When I visited Yountville Cemetery, I was looking for one historical marker. I failed to spot it until the very end, and did a tour of the whole place. I’m glad: had so much going for it that I saved a bunch of photographs for this photo post.

The cemetery sign notes that this was a pioneer cemetery and ancient Native American burial ground, established 1848.

Having not spotted the state historic landmark I wanted, I swung round to the left and found that the cemetery bordered a vineyard growing up a wonderfully contoured hill.

I noticed that many of the graves were old–there were even some original wooden ones, often deeply cracked, the paint long since gone. They are still tended, though: this one had flowers next to it.

A sign/historical marker said that here the cremated remains of Native Americans were also buried. The original sign, a much deteriorated wooden job with faded paint, is behind it; this is a more permanent monument.

Many of the graves were in the format of family plots, and most of them were stone with a generous layer of lichen and moss.

Finally, after I’d gone round almost the entire perimeter, I spotted George C. Yount’s grave and monument.

It was only underneath the single tallest structure in the cemetery, i.e. the flagpole. But by missing that entirely as I entered, I had a lovely tour of a beautiful old graveyard.

Tags: cemeteries, graves, napa-valley, vineyards, yountville-california

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