Stockton California Historical Driving Tour

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The grand house at the northeast corner of W. Clay and S. Van Buren Streets was built in 1921 for Wong K. Gew (also known as "Jew Wong"), a Chinese immigrant who became a successful operator of gambling houses and a retail merchant. The Wong K. Gew Mansion was built in a mixture of styles including Federal Revival. The two-and-a-half-story, shiplap house featured a veranda across the front, topped by a second-floor balcony formed by the porch roof. The interior originally included twelve rooms including two rooms for servants. The house was lavishly finished and was the largest residence in the neighborhood. The Wong K. Gew Mansion became a National Register of Historic Places listing in 1978 and a Stockton City Landmark in 1973.

2. Moses Rodgers House

Constructed in 1898, this Stockton house was built for the family of Moses Logan Rodgers, who was born into slavery in Missouri and moved to California as a teenager in 1849 during the Gold Rush. Rodgers worked as a miner and later as a mining expert. The successful African American businessman came to own several gold mines and relocated to Stockton in the 1880s with his young family. Rodgers had their new house at 921 S. Joaquin St. built in 1898 and died just two years later but the property was home to his descendants until the early 1970s. The Moses Rodgers House became a National Register of Historic Places entry and a City of Stockton Landmark in 1978. The two-story, wood clapboard, eclectic vernacular style house is a private residence and is not open to the public.

3. Bob Hope Theatre

Originally named the Fox California Theater, the Bob Hope Theatre is a historic movie and concert palace built in 1930. It was one of many constructed by the Fox West Coast Theater company during this period; it is one of the few such theaters remaining. First run movies were shown until 1969 after which second run movies were shown until 1973, when lack of business forced the theater to close. Many efforts tried to renovate the building, but it wasn't until 1996 that the movie house was finally renovated, including over 2,000 red velvet seats. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

4. Commercial and Savings Bank of Stockton

The ten-story, Renaissance Revival-style building at the corner of E. Main and Sutter streets was constructed in 1915 as the Commercial and Savings Bank of Stockton and was expanded in 1924. The Bank of Italy (later Bank of America) acquired the bank in January 1927. A 1941 addition to the north side added more first-floor workspace and a new entrance to the bank lobby. The Bank of America spent about one million dollars to renovate the building's interior in the mid-1960s. The bank sold the building in the 1970s and relocated. In 1980, the Commercial and Savings Bank building became a National Register of Historic Places entry. The office building is now known as Cort Tower.

5. Elks Building

The five-story, concrete and buff brick building at the corner of N. Sutter St. and E. Weber Ave. is the Elks Building, completed in 1908. The group's ceremonial hall, covered by a stained-glass dome, extended from part of the fourth into the fifth floor. The Elks also had dining and club rooms on the rest of the fourth and fifth floors. A drugstore occupied one of two ground-floor commercial spaces, while a utility company had offices in the other. The second and third floors were leased to professionals for office space. The Elks Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, as the vacant building was about to be rehabilitated to hold office spaces. The ground-floor commercial spaces of the building now contain a Subway restaurant and The Downtowner on Sutter, with S and K Mini Mart and a clothing shop on Weber. The upper floors contain offices of a number of tech and start-up companies.

6. Tretheway Block

The brick building at 229 E. Weber Ave. dates to 1892 and was named the Tretheway Block. Directly across the street from the San Joachin County Courthouse, the ground floor of the building originally contained a store with a tin shop in the west half and a drugstore in the east half. In between the storefronts, a central entrance led to a stairway to the second and third floors. Several attorneys had offices in the building. The building became the Argonaut Hotel in the mid-1920s until the 1970s. The Tretheway Block became a National Register of Historic Places listing in 1982 for its eclectic architectural style. The lower-level commercial spaces recently held an insurance office and a restaurant. The upper floors contain twelve live/ work apartments known as Tretheway Lofts. There is still lettering above the central entrance that reads "Argonaut Hotel."

