USA > California > Napa County > History of Napa and Lake Counties, California : comprising their geography, geology, topography, climatography, springs and timber, together with a full and particular record of the Mexican Grants, also separate histories of all the townships and biographical sketches > Part 2
USA > California > Lake County > History of Napa and Lake Counties, California : comprising their geography, geology, topography, climatography, springs and timber, together with a full and particular record of the Mexican Grants, also separate histories of all the townships and biographical sketches > Part 2
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Kelseyville
183
· Methodist Episcopal Church.
183
184
Independent Order of Good Templars Catholic Church Work 184
Mills.
185
Boggs
185
Cobb
185
Harbin
185
Allison Flour Mill
186
Springs
186
Highland. 186
Epsom.
187
Soda Bay
187
Glenbrook 187
Gas Knoll.
ISS
Mount Konocti.
190
UPPER LAKE TOWNSHIP
191
Geography.
191
Geology
138
Soil 139
Products
139
Climate
140
Timber
140
Ancient Order United Workmen 175
GEORGE C. YOUNT.
NAPA COUNTY.
1
HISTORY OF NAPA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
Geographical Situation and Area-Derivation of Name-Topography- Geology-Climatography, Etc., Etc.
Napa County is bounded on the north by Lake County, on the east by Yolo and Solano Counties, on the south by Solano County and San Pablo Bay, and on the west by Sonoma County. Napa is one of the smallest counties in the State, but is one of the most highly-favored and richest sections of California. The territory embraced within its limits formerly included what is now known as Lake County, but subsequent changes have altered its area several times. After Lake County had been segregated, the area of this county was four hundred and fifty thousand acres, or eight hundred and twenty-eight square miles. Subsequently another change of the boundary line between the two counties occurred, which added quite an area to Napa County. A full statement of these changes will be found in a subsequent chapter of this work.
DERIVATION OF NAME .- That the word Napa is of Indian deriva- tion, there can be no doubt; but what its signification may be, is a mooted question. C. A. Menefee, in his excellent work "Sketch Book of Napa," etc. says that the word means fish, and that it was given to this section on account of the great numbers of the finny tribes that infested the streams and brooks, and afforded the dwellers inland a bountiful supply of food. Mr. Menefee says further that this statement is verified by the asser- tions of the early settlers among the Aboriginees, and still further by the cognate tongues of the Pacific Coast. Of the statements made by the pioneers on the subject, we have nothing to say; but of the cognate dia- lects, we will append the following: While it is a well known fact that Indians only separated by a few miles could not converse with each other, yet there are a few words that seem to have come from some parent stem, and some forms of it pass through all the dialects of the tribes of certain sections, just as roots and elements of the Latin are to be found permeating the Spanish, French, Italian, and all English-speaking sections of the world.
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History of Napa and Lake Counties-NAPA.
Thus the word "pomo," meaning a man or tribe of men, is found to be common with all tribes south of Eel River, west of Clear Lake, and north of San Francisco Bay ; and the word "patweén," having a similar significa- tion, is found to be common with all those peoples east of Clear Lake, south of Colusa, west of the Sacramento River, and north of the Suisun Bay. Now, the Indians of Napa Valley belonged to the "pomos," or that grand family of tribes in which the word " pomo" was used instead of "patweén," in a generic or tribal sense; so, also, did the tribes on the western shore of Clear Lake. The Indians of Napa Valley have all disappeared, but their distant relatives, the tribes on the Clear Lake, still exist, and naturally we would look to them for names or other traces of habits, customs, etc., to find out what would be probably the condition of things in this section. It is found that the word "Nap-po" occurs frequently, and among this people it is found to signify village. Thus, " Hoo-la-nap-po" signified lily village ; " Ha- be-nap-po," rocky village, and "Kai-nap-po," wood village. Taking this fact into consideration, may we not reasonably conclude that the word has some relation to a town or village that may have been at some time located upon the banks of the stream that now bears that name, and thus it has come down to us? It seems very likely, indeed, that such was the case; and, taking all things into consideration, we are inclined to give the preference to this last idea, rather than to the other.
