Stockton Map
Stockton is a city in and the county seat of Rooks County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,329.
Stockton was founded in 1872. Several of the earliest settlers were cattle dealers and they named their new home Stocktown, or as it soon became Stockton. Stockton is located on the natural trail up the valley of the South Solomon River and where the military supply trail from Fort Kearney, Nebraska, to Fort Hays, Kansas, crossed the South Solomon River. Stockton survived & grew during the thirteen years from founding until the arrival of the railroad in 1885. Stockton, Kansas was the home of George W. Beebe, who also erected the first house and opened the first stock of goods. He came onto the town site in June, 1872. Other settlers were S.C. Smith, who built the first frame house, bringing his lumber by team from a distance of 150 miles; Joseph McNulty, Marvin and Lynn Randall - the Randalls built in 1872 the large stone business house on Main street.
Stockton was featured in British author Tony Parker's 1989 book Bird, Kansas in which he transcribed tape recorded interviews with local residents.
Nearby cities include Plainville, Alton, Kirwin, Damar.