Heroes of Western Expansion

Heroes of Western Expansion. . Marker One:, John Jacon Astor: 1763 - 1848 , The first multi-millionaire in the United States, he made his considerable fortune by creating the first fur-trading empire in the Great Lakes region, Canada, and eventually the American West and the Pacific Coast. , Lewis and Clark: 1774 - 1809 and 1770 – 1838 , After Thomas Jefferson acquired the Mississippi River Valley in 1803, these leaders of the Corps of Discovery Expedition journeyed all the way to the Pacific Ocean on a route they were the first to traverse. Their orders from Jefferson stated they were to "find the most direct and practicable water communication across this continent, for the purposes of commerce". , Nicholas Longworth: 1783 1863 , Often described as the first commercially successful winemaker in the United States, he grew over 2,000 acres of Catawba grapes in the Ohio River Valley, making a very popular sparkling wine that was distributed in Europe from the 1830's through the 1850's., California’s First Premium Winery , ~1857~. , Marker Two:, History Hill. , As you make the short walk to our historic winery, you will observe historic figures nestled into our green hillside of the Mayacamas Mountains. The Count of Buena Vista dug into the living rock of those volcanic mountains to make the first wine cellars and stone winery buildings in California, thereby enduring his place in wine history., It is with a profound respect and admiration for important people in history that we present their images upon our hillside., The groupings we present may spark connections… indeed, many themes exist herein: the story of wine from ancient times to the present, the discovery of the New World, revolutionary heroes in politics and science, the building and creating of the American West, and California wine heroes., We hope that considering these groupings may bring forth conversations best resolved with a glass of delicious Buena Vista wine. Please enjoy… the journey of wine is the journey of life itself!