TOPOGRAPHY .- To write fully and completely the topography of Napa County, requires that a man spend weeks in its study, so varied and frequently changed are the topographical features of the section of country embraced within its limits. Beginning at the western side of Napa County, we find that the line passes along the ridge of a chain of mountains the entire length of the county. To the eastward of this range, and at its base, lies the beautiful Napa Valley, which extends from Mt. St. Helena on the north to San Pablo Bay on the south, varying in width from one mile, near the northern end, to five miles, at the southern end. The slope of the range is intersected with a number of ravines, cañons, and small valleys ; but none of them are of any great importance, except Brown's Valley, which lies to the west and north-west of the city of Napa, and is a lovely little glen, nestled at the foot of the mountains. Several streams come down out of this range of mountains and find their way to the Napa River, the larger of which are the White Sulphur Creek, Dry Creek, and Carneros Creek. The lower end of Napa Valley opens out fan-like to quite a wide expanse, and is low, flat, tule land, covered with water at high tide, and with tules and swamp grass. Just about midway between the two extremes of Napa Valley, there is a very large hill, attaining almost to the dignity of a moun- tain, and is known as the Yountville Hill. It is also near the center of the valley, from east to west.
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Geography, Name, Topography, Geology, Etc.
Napa Valley is upwards of thirty miles in length, and is very level and productive. The river of the same name extends its entire length, and serves well the purposes of drainage, and is navigable as far up as Napa City, at which place the tides regularly ebb and flow, rising to a height of from three to eight feet.
At the head of Napa Valley, the grand proportions of Mount St. Helena rear themselves nearly 4500 feet above the level of the sea, and it stands there much like a sentinel at the entrance to a beautiful land of enchant- ment. On the eastern side of Napa Valley, a chain of mountains extend the entire length, which is broken into by but few streams, cañons, or val- leys. Conn Creek is about midway of the range, and comes down through a very narrow defile in the mountains. Milliken and Rector Cañons are the only ones south of Conn Creek, while to the north there are only gorges in the mountains. Conn Valley is a small widening of the cañon through which the creek of that name passes, and is a beautiful and picturesque little dale.
There are three roads passing out of Napa Valley through this range of mountains, viz: the one leading to Berryessa Valley, through a pass near the southern extremity of the range. The second road passes through Conn Valley, and thence up the cañon into Chiles Valley, while the third passes over Howell Mountain. Of these two last named, there are two or more branches each, but all pass through the same general course and place. A road from Calistoga to Knoxville was at one time very nearly completed, only some eight or ten miles remaining unfinished, when some obstacle arose and the whole work was let go to ruin.
In this range of mountains there are some quite high peaks-such as Bald Peak, Atlas Peak, Howell Mountain, etc. The height of these peaks range from two to three thousand feet. This range forms a continuation of the St. Helena or Mayacamas range, the two branches being like the two portions of the letter V, with St. Helena Mountain at the point of union, one portion skirting Napa Valley on the west and the other on the east.
Passing over the Howell Mountain grade, we find ourselves in Pope Valley, a beautiful tract of quite level country, extending for about ten miles in a north-westerly and south-easterly direction, and being from one to three miles in width. In the center of the valley, and extending nearly the whole length of it, there is a high range of hills which divides it almost into equal portions. The whole of this valley is drained by Pope Creek, a stream of some considerable size, whose waters find their way to the Bay through Putah Creek.
Passing over a low divide to the south of Pope Valley, we come to Chiles Valley, which is small but productive, being six miles in length and from one to three miles in width. The upper end of it is drained by
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History of Napa and Lake Counties-NAPA.
Conn Creek, while the waters of the lower end find their way into Putah Creek. There is quite a high range of mountains lying on the eastern side of Pope and Chiles Valleys and separating them from Berryessa Valley.
Taking the road leading from Napa to Monticello, just when we reach the summit, a beautiful little valley opens out to the view ; but it is not very large. It is truly a lovely gem, set about with a fringe of mountains. This is Capelle Valley. But little more can be said of it in this connection.
Passing to the north, just where the road enters Berryessa Valley, there lies to the right the lovely little vale known as Wooden Valley, and adjacent to it is Gordon Valley, both of which are small but beautiful.
