History of Stockton, California, USA

Stockton, a post-town and capital of San Joaquin county, California, is situated on a slough or channel of its own name, about 3 miles from its junction with the San Joaquin river. This place, one of the most important in the state, is on the main road from Sacramento city to Los Angeles, about 125 miles E. S. E. from Benicia. It was first settled in 1844 by C. M. Weber, but was abandoned by him in 1846. In 1848 a settlement was successfully established, and since that time its growth has been rapid. The channel is navigable for steamboats and vessels of 400 tons burthen at all seasons, affording a ready communication with the Pacific. A hospital is erecting at Stockton, which will be an ornament to the state. The town is a place of great activity and a depot for the southern mines. Resident population, about 4000, which is some times increased by a floating population to 6000 or 8000.

San Francisco, February 22. - A terrific explosion took place today of El Dorado Street, Stockton. A crowd of more than two hundred people had assembled to witness the trial of a new propeller pump set in Stockton Slough and run by a threshing engine. Those who stood near were prostrated. The body of the engineer was blown a distance of 150 feet through the crowd. Ten or twelve dead bodies lay in one heap at the northwest corner of the bridge. Others were strewn dead and drying on the street, blown from fifty to one hundred feet. The heads of some were blown to pieces. Others were blown to the ground with such force as to break every bone in their bodies. Faces, hands and whole persons were steamed in dirt, smoke and cinders. The wounded were promptly cared for and the dead were left undisturbed until the excitement of the moment had subsided, when they were removed to the coroner's office.

The explosion was the result of recklessness on the part of the engineer. The steam-gauge...

Stockton, a city of California, and the capital of San Joaquin co., is situated on the Central Pacific Railroad, in an extensive fertile plain (a part of the great central valley of California), 48 miles S. by E. of Sacramento, and 1: miles E. by N. of San Francisco. It is about 3 miles E. of the San Joaquin River, with which it is connected by * navigable channel. Lat. 37° 56' N.; lon. 121° 14' W. Two" lines of steamboats ply daily between Stockton and San Francisco. Stockton contains a fine granite court-house costing (1891) $350,000, 13 churches, a Jewish synagogue, 2 theatres, a national gold bank, 2 other banks, a saving: bank, a branch of the banking-house of Wells, Fargo & Co., a paper-mill, a woollen-mill, 4 flour-mills with a daily capacity each of about 1500 barrels of flour, 2 tannerie, 2 foundries, 3 planing-mills, extensive manufactures of farming-implements, wheels, street-cars, pottery (with a specialty of colored ware in fine goods and sanitary crocks), carriages,...

Stockton, a city, capital of San Joaquin co., Cal., is situated on the Southern Pacific R. and the Atchinson, Topeka and Santa Fe Coast Line, in an extensive fertile plain (a part of the great central valley of California), and on a tributary of the San Joaquin River, 48 miles S. by E. of Sacramento. It is about 3 miles E. of the San Joaquin River, with which it is connected by a navigable channel. Steamboats ply daily between here and San Francisco. Stockton contains a fine granite court-house, a state hospital for the insane, high-school, opera-house, St. Mary's College, and St. Agnes' Academy, and has extensive manufactures of agricultural implements, foundry products, glass, leather, lumber, woollens, flour, carriages and wagons, soap, etc. Large quantities of wheat are shipped here. Pop. in 1890, 14,424; in 1900, 17,506.

Stockton, Calif., June 25. - Damages estimated in excess of $400,000 was done when flames destroyed the TAYLOR Milling Company plant at Stockton.

Portions of the walls fell during the height of the blaze, injuring one fireman by falling bricks.

The plant was declared a total loss.

Stockton, Cal., June 4 (AP) - Fire, preceded by an explosion, swept quickly through an army building and left 11 dead and another nine severely burned Thursday.

The nature of the explosion remained undetermined.

The flames spread rapidly and those who died were trapped in the structure.

The blaze started about 11:30 o'clock Wednesday night and burned for 30 minutes. Lieutenant Colonel Floyd H. Tull, commanding officer, appointed a board of inquiry to determine what caused the explosion and fire.

The blast apparently did not originate in munition or ordnance stores.
Highway patrolmen raced from the San Francisco blood bank with flasks of plasma, and hospitals here sent serum to the army post, as doctors and nurses joined the army staff in caring for the injured men.
The dead:
TOM SOUSA, Stockton, civilian fireman.
Corporal LLOYD WISBEY, 23, Winlock, Wash.
Sergeant ROBERT A. SMITH, 21, Davis, Cal.
Private ERVIN R. SCHUMACHER, 25, Antelope, Neb.
Private DWIGHT P....