[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 19 (Wednesday, February 4, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E159-E160]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING THE TOWN OF YOUNTVILLE

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 4, 2015

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
Town of Yountville, California on the 50th anniversary of its 
incorporation. The Town of Yountville has developed a reputation for 
culinary excellence, distinguished lodging, fine wines and renowned 
retail businesses, which is especially impressive considering that the 
town has less than 3,000 residents.
  Yountville's rich history dates back to 1831, when George Yount 
settled in Napa Valley. In

[[Page E160]]

1836 Mr. Yount obtained the first land grant from the Mexican 
government awarded to a United States citizen in Northern California. 
By 1855, a surveyor had laid out the town's borders and Mr. Yount 
decided to call this town Sebastopol. Given that there was another town 
by the name of Sebastopol nearby, the town was renamed Yountville two 
years after Mr. Yount's death in 1867 in honor of its founder and his 
invaluable contributions to the town's beginning, which included 
planting the first grape vines in Napa Valley.
  On February 4, 1965, the City of Yountville was officially 
incorporated and in 1982 changed its name to Town of Yountville. Over 
the past 50 years the town has grown to almost 3,000 residents. Today 
the town is home to many award-winning restaurants, such as The French 
Laundry which boasts a Three-Star Michelin rating, and which 
contributes to the town's reputation as the ``Culinary Capital of the 
Napa Valley''. In addition to the town's rich culinary history, 
Yountville's wine, retail, and lodging industries attract tourists from 
around the world to this small town known as the ``Heart of Napa 
Valley''TM.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my distinct pleasure to recognize the Town of 
Yountville, California on the 50th anniversary of its incorporation. 
Yountville is a treasured part of our Napa Valley and I look forward to 
seeing the town continue to prosper over the next 50 years.

                          ____________________