101,4 hab.mi ²). There were 27.776 residences is an average density of 605,9/km ² (1569,5/mi ²). The distribution by ethnicity and cultural showed 70,32% of white, 0,52% Afro-Americans, 0,91% of Amerindians, 1,71% the Asian ones. 3,73% belonged to two groups or more, and the latino or Hispanic accounted for 26,83% of the population.

There were thus 26.978 hearths of which 32,9% had children of less than 18 years living with them; 50,7% were married couples living together, 11,1% were composed of a woman alone, and 33,5% were not families. 26,8% of the whole of the households were composed of only one person and 12,1% of a person alone of more than 65 years. The median number of people composing these households was of 2,64, and 3,20 for the families.

In 2000,25,7% of the population had less than 18 years, 8,5% had from 18 to 24 years, 29,6% from 25 to 44 years, 22,4% from 45 to 64 years, and 13,8% elderly of more than 65 years. The Middle Age was 36 years. The distribution men/women was of 100 women for 96,4 men (100 women for 93,5 men at the most 18 years)

The average annual income was of 49.154 $ by hearth and 58.788 $ per family. Annual average revenue of 41.334 $ for the men and 31.334 $ for the women. The Income per head was of 23.642 $. Approximately 6,1% from the families and 8,9% of the total population lived under the Poverty line, figures which amount to 11,4% at less than 18 years and 5,5% at the people of more than 65 years.

Internal bonds

Wine Country

Famous residents

Phil Bonifield, pilot of NASCAR
Robert Redford (occasionally), actor
Ray Manzarek of The Doors, pianist
Warren Brusstar, former player of professional Baseball
Jim Landis, old to play of professional Baseball
Sally Rosenbaum, painter impressionist
Michael Chiarello, celebrates chief cook
Robin Williams, actor
David Hagan, chimpanzée of the film Congo

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