TIMELINE OF LODI, CALIFORNIA, HISTORY
This timeline of Lodi history was compiled by Alane K. Dashner of the Lodi Historical Society using LHS newsletters and other resources listed on this website.
1844 - While traveling the Sutter's Fort-San José Trail John C. Frémont from Georgia crosses the Mokelumne River at the future site of Staples Ferry/Harmony Grove Church. The Trail will be renamed Upper Sacramento Road and now is called Tretheway Road.
1846 - Thomas Pyle, probably from Missouri, with his wife and two children set up a homestead where Frémont had crossed the Mokelumne River.
1848 - Miwok begin interacting with American miners, first as miners themselves and later as they are crowded from their home territory and killed.
1850 - On September 28, 1850, the United States enacts the Arkansas Swamp Lands Act. This legislation deeded to the states, including California, title to all the swamp and overflowed lands.
1850 - John Laird sells his new ferry near the old Pyle homestead to David Staples from Massachusetts and William Nichols. The ferry becomes known as Staples Ferry.
1850 - Brothers Roswell, George, and James Sargent arrive from New Hampshire and begin farming barley, wheat and cattle on the future sites of Woodbridge and Lodi.
1851 - George Kettleman from Germany drives a huge herd of cattle and horses from Missouri into the Central Valley.
1852 - Jeremiah Woods from Indiana arrives at the future site of Woodbridge.
1852 - Henderson School opens at the site of Ham St and Armstrong Road.
1853 - Chinese begin arriving in Lodi.
1853 - Elkhorn Township, including Lodi, is created and Lower Sacramento Rd brought through Woodbridge.
1855 - American farmers and Chinese woodcutters begin chopping down the vast stands of oak trees along the Mokelumne River to plant wheat.
1858 - George West from Massachusetts becomes the county's first vintner when he opens El Piñal Winery north of Stockton.
1859 - The one-room Salem Schoolhouse is built near the site of Wilhelm's Ferry, a drawbridge at a point 500 feet east of the present 99 highway (Cherokee Lane) and about the same distance south of the Mokelumne River on the Ezekiel Lawrence property.
1860 - Woodbridge attempts to secede from San Joaquin County.
1861 - The 1861 law provides for the organization of reclamation districts (called “swamp land districts” at that time) and created the State Board of Swamp Land Commissioners to oversee them.
1861 - John H. Pope, captain of the 28-wagon Pope wagon train, arrives with five other families and his wife, Jane, and all of their adult children and their families. Benjamin and Rebecca Pope had four children. Thomas J. Pope and his Indian wife, Mournine West, had seven children. Sarah (Eddlemon) Pope, the widow of Robert Pope, also was in the wagon train with her 10 children. They settle a short distance southwest of today's Lodi Lake.
1861 - Harmony Grove Church opens at Staples Ferry. Edward Tretheway and family, from New Harmony, Indiana, attend church regularly and help name it.
1862 - The Great Flood of 1862 - Mr. Sargent sails and rows from Stockton to the Sargent ranch in Woodbridge. Jeremiah Wood's bridge washes away, the steamship Pert sails from San Francisco to Lockeford.
1865 - The Andres Pico land grant controversy is settled in favor of American settlers.
1865? - First telegraph installed in Lodi.
1867 - Woodbridge CA wheat wins first prize at the Paris World's Fair.
1868 - The Salem School building is moved to the northeast corner of Lodi Avenue and Stockton Street.
1869 - A second bridge is built across the Mokelumne at Cherokee Gravel Rd, this one for horses and wagons.
1869 - On August 25 (Founders Day) the Mokelumne town plat is recorded at the San Joaquin County Courthouse.
1869 - Railroads: 4 Lodi farmers -- Allen Ayers, Ezekiel Lawrence from Canada, John Magley from Switzerland, and R.L. Wardrobe -- make a deal with Central Pacific Railroad to give 12 acres and every odd lot in return for the railroad line and town platt.
1869 - Charles Oscar Ivory from New York brings his store from Woodbridge to the northwest corner of Pine and Sacramento Streets. Miners begin using Lodi as winter camp, for provisions.
1871 - The Spencer House hotel opens at the southwest corner of Sacramento and Pine Streets. Its name later changes to the Sargent House and then to the Lodi Hotel.
1871 - Union Church for all Christian denominations except Mormons opens at the northwest corner of Oak and School Streets, burns down 1 day later.
1873 - Lodi Grange No. 92 forms, Lodi's first social organization for men.
1874 - The town's name changes from "Mokelumne" to "Lodi."
1875 - Italians begin arriving in Lodi.
1876 - First musical band, "Lodi Silvertones Cornet Band," begins playing.
1876 - Land dispute between the railroad and American settlers is decided in favor of the settlers, grand celebration at Wardrobe's Park (now Hale Park).
1876 - The Lodi Flouring Mill and Warehouse begins grinding in a brick building at the southwest corner of Main and Locust.
1876 - The Lodi Mill and Warehouse Co. builds the three-story flouring mi1l on Main Street at Locust Street. Ralph Ellis built the plant for $30,000. George S. Locke held the mortgage and leased the plant to Stockton's Sperry and Co.
