Nathan Coombs (June 12, 1826 – December 26, 1877) was a California pioneer and Democratic politician who served in the

California State Assembly The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature, the upper house being the California State Senate. The Assembly convenes, along with the State Senate, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The A ...

and is best known for founding the city of

Napa, California Napa is the largest city and county seat of Napa County and a principal city of Wine Country in Northern California. Located in the North Bay region of the Bay Area, the city had a population of 77,480 as of the end of 2021. Napa is a major t ...

Life

Nathan Coombs lived in Massachusetts and came overland to

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

in 1842. Coombs came to California in 1843, first working for Steven Smith in

Bodega Bay Bodega Bay ( es, Bahía Bodega) is a shallow, rocky inlet of the Pacific Ocean on the coast of northern California in the United States. It is approximately across and is located approximately northwest of San Francisco and west of Santa Ros ...

; and then for William Gordon at Rancho Quesesosi in

Yolo County Yolo County (; Wintun: ''Yo-loy''), officially the County of Yolo, is a county located in the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 216,403. Its county seat is Woodland. Yolo County is incl ...

. In 1845 he married William Gordon's daughter Maria Isabel Gordon (1831–1890). Coombs came to Napa Valley in 1845 and purchased a small part of

Rancho Tulucay Rancho Tulucay was a Ranchos of California, Mexican land grant in present day Napa County, California given in 1841 by Governor pro tem Manuel Jimeno to Cayetano Juarez. The Tulucay name originates with the names Tulkays and Ulucas that were ap ...

on the east side of the Napa River from Juarez Cayetano. Coombs participated in the

Bear Flag Revolt The California Republic ( es, La República de California), or Bear Flag Republic, was an unrecognized breakaway state from Mexico, that for 25 days in 1846 militarily controlled an area north of San Francisco, in and around what is now Son ...

of 1846. In 1847 Coombs purchased a farm on

Rancho Napa Rancho Napa was a Mexican land grant in present-day Napa County, California given in 1838 by Governor Juan Alvarado to Salvador Vallejo. The grant extends along the Napa Valley, north of present-day Napa. History Jose Manuel Salvador Vallejo ...

from

Salvador Vallejo Don Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo (4 July 1807 – 18 January 1890) was a Californio general, statesman, and public figure. He was born a subject of Spain, performed his military duties as an officer of the Republic of Mexico, and shaped the trans ...

about one and a half miles north-west of present-day Napa, and where he resided until his death. Coombs purchased of Rancho Entre Napa from Nicholas Higuera in 1847. On this land, he founded and laid out the city of Napa in 1848. Coombs and William Gordon purchased Rancho Chimiles from the Berreyesa family in 1851. Coombs was a member for 10th District of the

, 1855–56 and 1860-61. He died in Napa, December 26, 1877.History of Napa and Lake Counties,: San Francisco, Cal.: Slocum, Bowen & Co., Publishers, 1881

Legacy

Coombsville is named for him. His son Frank Coombs was a

United States representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from California.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coombs, Narthan 1826 births 1877 deaths People from Napa, California History of Napa County, California American city founders Members of the California State Assembly 19th-century American politicians