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(From
Stockton Directory, 1856)
"The City of Stockton is situated on a beautiful prairie at
the head of Stockton Slough, a wide and deep arm of the San Joaquin
River, which extends eastward some three miles from the river into
the plain. … As a harbor, in point of capacity, Stockton possesses
advantages over all other inland cities of California [in that]
there is sufficient depth and breadth of water, at all seasons of
the year, for all purposes of moorage and navigation."
Thus begins an 1856 narrative of the history of Stockton, California.
Its location at the head of a navigable channel, approximately 90
miles inland from San Francisco Bay, enables the city to continue
to serve as a major shipping point for many of the agricultural
and manufactured products of Northern California.
Stockton was founded
in 1849 by a German immigrant, Charles M. Weber, who
acquired over 49,000 acres of land through a Spanish land grant.
Captain Weber tried his hand at gold mining in late 1848, but by
the next spring, realized that the true wealth lay in providing
for the rush of gold-seekers from all over the world, and established
his town to serve those needs. As J. H. Carson, in his LIFE IN CALIFORNIA
described it in 1849: "A rush and whirl of noisy human beings
were continually before the eye. The magic wand of gold had been
shaken over a desolate place, and on it a vast city had arisen at
the bidding."
A colorful note: several
names have been attributed to Stockton, including Tuleburg,
Gas City and Mudville. But Captain Weber chose to honor Commodore
Robert F. Stockton by bestowing his name on the fledgling community.
Stockton was the first community in California to have an American
name, all others being of Spanish or Native American origin.
On
July 23, 1850, the County Court granted incorporation of the City
of Stockton,
and eight days later a city election was held. Stockton's charter
from the State of California dates from 1851. The current form of
government is that of City Manager-Council; the mayor and representatives
from the six councilmanic districts are chosen by city-wide election.
Stockton is the county seat of San Joaquin County with a projected
population of 254,000 by the year 2000.
Rich peat soil and a temperate climate have combined to make the
area around Stockton one of the richest agricultural and dairy regions
in California. Throughout the 150 years of Stockton's history almost
every major fruit, nut and field crop has been grown, some with
greater success than others. Current major crops include asparagus,
cherries, tomatoes, walnuts and almonds plus many other smaller-production
orchard, row and feed crops. Grapes amount to forty percent of the
fruit and nut harvest and contribute 18% to the county's agricultural
dollar. Prize-winning wines are produced from vineyards north of
Stockton, contributing to the international reputation of fine quality
California wines.
Stockton has been the home of the University of the Pacific since
1924, after moving from San Jose. UOP's longtime emphasis has
been on music education, but now supports fine engineering, pharmacy, and
business schools as well as highly-regarded offsite dental and
law schools. UOP's ivy-league ambiance complete with lovely old
brick buildings and wide shady lawns have made it a movie location
in many a feature film.
San Joaquin Delta College and an off-site campus for California
University-Stanislaus provide excellent public education.
The legendary Delta, created by the confluence of several rivers
and many man-made channels-popularly known as 1,000 miles of waterways-is
what in many ways defines Stockton and surrounding communities.
Wildlife, irrigation, transportation and recreation all owe their
existence and success to the muddy waters of the San Joaquin Delta.
Interestingly enough, so do many movies, such as COOL HAND LUKE,
BLOOD ALLEY, TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN and many others, some not so
notable. Stockton and environs have long been known in the entertainment
industry as location-rich, both as fore and background.
Stockton supports very active and world-renown civic theater, symphony,
ballet and chorale groups. The Haggin Museum, small but rich in
collections and exhibits related to local history and California
history owns important works by late 19th and early 20th century
artists. Notable among them is Albert Bierstadt, who was most
well-known for interpreting the towering grandeur of Yosemite
and much of California's magnificent Sierra Nevada mountains.
Stockton has been culturally and ethnically diverse since its beginning
as a muddy-street gold-rush camp. Gold seekers from Asia, Africa,
Australia, Europe, the Pacific Islands, Mexico and Canada all converged
into the great melting pot that became California society. Today's
diversity is reflected in Stockton street names, architecture and
in the faces and heritage of a majority of its citizens. Throughout
the year ethnic festivals reflect that diversity in the microcosm
that Stockton has become for the world.
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Stockton,
CA 
on the Move!