Stockton's Treasury
BY JUDI HACHMAN
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“Mom! Look at all the neat stuff here!”
“This isn’t ‘stuff.’ These are artifacts that tell a story of our local history in Stockton and San Joaquin County.”
“Did they have mummies in Stockton?”
“No. The Haggin Museum also contains a lovely collection of late-nineteenth and early twentieth century paintings, as well as fascinating ancient arts like this mummy, and lots of history of this area’s first 150 years.”
Sunset magazine referred to the Haggin Museum as “one of the under-sung gems of California.” Founded in 1928 as the San Joaquin Pioneer and Historical Society, its principle mission was to preserve local history.
However, in 1929 the Museum received a $30,000 windfall and the promise of 200 plus paintings from the Haggin family of San Francisco, New York and Paris. James Ben Ali Haggin, his son and daughter-in-law Louis and Blanche Haggin and their daughter Eila Haggin McKee collected landscape, animal and genre paintings by such renowned American and European artists as Albert Bierstadt, Jean Beraud, E.L. Henry and Jean-Leon Gerome. There are about 75 paintings on display at any time.
True to its principles of formation, the Pioneer and California rooms focus on the history of the city of Stockton, its role in the California gold rush and local industrial history. Holt Hall features a huge Holt ‘75’ Caterpillar track-type tractor and a 1904 Haines-Houser combine harvester, both of which were developed in Stockton. Other historical vehicles include a vintage firefighting vehicle and Willy the Jeep, one of the 275 Jeeps donated by students from Stockton High School to World War II military personnel.
The Agricultural and Industrial Archives house documents, drawings, business records and photographs of such historically notable Stockton industries as Holt Manufacturing Company, Stephens Bros., Stockton Iron Works and Tillie Lewis Foods.
The Jennie Hunter rooms evoke memories of life in the Central Valley during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. All the day-to-day treasures of Jennie’s house are displayed just as they were in her ranch home.
A gallery of storefronts recreates the interiors of businesses as they would have been in Stockton around 1900, and includes a Chinese herb shop, general store, blacksmith and saloon.
From its humble beginnings in 1928 as a 14,000 square-foot historical museum, the Haggin Museum has grown to a 45,000 square-foot tribute to the history and culture of Stockton and its environs.
“Well, we’ve seen it all. What did you like the best?”
“There were lots of neat things, not ‘stuff,’ of course, but I think my favorite was Iret-net Hor-irw.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s not a ‘what,’ Mom. It’s a ‘who.’ And it’s the mummy, of course!”
The Haggin Museum
Victory Park-1201 N. Pershing Avenue
209-940-6300
www.hagginmuseum.org
“This isn’t ‘stuff.’ These are artifacts that tell a story of our local history in Stockton and San Joaquin County.”
“Did they have mummies in Stockton?”
“No. The Haggin Museum also contains a lovely collection of late-nineteenth and early twentieth century paintings, as well as fascinating ancient arts like this mummy, and lots of history of this area’s first 150 years.”
Sunset magazine referred to the Haggin Museum as “one of the under-sung gems of California.” Founded in 1928 as the San Joaquin Pioneer and Historical Society, its principle mission was to preserve local history.
However, in 1929 the Museum received a $30,000 windfall and the promise of 200 plus paintings from the Haggin family of San Francisco, New York and Paris. James Ben Ali Haggin, his son and daughter-in-law Louis and Blanche Haggin and their daughter Eila Haggin McKee collected landscape, animal and genre paintings by such renowned American and European artists as Albert Bierstadt, Jean Beraud, E.L. Henry and Jean-Leon Gerome. There are about 75 paintings on display at any time.
True to its principles of formation, the Pioneer and California rooms focus on the history of the city of Stockton, its role in the California gold rush and local industrial history. Holt Hall features a huge Holt ‘75’ Caterpillar track-type tractor and a 1904 Haines-Houser combine harvester, both of which were developed in Stockton. Other historical vehicles include a vintage firefighting vehicle and Willy the Jeep, one of the 275 Jeeps donated by students from Stockton High School to World War II military personnel.
The Agricultural and Industrial Archives house documents, drawings, business records and photographs of such historically notable Stockton industries as Holt Manufacturing Company, Stephens Bros., Stockton Iron Works and Tillie Lewis Foods.
The Jennie Hunter rooms evoke memories of life in the Central Valley during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. All the day-to-day treasures of Jennie’s house are displayed just as they were in her ranch home.
A gallery of storefronts recreates the interiors of businesses as they would have been in Stockton around 1900, and includes a Chinese herb shop, general store, blacksmith and saloon.
From its humble beginnings in 1928 as a 14,000 square-foot historical museum, the Haggin Museum has grown to a 45,000 square-foot tribute to the history and culture of Stockton and its environs.
“Well, we’ve seen it all. What did you like the best?”
“There were lots of neat things, not ‘stuff,’ of course, but I think my favorite was Iret-net Hor-irw.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s not a ‘what,’ Mom. It’s a ‘who.’ And it’s the mummy, of course!”
The Haggin Museum
Victory Park-1201 N. Pershing Avenue
209-940-6300
www.hagginmuseum.org