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Collection: Books and Periodicals
A Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California (1891) (713 pages)
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Page: of 713
168 HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.
ered with a rank growth of wild oats, and sold
the hay to the Government. The gold discovery
temporarily checked settlement here; but after
the first reverberation improvements began and
were continued until a beautiful city was the
result.
A mile and a half southeast of the city is the
STATE ASYLUM FOR THE INSANE.
With the view of providing further accommodations for the care of the insane of this
State, the Legislature of 1869~'70 authorized
the appointment of a commissioner to visit the
principal asylums of the United States and
Europe for the purpose of obtaining all practicable information. Governor Haight appointed Dr. E. T. Wilkins, who visited 149
asylums. From the numerous plans which he
collected, the one for the asylum at Napa was
selected, with the aid of Wright & Saunders of
San Francisco, architects. In March, 1872, the
Legislature authorized the appointment of a
commission to select a site and made an appropriation of $237,500 toward the erection of the
building. Governor Booth appointed Judge C.
H. Swift of Sacramento, Dr. G. A. Shurtleff of
Stockton, and Dr. E. T. Wilkins of Marysville,
and in August of that year Napa City was
selected for the site.
The Legislature of 1873-74 further appropriated $600,000 for the completion of the asylum,
and the next Legislature made a still further appropriation of $494,000. That structure does
not accommodate more than 500 patients at any
one time. May 31, 1878, there were 501 patients at the asylum, and at the time of the next
meeting of the Legislature, 1880, there were
808 patients, rendering further accomnmodations
necessary. Twenty thousand dollars was appropriated for fitting up the attics in the rear
of the amusement hall. Since then further improvements have been made. The total cost of
the buildings has been $1,300,000. Under its
roof are now sheltered over 1,400 inmates, and
upon its pay-roll are some 200 employés, ineluding physicians, ete. It bears the reputation of being one of the best conducted
institutions of its class in the world..
Further particulars are given in the biographical sketches of Drs. Benjamin Shurtleff
and E. T. Wilkins elsewhere in this volume.
EDUCATIONAL
The first school-house in Napa County was
built by William H. Nash, near Tucker Creek,
above St. Helena, in 1849. In it a private
school was taught by Mrs. Forbes, whose husband had perished with the Donner party in
1846. Down to 1854 there was not a public
school in the county, but there had been two or
three private schools. In 1855 a public schoolhouse was erected by subscription in Napa City.
The Napa Collegiate Institute was erected in
1858-60, and opened in August of the latter
year, by the citizens of the vicinity, and after.
ward it fell into the hands of the Methodist
Episcopal Church. It has since been remodeled and enlarged.
The Napa Ladies’ Seminary, an efficient
school for young ladies, and the Oak Mound
School, are also good schools to fit for colleges.
It will thus be seen that Napa has unusual
school facilities; and it also has well appointed
churches of all the principal denominations.
The county infirmary, near Napa, is a commodious and well arranged structure, erected
in 1869, at a cost exceeding $80,000.
In Napa there are two tanneries, one of them
the largest wool-pulling and tanning establishment on the Pacific Coast. It has drain-tile
and brick-works, a glue factory, a busy fruitpacking establishment and wineries that rank
in size and reputation with the best in the
State. The Napa woolen-mill has a wide repntation for making fine fabrics. A company has
also lately gone largely into the business of
grape drying and shipping. It has also alarge
sash and door factory, ete., etc., has splendid
water-works and no debt.
OTHER TOWNS.
Yountville, the home of the old pioneer,
George C. Yount, is a quiet little town sup-