Stockton

Stockton was founded by Charles Maria Weber during the California Gold Rush in 1849, after he acquired Rancho Campo de los Franceses to capitalize on its strategic location on the San Joaquin River. The city is named after famed Mexican–American War commodore Robert F. Stockton, and it was the first community in California to have a name not of Spanish or Native American origin. With the introduction of irrigation, railroad connections, and the opening of the Port of Stockton in 1933, the city developed as a logistic and commercial hub. Notable attractions in the city include the Haggin Museum and the Gurdwara Sahib of Stockton, the first Sikh house of worship established in the U.S. The University of the Pacific, chartered in 1851, is the oldest university in California and has been located in Stockton since 1923.