Following the road, we find that the mountains seem to be pressed apart for a considerable distance, and the broad expanse of Berryessa Valley, the second in size in the county, appears before the eyes. This valley is about ten miles long, by from one to three miles in width. It is a level expanse of rich, arable land. It is drained by the Putah Creek, which here becomes almost a veritable river of wildly rushing water during the winter rains. The area of the water-shed which is tributary to this stream is very great, and also precipitous, so that in a very short time indeed after a rain has fallen, the stream is at flood height, and the torrents of water are rushing with an indescribable impetuosity down the stream to the plains below in the vicinity of the town of Winters.
Passing on up to the head of Berryessa Valley, we come to a narrow defile in the mountains which extends to Knoxville, and thence over a low divide into Lake County. There is a mountain stream passing down this cañon, of goodly proportions, which evidently is called upon to accommo- date a great amount of water during the rainy season. It empties into the Putah Creek.
To the eastward of Berryessa Valley, the abrupt range of the Blue Ridge rises to a great height. This is the dividing line between Napa and Yolo Counties, and presents an unbroken surface for the whole distance, from the northern boundary line of the former to the southern line of the latter. At this point the Putah passes directly across the range, through a very narrow pass known as Putah Cañon.
We have thus hastily given the reader a glance at the principal topo- graphical features of the county as a whole. A fuller and more minute description of each individual section will be found under the heads of the different townships. If one were where he could get a bird's-eye view of the whole of Napa County, or could see a relief map of it, he would be surprised to see what a large proportion of the territory embraced within its limits is mountainous, compared with that which is made up of valleys. And what a beautiful prospect would be spread out before the eye of the wondering observer, could he but see the whole of the lovely landscape at
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Geography, Name, Topography, Geology, Etc.
one view ! Hill and dale, mount and vale, all apparently in an interminable jungle, yet having a grand and wonderful system and order in it.
There are only two systems of drainage in Napa County : one that of the Napa River and its tributaries, and the other Putah Creek and its tribu- taries. These two streams have to carry to the sea all the vast amount of water that falls upon nearly one thousand square miles of territory, the most of which is mountainous ; and hence the water is precipitated quickly into the outlets. It is no wonder, therefore, that floods are of almost yearly occurrence along the banks of these streams. Just imagine for a moment what a volume of water falls upon this area during any of the heavy storms of the winter season, when, as is not unfrequently the case, there has from two to four inches of water fallen !
GEOLOGY .- There is probably no county in the State of California that presents a more interesting field for the student of geology than does Napa. The changes of the geological aspect of the country in passing from one section to another, are oftentimes very marked and remarkable. Another interesting fact is, that the lines of change are so boldly and closely drawn that he that runs may read. Here may be seen in all its glory the action of the great world-building agents, fire and water. In the beds of brooks it is no uncommon thing to be able to pick up boulders with fossils in them adjacent to those formed from lava that never had and never could have life in any way associated with them. The rocks of the Silurian period are not unfrequently found adjacent to those of the Tertiary. Another feature which is of interest, and goes to show how badly things have been "mixed up" in the ages that have gone by, is the fact that there are many places where the soil is what is termed by the farmers "spotted." That means that the soil is oftentimes made up of two or more different kinds in the same field. It is no uncommon thing to see a field with spots of adobe all over the face of it, while the body of it may be a sandy loam. Again it may be made up of adobe principally and have here and there a spot of argillacious soil upon it. Striking examples of both features just described may be found in Pope Valley.
In considering this subject in its general aspect, we have decided to take up the great factors of world-building, fire and water, and to take a hurried glance at the face of the country and see where they have each been at work, and see what they have each had to do in the upbuilding or tearing down of this county. Although it may seen paradoxical to say that world- building is accomplished by the process of tearing down, yet such is often the case. There would be no rich alluvial valleys, in which are produced all that man subsists upon, had there not been a tearing down process by which the particles of matter were dislodged from the everlasting rocks of the mountain sides and deposited below in the basins which we call valleys.
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History of Napa and Lake Counties-NAPA.
