Gold Discovery and Early Development

The discovery of gold on the American River, east of Sacramento, on January 24, 1848, caused Stockton to transform from a small settlement to a thriving commercial center, supplying miners heading up to the Sierra foothills. Stockton got its start when Captain Charles M. Weber, a German immigrant, decided to try his hand at gold mining in late 1848, but soon discovered that serving the needs of gold-seekers was a more profitable opportunity. It was for this reason that he founded Stockton in 1849 when he purchased over 49,000 acres of land through a Spanish land grant.

The area now known as Weber Point is the same spot where Captain Weber built the first permanent residence in the San Joaquin Valley. Stockton has boasted several names over the years, including Tuleburg and Mudville, but Captain Weber decided on Stockton in honor of Commodore Robert F. Stockton. Stockton was the first community in California to have an English name; every other community up to that point had been Spanish or Native American in origin.

The City was officially incorporated on July 23, 1850, by the County Court, and the first City election was held on July 31, 1850. In 1851, the City of Stockton received its charter from the State of California. Early settlers included gold seekers from Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe, the Pacific Islands, Mexico and Canada. Prior to the shift to agriculture as the main industry in Stockton, shipbuilding held sway after the Gold Rush until after World War II.