7. Hotel Stockton (Historic Hotel Stockton Apartments)

The Mission Revival-style Hotel Stockton opened in 1910 with over 250 rooms. The hotel doubled as Stockton's City Hall between 1912 and 1926 and has also held other city offices. The hotel closed in 1960 but the hotel's bar and restaurant continued to operate until 1966. San Joaquin County purchased the building in 1976. In 1981, Hotel Stockton was added to the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural style and its association with City of Stockton and San Joaquin County governmental operations. The building has been renovated into studio and one-bedroom apartments for single-person occupancy for those of lower income.

8. Sperry Office Building

The red brick building on the corner of W. Weber Ave. and N. Madison St. dates to 1888 and was the Sperry Office Building. The building held offices for the Sperry Flour Mill, a business that was formed in Stockton in 1852. In the mid-1910s, the office building was enlarged in a similar architectural style. The City of Stockton declared the building a Historical Landmark in 1971. In 1982, the Sperry Office Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. "Visit Stockton" currently occupies some of the office space in the renovated building; they are a non-profit organization that promotes and markets Stockton for meetings, events, and as a travel destination.

9. Children's Museum of Stockton

The Children's Museum of Stockton opened in 1994. The museum's mission is to provide hands-on exploration and learning opportunities to inspire lifelong curiosity, creativity, and innovation for children of all abilities and backgrounds. The Museum developed KIDSWORLD as a permanent exhibit, including a bank, hospital, grocery store, recycling center, art center, and a post office where children engage in a hands-on exploration of a functioning miniature city. The newest exhibit is Destination Space. Admission is $7 per person for ages one and above. Special occasion rentals also provide income. The museum sponsors special events and some free admission days.

10. Haggin Museum

The Haggin Museum is a both a local history museum and world-class art museum. Built in Victory Park from 1930 to 1931, it features 34,000 square feet of exhibit space for permanent and temporary exhibits. The history portion chronicles the history of Stockton and California. The art collection consists of 19th and early 20th century European and American art. Well-known artists include Jean-Léon Gérôme, George Inness, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Albert Bierstadt, who is famous for his paintings of Yosemite Valley; one of these paintings was loaned to the White House. The museum houses the biggest collection of Bierstadt's works. In addition to its exhibits, the museum offers a museum store and various educational programs such as lectures, musical performances and family events. A library/ archive is open by appointment.

11. Reuel Colt Gridley Monument

The Reuel Colt Gridley Monument is located in the 75-acre Stockton Rural Cemetery near its southeast corner. The memorial was erected by Rawlins Post of the Grand Army of the Republic and the citizens of Stockton in honor of Gridley, who rendered services to Union soldiers during the War of the Rebellion. Gridley collected $275,000 for the Sanitary Commission by selling and reselling a sack of flour, starting near his home in Nevada and then traveling across the country. Gridley moved to the Stockton area in 1866, where he died in 1870. The monument, depicting Gridley and a sack of flour, was erected in 1887. Gridley's story was told by his school chum from Missouri, Mark Twain, in a chapter in his 1873 book, Roughing It.

12. Temple Israel

Between 200 to 300 Jews arrived in Stockton during the Gold Rush period, which began in 1848. Founded around 1850, Temple Israel - Congregation Ryhim Ahoovim (which means "loving friends" in Hebrew) is one of California's oldest Jewish congregations. It wasn't an official congregation at the outset but rather an organization called the Jewish Benevolent Society. The first temple building was erected in 1855 on Miner and Hunter Streets. The building was moved in 1861 to avoid another incident of flooding. The congregation erected a new synagogue in 1905 and moved the building to a location on Madison Street in 1930. Finally, the congregation moved to its current location in 1972; the new synagogue was dedicated in December 1972. In 1892, the congregation switched from Orthodox to Reform Judaism. Temple Israel continues to be a thriving congregation today.

This Tour is a Driving or Biking Tour.

Stockton California Historical Driving Tour

Created by Laurie Paonessa on June 20th 2024, 2:55:48 pm.

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Description

This driving tour covers the historical sites within a few miles of downtown Stockton, including many on the Stockton walking tour for the downtown area. You'll begin in the south end of town with a pair of historic homes and move your way to downtown buildings. The tour includes the grave of a little-known merchant who became a Civil War hero, a local history and art museum featuring a millionaire's collection of 19th-century paintings, grand homes, and the synagogue where one of the oldest Jewish congregations in the region worships.

Entries on This Tour

Stockton California Historical Driving Tour

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