The Historical Society is open 5 days a week Research appointments available

People in cars and tractors set up for the 4th of July Parade in St. Helena, photograph undated. A sign on the tractor says "Napa Valley Garage, St. Helena, Calif." It's no secret that the people of Napa County have always loved a parade. #sthelena #IndependenceDay #tractor

Napa Junior College's first classes were held on September 28, 1942, less than a year after the United States entered World War II. This very small 1950-51 Student Directory is part of our collection of materials related to the college. #schools #napahistory #juniorcollege #1940s

On January 1st, 1885 the Napa Reporter advocated for the creation of a Napa County Fair and the effort by citizens to raise $20,000 to purchase a location for the fairgrounds and operate the first year. After years of fundraising and meetings, the first Napa County Fair was held August 6th - 12th, 1888. Image text: "A county fair will do much to develop the resources of our county, and act as an incentive to farmers, vineyardists, orchardists and stockmen to raise something that will take the first premium. It will make the horses, cattle, sheep and hogs of the county improve. It will cause finer grapes, bigger pumpkins, better corn, and nicer fruit to be grown. It will induce our wine makers to make better wine, and the owners of horses will indulge in a friendly rivalry to see who can show the best colt. It will bring the people of the county together once a year at least, and will be of benefit in a hundred ways. Every business man in town will profit greatly by a fair held in Napa. It will at the lowest calculation bring three or four thousand people to our town for a week." #newspaper #fairseason #napacountyfair #NapaHistory

Our collection of postcards of various Napa County scenes includes these two images of the Old Faithful Geyser of California just two miles north of Calistoga. The left card is dated June 1944 and the right is probably from the '60s or '70s. The 1944 postcard notes that the geyser "explodes about every hour" and is often called the "Surprise" Geyser. #vintagepostcards #calistoga #NapaHistory #saturdaymood

A train of oxen photographed by Charles Turrill, location unknown. In 1867 the Daily Evening Reporter wrote that "the Railroad will make lumber of every description easy of access, and the same will soon place any portion of our valley within two hours travel of San Francisco." By the 1870s lumber yards owned by J. A. Jackson and H. H. Knapp were in business, but concerns were already being raised about the depletion of native California trees and high demand. #NapaHistory