STOCKTON

city, seat (1850) of San Joaquin county, central California, U.S. It lies along the San Joaquin River. Connected westward with San Francisco Bay by the river's 78-mile (126-kilometre) channel, Stockton is, with Sacramento, one of the state's two inland ports. Part of a Mexican land grant (1843) to Captain Charles Weber, it was founded as Tuleburg in 1847. As the head of navigation on the river, it grew rapidly as a miners' supply point during the 1849 gold rush. After a disastrous fire in 1850, it was laid out, incorporated, and renamed to honour Commodore Robert F. Stockton, who in 1846 had claimed California for the United States. Stockton's growth as a market for mixed farm produce and wines of the Central Valley was assured by the introduction of irrigation and the arrival of the Central Pacific Railroad (1869). The river's deepwater channel (completed 1933) made it a major port as well as a supply depot for U.S. Pacific military operations. An agricultural economic base prevails, strongly augmented by diversified industry. The University of the Pacific (founded 1851 in San Jose) was moved to Stockton in 1924. Humphreys College dates from 1896, and San Joaquin Delta (junior) College was opened in 1935. Pop. (1993 est.) city, 221,867; Stockton-Lodi MSA, 509,244.