This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Boles; Buren; Edwards; Campbell; Deveney; Wenstrom Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/AY.2ADE/145.2 Message Board Post: The Stockton State Hospital/Asylum is no longer in use. It closed about 1990. The records are held at the Calif State Archives. They are considered medical records, and are not released except to a physician. I have tired & so have others to get these released, with little success. I have a request in to the City of Stockton, and Sen. Barbara Matthews for help in this matter (BMatthews referred me back to Stockton). There is a State Hospital cemetery that was never properly abandoned. This cemetery still contains over 3,500 inmates from the old State Hospital. The last date of use was 1919. After that date the dead were sent to Stockton Rural, Parkview, or Lodi Memorial cemeteries. A few were sent to French Camp. If you have an ancestor who died between 1875-1919 & you know they died at the Stockton State Hospital (this was a STATE facility, so folks from all over Calif were housed here) I would love to know about it... especially if you can't find where your pers! on was buried. The Stockton, San Joaquin county, CA federal census lists the entire staff & inmates of the State hospital at the end of the Stockton section. I have 1860 (lists reason for commital), 1900. I have not gotten to the 1870-80 & 1910 yet, as I am primarilly interested in getting a monument and proper recognition for this old cemetery. It was 15 acres, with 5 acres known to house the dead. There is bu 1.39 acres left unused, the rest of the 5 acres has several buildings & parking lots on them. There was an error in zoning, so they were allowed to build on the property in error. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~mcampbel/Calif/ will take you to more information on this old cemetery, including photos of what little is left. Marge