Taking up the first of these twin Titans, fire, let us see what it has done in this county. The casual observer would say, doubtless, what has it not done in Napa County; for, turn our eyes as we may, we can see traces of the working of fire. But careful investigation will show that the twin brother, water, has had much indeed to do here as elsewhere all over the world. As it was in the beginning, so it has ever been-fire first and then its comple- ment, water. Volcanic action has been a great factor in shaping up the surface of this county. There are many extinct volcanoes in this section, although their craters have become not only extinct, but all traces are lost of them; but the lava, scoria, and even the very ashes are still extant in large quantities. Go where we will all over Napa County, from the very apex of Mount St. Helena to the very lowest level of the valley to the south of it, and on every hand the evidences of volcanic action are present.
These evidences are not uniform, either in amount, character or general trend. Nor have the upheavals been uniform, for in many places are to be found those rocks which were formed during the earlier ages of the world's existence, while just across the cañon are to be found those of quite recent date. A striking example of this may be seen on what is known as Dry Creek, a few miles to the north-west of Napa City. On one side of this stream, the rocks of the outcropping ledges belong to the Silurian system, while those on the other were formed only quite recently, geologically speaking. Here the rocks on the one side of the creek have been eroded and worn away to a depth of nearly one mile; that is to say, had there have been no erosion the mountain on one side of the stream would have been all of one mile higher than on the other side. Another example may be seen at the north end of Pope Valley. The top of the ridge just back of the Phoenix Mine is formed of very old rock, belonging to the Laurentian age probably, while further to the north and at a much lower level the Tertiary sandstone begins, and continues up the other ridge to the Oat Hill Mine, and probably much further.
We will now glance over the county and direct the reader's attention to those localities where the action of fire is most patent, and give a description of the work it has done. Beginning at the south end of the western slope of the range of mountains which lie on the eastern side of Napa Valley, we find that the body of the rocks are of volcanic formation, being either basalt, trap or lava. In the valley, in the vicinity of the Insane Asylum, the boulders are chiefly made up of honey-combed lava, which, when broken present all grades, from the most compact to the very coarsest and loosely united particles, and in color range from black to almost white, many of them being red, green or yellow. In the mountain back of the Asylum, there is a bed of lava rock which is of a dark grayish color, not very com- pact, but very easily worked and very durable. Some considerable of it
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Geography, Name, Topography, Geology, Etc.
was used in the construction of the Asylum. Passing on farther to the north, to the place where the road crosses over the range to Berryessa Valley, we come to a wonderful formation of a volcanic nature. Here, there are extensive beds of ashes which have hardened into a porous rock, and the study of them is one of remarkable interest. A very remarkable feature about this formation is the fact that it is stratified very similar to water- formed rocks, and to the casual observer they present so natural an appear- ance of aqueous formation that they would deceive almost any one. The strata have been warped and twisted into all manner of shapes by the subsequent upheavals of the mountain range. It would be a matter of interest to know what this flow of lava was deposited upon, but the writer has not seen any shafts or drifts which extended through it so as to expose the underlying strata. From the fact that there are good indications of petroleum in that immediate vicinity, however, it is quite safe to infer that the underlying strata are sandstone, and probably of the early cretaceous period. Just a short distance north of the Napa Soda Springs there is a bluff of lava, and the water has washed a sort of a cave out on the under side of it, exposing the formation on which it rests, which is found to be a metamorphic stratified stone of doubtless quite ancient formation. The point of junction between the lava and the basic rocks affords a study of interest.
At the point mentioned above, the Berryessa road, the strata extend in thickness from a few inches to many feet, and it is no uncommon thing to see the lava rocks so regularly stratified and evenly separated perpendicu- larly, by suture caused by the shrinkage in cooling, that they present the appearance of building stones, shaped by an intelligence for a special pur- pose, and by the aid of one's imagination, he can readily fancy that he sees in the bold cliffs that are exposed, the walls of castles that have long since gone to decay, but that might have been the residences of a long forgotten race of giants. It presents a wonderfully curious spectacle indeed, and one that the student of geology never wearies in studying. There is not a great deal of basalt or trap in any of the volcanic rocks in this section, but the lava is frequently, though soft, the best of building material.
