Welcome fellow cacher! This cache is both my first and the first in my series centered around California Historical Landmarks!
California Registered Historical Landmark #777-SITE OF SAN JOAQUIN CITY:
San Joaquin city was founded in 1849, while California was still an independent republic, in the southern portion of the Pascadero Spanish land grant. Located on the west bank of the San Joaquin River, the town grew quickly after the establishment of nearby Durham Ferry and became a well-known trading center. As a main point of navigation for the river boats that operated up and down the river it was a point of departure for freight and passengers headed east to the mines, or north to Stockton.
The town soon had two hotels, two general merchandise stores, a barber shop, a bakery, a laundry, a blacksmith shop, livery stables, seven saloons, and a church. A post office was opened in 1851.
A major source of growth was the development of cattle and grain farming in the surrounding area. Large warehouses and wharves were built on the waterfront to store produce destined for shipment by river boat to San Francisco and Stockton. It was hoped that eventually San Joaquin City would rival Stockton as a hub of river trade and commerce.
One of the many riverboats ferrying freight and passengers up and down the San Joaquin River, known as the “Mosquito Fleet”.
This seemed a possibility until the Central Pacific Railroad built a line between Martinez and Fresno in 1879, opening up the entire area to rail service. The beginning of the end for San Joaquin City came in 1911, when floods broke through neighboring sloughs and cut new channels, changing the flow patterns of the river, and making it impossible to maintain a navigable channel for the riverboats. The Mosquito Fleet soon ceased operation, cutting off the town’s major source of commerce. Today, the only remnant of San Joaquin City is one of the barns of a nearby farm, which is said to be built from lumber salvaged from one of the hotels.
Please make sure you park fully off the road, and hold any little cachers by the hand. This road can be pretty busy during commute hours, but people tend to drive fast regardless of the time of day. Please be careful and have fun! And thanks for visiting!