Our Story

 

 

 

Pacific Tannery, once one of Stockton's major industries, occupied an entire square block of the City.  Charles and Jacob Wagner, both attracted to California from Germany during the Gold Rush, established this business in 1856.  With 100employees, it was to become one of the largest operations of its kind on the West Coast.  The land for the tannery was deeded to the Wagner family by Captain Charles M. Weber, the founder of the City of Stockton.

Leather processed by the Pacific Tannery was shipped to all parts of the United States, as well as Japan and China, for use in making shoes, harnesses, saddles and other leather goods.

 

The tanning industry grew to such an extent in the Orient that it caused a sharp decline in operations at the Pacific Tannery; it ceased operation in 1928.  A new use for some of the original buildings was developed: commodity storage.  Thus the Pacific Storage Company came into being and is now the seventh oldest and eleventh largest Bekins Moving & Storage agent in the United States.

 

Pacific Storage still occupies part of the original tannery site, including a four-story structure at 517 North Hunter Street, now a warehouse for business records storage, with a capacity of well over 100,000 cartons.

 

The Pacific Storage Company was founded with an old truck and a marvelous dream. The old truck is long gone.  The dream is still here.