Stockton Developmental Center

For nearly a century and a half, people who died here were buried on these grounds without names. The 2007 stone by the pond honors them, at the institution the state opened in 1853 as its first insane asylum, on land half given by Charles Weber, and closed in 1996. When part of the grounds became a California State University campus, the remains of forty-two people were dug up and reburied at Stockton Rural Cemetery. The stone's second line asks that no one again be removed from the community for disability.

What the plaque says

Stockton Developmental Center The Stockton Developmental Center was established in 1853 as the Insane Asylum of California, the first of several state asylums. Stockton's founder, Charles M. Weber, donated half of the 100 acre site. It was one of the first facilities of its kind in the western U.S. and played a major role in developing California's mental health system. In the early 1970's, the focus of the center shifted from treating patients with mental disabilities to training people with developmental disabilities. This served to spearhead the movement to provide services outside the institutional setting. The Stockton Developmental Center was closed in 1996. California Registered Historical Landmark No. 1016 Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the Stockton Developmental Center, State Department of Developmental Services, May 17, 1996. In honor and memory of those who died and were buried anonymously on the grounds of the institution that stood on this site between 1852 and 1996. Let no person ever again be removed from the community by reason of disability. California Memorial Project 2007

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Temple Israel Cemetery — 0.4 mi
• Lindsay Point — 0.6 mi
• Weber Point — 0.7 mi
• John Brown (California's Paul Revere) — 0.8 mi