Healdsburg was founded in 1857, when Harmon Heald, gold seeker and pioneer merchant, laid out a central plaza among the trees to serve as the heart of one of California's early communities. As Healdsburg evolved from rough farm town to wine-country destination, the plaza has drawn residents and visitors together to shop, socialize, and celebrate. The Western Wappo and Southern Pomo people lived on the bounty of this generous land and created the finest woven baskets in the world. The American settlers in the 1860s found these rich valleys could grow virtually any crop. In 1871, the railroad opened up new markets for farm produce and established Healdsburg as the center of a prosperous agricultural district.