Department of Mental Hygiene - Stockton State Hospital

Administrative History

Stockton State Hospital first opened its doors in 1851. Established just one year after the California entered the United States, and just a few years after the Gold Rush, state lawmakers worked to create a hospital that would provide general care to the tremendous number of residents that had recently moved into the northern regions of the state. Though Stockton served as an effective general hospital in its early years, lawmakers soon realized that citizens with mental health concerns also needed proper facilities.

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