I recall that scenes for the movie Dead Man on Campus (released in 1998) were filmed at UOP. Local people were used as extras and had to wear winter jackets, etc. even though it was filmed during the summer.

Ruth Wright

Check out UOP or Pacific’s list of movies filmed at College of the Pacific when film makers wanted the look of an eastern college. I remember the ones from the 1960′s. It was a big deal that some movie stars were staying and filming here in Stockton like Bing Crosby.

I remember meeting George Kennedy at the Islander, which was on the corner of Pacific Ave. and Benjamin Holt Dr. when he was filming Cool Hand Luke with Paul Newman. A group of us went out to see the filming one night, but it was a closed set outside of Stockton. There are more when I checked out the internet (movies filmed in Stockton).

Patti Williams

In reading your list of movies filmed in San Joaquin County, you neglected to mentioning the movie with Peter Fonda called “Dirty Mary and Crazy Larry. One of the chase scenes took place on Comstock Road in Linden. The film crew spent some time cutting partially through a telephone pole. When Peter’s Fonda’s car struck the telephone pole in the movie it fell easily.

Betty Mathis

I think another local movie, in the late 50s, was the forgettable “God’s Little Acre”. Also, I think “Oklahoma Crude” was filmed in part on the Ospital Ranch east of Stockton. At UOP, I think Bing Crosby was in a movie called “High Times.”

Gary Christopherson

Hi Leigh,

I admit that I have never thought about mining in our county either! Your blog got me to thinking.

I am pretty sure I remember gold dredging refuse in the Mokelumne near the bridge at Clements. I guess that was the down-steam limit for finding gold.

Carnegie is obvious. But more coal was found further up Corral Hollow canyon at Tesla in Alameda County. A road was built down the canyon into our county and on to the former town of Wickland, that was the shipping point. Wickland was later abandoned and coal was sent to Ellis to be used/shipped by R.R. (Ellis soon died as operations moved to the new town of Tracy). This coal source led to the forming of a briquette factory in Stockton. It was the first successful briquette factory in the U.S. The briquettes greatly improved the quality of the coal and became popular for home use at the time (around 1900, I think).

A big item is (or was) natural gas. There were huge fields in the Delta, particularly Union Island and Roberts Island, but they are depleted now. One depleted field was used as storage at one time. Maybe it still is.

Of course, there is still sand and gravel. Not a sexy subject.

That’s from the top of my head. But mining is an interesting thought……..

Bob Shellenberger