This timeline of Lodi history was compiled by Alane K. Dashner of the Lodi Historical Society using LHS newsletters and other resources listed on this website.
1844 - While traveling the Sutter's Fort-San José Trail John C. Frémont from Georgia crosses the Mokelumne River at the future site of Staples Ferry/Harmony Grove Church. The Trail will be renamed Upper Sacramento Road and now is called Tretheway Road.
1846 - Thomas Pyle, probably from Missouri, with his wife and two children set up a homestead where Frémont had crossed the Mokelumne River.
1848 - Miwok begin interacting with American miners, first as miners themselves and later as they are crowded from their home territory and killed.
1850 - On September 28, 1850, the United States enacts the Arkansas Swamp Lands Act. This legislation deeded to the states, including California, title to all the swamp and overflowed lands.
1850 - John Laird sells his new ferry near the old Pyle homestead to David Staples from Massachusetts and William Nichols. The ferry becomes known as Staples Ferry.
1850 - Brothers Roswell, George, and James Sargent arrive from New Hampshire and begin farming barley, wheat and cattle on the future sites of Woodbridge and Lodi.
1851 - George Kettleman from Germany drives a huge herd of cattle and horses from Missouri into the Central Valley.
1852 - Jeremiah Woods from Indiana arrives at the future site of Woodbridge.
1852 - Henderson School opens at the site of Ham St and Armstrong Road.
1853 - Chinese begin arriving in Lodi.
1853 - Elkhorn Township, including Lodi, is created and Lower Sacramento Rd brought through Woodbridge.
1855 - American farmers and Chinese woodcutters begin chopping down the vast stands of oak trees along the Mokelumne River to plant wheat.
1858 - George West from Massachusetts becomes the county's first vintner when he opens El Piñal Winery north of Stockton.
1859 - The one-room Salem Schoolhouse is built near the site of Wilhelm's Ferry, a drawbridge at a point 500 feet east of the present 99 highway (Cherokee Lane) and about the same distance south of the Mokelumne River on the Ezekiel Lawrence property.
1860 - Woodbridge attempts to secede from San Joaquin County.
1861 - The 1861 law provides for the organization of reclamation districts (called “swamp land districts” at that time) and created the State Board of Swamp Land Commissioners to oversee them.
1861 - John H. Pope, captain of the 28-wagon Pope wagon train, arrives with five other families and his wife, Jane, and all of their adult children and their families. Benjamin and Rebecca Pope had four children. Thomas J. Pope and his Indian wife, Mournine West, had seven children. Sarah (Eddlemon) Pope, the widow of Robert Pope, also was in the wagon train with her 10 children. They settle a short distance southwest of today's Lodi Lake.
1861 - Harmony Grove Church opens at Staples Ferry. Edward Tretheway and family, from New Harmony, Indiana, attend church regularly and help name it.
1862 - The Great Flood of 1862 - Mr. Sargent sails and rows from Stockton to the Sargent ranch in Woodbridge. Jeremiah Wood's bridge washes away, the steamship Pert sails from San Francisco to Lockeford.
1865 - The Andres Pico land grant controversy is settled in favor of American settlers.
1865? - First telegraph installed in Lodi.
1867 - Woodbridge CA wheat wins first prize at the Paris World's Fair.
1868 - The Salem School building is moved to the northeast corner of Lodi Avenue and Stockton Street.
1869 - A second bridge is built across the Mokelumne at Cherokee Gravel Rd, this one for horses and wagons.
1869 - On August 25 (Founders Day) the Mokelumne town plat is recorded at the San Joaquin County Courthouse.
1869 - Railroads: 4 Lodi farmers -- Allen Ayers, Ezekiel Lawrence from Canada, John Magley from Switzerland, and R.L. Wardrobe -- make a deal with Central Pacific Railroad to give 12 acres and every odd lot in return for the railroad line and town platt.
1869 - Charles Oscar Ivory from New York brings his store from Woodbridge to the northwest corner of Pine and Sacramento Streets. Miners begin using Lodi as winter camp, for provisions.
1871 - The Spencer House hotel opens at the southwest corner of Sacramento and Pine Streets. Its name later changes to the Sargent House and then to the Lodi Hotel.
1871 - Union Church for all Christian denominations except Mormons opens at the northwest corner of Oak and School Streets, burns down 1 day later.
1873 - Lodi Grange No. 92 forms, Lodi's first social organization for men.
1874 - The town's name changes from "Mokelumne" to "Lodi."
1875 - Italians begin arriving in Lodi.
1876 - First musical band, "Lodi Silvertones Cornet Band," begins playing.
1876 - Land dispute between the railroad and American settlers is decided in favor of the settlers, grand celebration at Wardrobe's Park (now Hale Park).
1876 - The Lodi Flouring Mill and Warehouse begins grinding in a brick building at the southwest corner of Main and Locust.
1876 - The Lodi Mill and Warehouse Co. builds the three-story flouring mi1l on Main Street at Locust Street. Ralph Ellis built the plant for $30,000. George S. Locke held the mortgage and leased the plant to Stockton's Sperry and Co.