With roots set deep in California history, Napa's story reaches back to
the Bear Flag Rebellion and earlier, to the first contact between
Spanish explorers and the Wappo Indians. Through the founding of Spanish
missions and the grants of ranchos by the Mexican government, Napa
flourished under the various cultures that helped it become one of the
west coast's most dynamic cities. As it bloomed into one of the most
recognizable names on the American landscape, Napa's residents
confronted issues of war and peace, of open space and sprawl.