Passing on to the northward, along the west side of the range, we find that the surface rock is of a volcanic nature, all the way to the very summit of St. Helena. A fine display of lava deposited in stratas is to be seen in passing over Howell Mountain. The strata are so regular and so little dis- turbed, that the writer was in doubt as to the identity of the rock until he had applied his hammer to it, when it was found to be only a soft grayish lava. Just where the road leading to the falls on Howell Mountain turn out of the main road, can be seen a beautiful field of boulders. The fact of its
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History of Napa and Lake Counties-NAPA.
being a beautiful field depends upon whose eye is viewing it. To the casual observer, it is rough, rugged and unseemly, but to the eye of a geologist or student of nature, it presents a lovely aspect ; for in them he can read the record of the agencies that have been at work in building up the world. These boulders were originally formed by the agency of fire, but after they became dislodged from the main ledge by the action of the ages, they were taken up by the floods that at some time have surged about the sides of the mountain, and " rough-hewn " into the multitude of shapes in which we now find them strewn promiscuously about over the face of the country.
Just to the north of Calistoga, there is a spur of the mountain which puts out well into the valley. Beginning at this point and passing to the northward, there is an indentation of the range which sweeps around to the base of St. Helena Mountain. It is in this location that the rich mineral belt of this range of mountains is found. Here, gold and silver abound in goodly quantities, and it is not saying too much to prophesy that at no great distant day this section of the county will be yielding a handsome return in the way of gold and silver bullion. This subject will be much fuller treated farther on in this work. In this section, very much of interest will be found, viewed from a geological standpoint. When the volcanoes of this section were active, seams, dikes and rifts were left in the rocks, which were then exposed to the surface. In the course of time these spaces began to be filled up with silica, which crystalized into handsome quartz in many cases. Probably the most extensive ledge of this quartz formation in this section, is that formerly known as the Silverado. This ledge was very nearly at the top of Mount St. Helena, on the south side, and the vein was about thirty feet wide, extending entirely across the spur of the mountain, and having a dip of about fifteen degrees. In this the quartz was very lustrous, sparkling like veritable diamonds in the sunshine. It was very porous also, caused probably from the fact that a great amount of gas was imprisoned in the silica at the time of its deposit. This quartz had many shades of coloring, which added much to its beauty, the colors ranging through shades of black, green, yellow and red, the last two predominating, owing to the presence of the oxyds of iron. The black came from the chlorides of silver, and added much to the beauty of the quartz.
In one of these dikes, which is now located upon and known as the Gettleson Mine, there is a most curious and interesting formation. The quartz ledge is about ten feet wide, being made up mostly of coarse quartz, but in the center of these is a deposit of very soft conglomerate, being composed of gypsum or lime, through which there are small veins of quartz. This is all interspersed with sulphurets and chlorides of silver. That the calcareous matter is a carbonate, is evinced upon the application of acid to it. A fuller discussion of the subject of mineral deposit in this and all other sections of the county will be found in the body of this work.
FBChile
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Geography, Name, Topography, Geology, Etc.
That St. Helena Mountain has, at some time, been an active volcano, there seems to be but little doubt. In fact, our observation leads us to believe that the whole range skirting the eastern side of Napa Valley has consti- tuted a series of volcanoes at some past time. Either that is the fact, or else the lava overrun it before it was elevated to its present altitude. That this has not been the case is shown from the fact that the course of the lava flow is still plainly visible, and it universally, almost, extends from the top of the ridge to the bottom. The question is asked by many, “ If St. Helena or any of the peaks of the range were ever volcanoes, why are no traces of their craters still visible ?" There are many reasons why this should not be: First, it is reasonable to conclude that the later eruptions were not so vigorous as the former had been, and that they were weaker and weaker in their action, until they ceased altogether. Then, it is not unreasonable to conclude that in its last dying throes it was only able to force the lava just to the top of the crater. Here it cooled and hardened, with here and there a fissure for the escape of gas, steam, etc., until it became as much solid rock as any other portion of the mountain. In the course of time all traces of the crater were obliterated, and to-day, the mountain top from which great rivers of molten matter once rolled down to deluge the mountain sides and the valley below with a sea of fire, pre- sents only the appearance of common mountains.
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