Mountain-man, George C. Yount arrived in the area in 1836 and settled in the Napa Valley with an 11,000-acre land grant obtained from the Mexican government. Yount, first U.S. citizen to settle in northern California, planted the first grapes grown in Napa Valley. Yount christened his settlement Sebastapol, but residents changed the name to Yountville shortly after his death in 1865.

Yount is purported to have said, "In such a place I should love to clear the land and make my home. In such a place I should love to live and die." Yount farmed the land, built his home and blockhouse, and welcomed visitors from far and near. He was very instrumental in rescuing the lost Donner Party and brought many to his settlement after their rescue. This tradition of welcome still thrives in Yountville.