Mariam Hansen – St. Helena Historical Society

St. Helena’s Chinese Heritage

In 1868 the Napa Valley Railroad construction crews reached St. Helena. They needed large amounts of gravel from our gravel quarry to lay down the base for the tracks. Although a few Chinese were previously living in Napa, the need for a large labor force to move gravel brought the first large group of Chinese…

Winemaking at Local Cellars During the 1879 Crush

Summarized from the St. Helena Star, October 3, 1879 by Mariam Hansen John C. Weinberger (today William Cole Winery) is crushing his grapes, plus those grown by W. H. Castner, E. M. York, Thomas Greer, James Cruey, A. H. Buehren, Georg Breitenbuecher, G. L. Benner, and Mr. Bell. He expects to make about 40,000 gallons,…

The Electroliers: St. Helena’s Iconic Streetlights, 100 Years of Light

Were St. Helena’s iconic streetlights, known as electroliers, used at the Panama Pacific Exposition in 1915 and then purchased by St. Helena when the exposition closed? This urban legend has been passed down in our town for generations. The St. Helena Chamber of Commerce Vintage Festival Committee of 1913 met to discuss permanently lighting Main…