City of Manteca

Muralist: Dave Gordon
110 W. Yosemite Ave. "Crossroads" depicts that same intersection of Manteca at the time of its incorporation in 1918.

There were very few Indians living in this area due to the summer heat and little useful vegetation. However, after the Gold Rush started to end many of those 49ers were looking for land so some of them headed south and settled this region in the 1850s. In 1861 Joshua Cowell created his family farm of 1,000 acres, which when the city was incorporated in 1918, was most of the town. Joshua Cowell, owning most of the land, became the first mayor. Access to the railroad brought more people to the region so that by 1910 Manteca had about 100 residents. Manteca experience steady but small growth throughout the 20th century. However, in the 1990s Manteca's population boomed because many of those who worked in the San Francisco bay area chose to move here where they could buy bigger home for cheaper prices. By 2000, Manteca had a population of about 50,000. However, due to the recent economic and housing slump the population has slowed down dramatically.

Based on statistics from 2007

Total Population: 60,918
Males: 50.4% of the total population
Female: 49.6% of the total population
19 years old and under: 34.7%
55 years old and over: 16.2%
Median age is 31.8 years

Unemployment rate: 4.6%
Mean travel time to work: 33.1 minutes
Household Income less than $25,000: 16.8%
Household Income between $25,000 and $75,000: 45.6%
Household Income more than $75,000: 37.6%
Median household income: $59,585

As a suburb of a suburb, Manteca lies on the border that separates city from nature. The city is only a few minutes from the peaceful beauty of Mother Nature and is the last major city before heading to Yosemite National Park.

Caswell Memorial State Park:
Often overshadowed by Yosemite National Park, Caswell offers a more local and less crowded opportunity for nature enjoyment. The park started in 1958 after a landowner by the name of Thomas Caswell fell in love with the beauty of the woods and wanted to preserve it for future generations. The park contains a forest of Valley Riparian Oak and is home to the Riparian Brush Rabbit, both of which are a rare species that can only be found in this region. The Stanislaus River runs through the Park and is home to bass, catfish, and crappie-making the Park a good place for fishing. Birdwatchers also enjoy the area, as many diverse birds (sparrows, wrens, thrushes, thrashers, and songbirds) find a home in the Oak Forest. A great place for family and youth, the park includes campgrounds, swimming areas, and junior ranger programs. The Park also contains a number of nature trails, a good alternative for children not ready for the more rigorous Yosemite National Park. Easy to get to, the Park is located just outside of Manteca. It is open all year long with temperature highs in the summer ranging from 90-100 F and in the winter ranging from 50-60 F. Visit the website Caswell Memorial State Park.

The California Delta:
Manteca is located on the very southern edge of the California Delta. The Delta is 1,000 miles of waterways that flow down from the Sacramento area west to the Bay Area or south to Stockton. The delta provides lots of opportunities for outdoor recreation that includes but is not limited to boating, sailing, canoeing, kayaking, eco-tours, fishing, waterskiing, bird watching, and camping. The area features a rich history of small delta towns and includes the largest estate in Northern California, the Historic Grand Island Mansion and Spa which is open for tours and its famous Sunday Brunch. For more information contact the California Delta Chambers & Visitors Bureau online at California Delta or call 916-777-4041.

Stanislaus River Parks
The river stretches from the Sierra Nevada foothills to the San Joaquin River, a distance over 20 miles and includes 9 developed parks located along the river. Historic Knights Ferry is the center of the activity featuring a 330 foot covered bridge and is the launch point for river rafting. Apart from rafting, visitors can also camp, hike, picnic, fish, and bird watch. The peaceful beauty provides an opportunity for visitors to relax and get away from the city life without the long drive from home. For more information about the park visit Stanislaus River Parks or call 209-881-3517. The Stanislaus River is a great opportunity for rafting of different skill levels. Children as young as 5 are able to participate at the Beginners level. For more information about rafting contact either Sunshine Rafting Adventure (online at www.raftadventure.com or call 1-800-829-7238) or River Journey (online at www.riverjourney.com or call 1-800-292-2938).

Woodward Reservoir
A 30 minute drive from Manteca, the Woodward Reservoir outside of Oakdale provides lots of outdoor opportunities for lake-minded people. On top of the traditional camping, swimming and fishing, other activities include water/jet skiing, waterfowl hunting, radio control airplane flying, and especially windsurfing. Open all year long, the site is good place to view a variety of wildlife and enjoy the outdoors. For more information call 209-847-3304 or go online to Stanislaus County.

Throughout the year Manteca offers a number of different events that appeal to groups of all ages and they offer it in a small town way. What they lack in glitz and glamour they make up for in authentic fresh experiences. Here is a short list of just some of the events they offer annually:

-Crossroads Street Fair
-Woman's Connection
-Farmers Market
-AG Tour
-Senior Games

...and of course our famous Pumpkin Fair. With a claim to the title of "Pumpkin Capital of the World" every year Manteca honors the orange squash with the same reverence and love of Linus as he waits all night for "The Great Pumpkin." Every year, on the first weekend in October, Manteca holds its annual Pumpkin Fair. Some of the activities include a pumpkin carving contest, a seed spitting contest, a pumpkin recipe contest, a pumpkin rolling contest, and of course a pumpkin pie eating contest. Definitely something worth experiencing at least once.

For more information about the Pumpkin Fair or other events in Manteca visit www.visitmanteca.org or call the Manteca CVB at #209-823-7229 or long distance at #877-998-2739

Every Tuesday night during the summer (June-August) from 4:30-7:30pm, Manteca hosts its annual Farmers Market. This event highlights the local farmers in the community as well as other local small businesses. It gives people the opportunity to support the local community and to get outside and be with friends and family. Located in downtown Manteca at the Library, the event is something the whole family can enjoy. There is a water fountain that kids can play in and cool off, then shop at the vendors and enjoy some local musical entertainment, eat dinner, and check out some books from the Library before calling it a night. A great summer tradition! Below are some pictures from the event.

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