Lodi is best known for wine grape production, although its vintages have historically been less prestigious than those of Sonoma and Napa counties. However, in recent years, the Lodi Appellation has become increasingly respected for its Zinfandel and other eclectic wine varietals, along with its focus on sustainability under the Lodi Rules program.[10] National recognition came from the Creedence Clearwater Revival song "Lodi" and continued with the "2015 Wine Region of the Year" award given to Lodi by Wine Enthusiast magazine.[11]
History
When a group of local families decided to establish a school in 1859, they settled on a site near present-day Cherokee Lane and Turner Road. In 1869, the Central Pacific Railroad was in the process of creating a new route, and pioneer settlers Ezekiel Lawrence, Reuben Wardrobe, A. C. Ayers, and John Magley offered a townsite of 160 acres (0.65 km2) to the railroad as an incentive to build a station there. The railroad received a "railroad reserve" of 12 acres (49,000 m2) in the middle of town, and surveyors began laying out streets in the area between Washington to Church and Locust to Walnut. Settlers flocked from nearby Woodbridge, Liberty City, and Galt, including town founders John M. Burt and Dan Crist.[12]: 31
Initially called Mokelumne and Mokelumne Station after the nearby river, confusion with other nearby towns prompted a name change, which was officially endorsed in Sacramento by an assembly bill. Several stories have been offered about the origins of the town's name change. One refers to a locally stabled trotting horse that had set a four-mile (6 km) record, but as the horse reached the peak of its fame in 1869, it is unlikely that its notoriety would still have been evident in 1873. Alternatively, Lodi is a city in northern Italy where Napoleondefeated the Austrians in 1796 and won his first military victory. More than likely, some of the earliest settler families were from Lodi, Illinois, and they chose to use the same name as their hometown.[12]: 32
In 1906, the city was officially incorporated by voters, passing by a margin of 2 to 1. The fire department was established in 1911, and the city purchased the Bay City Gas and Water Works in 1919. Additional public buildings constructed during this period include the Lodi Opera House in 1905, a Carnegie library in 1909, and a hospital in 1915.[12]: 35
Lodi gained international attention in 2005 when local residents Hamid and Umer Hayat were arrested and charged in the first terrorism trial in the state of California. In 2019, a judge recommended his conviction be overturned, citing an ineffective legal defense for Hayat, who was defended by a lawyer who had never previously served in a criminal case in a federal court.[13] The recommendation also cites a coerced confession obtained by the FBI, which one former agent described as the "sorriest confession" he had ever seen.[14]
There were 22,097 households, out of which 8,462 (38.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 10,952 (49.6%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 2,917 (13.2%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,389 (6.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,530 (6.9%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 105 (0.5%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 5,547 households (25.1%) were made up of individuals, and 2,567 (11.6%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78. There were 15,258 families (69.1% of all households); the average family size was 3.35.
The population was spread out, with 17,282 people (27.8%) under the age of 18, 5,863 people (9.4%) aged 18 to 24, 15,931 people (25.6%) aged 25 to 44, 14,681 people (23.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 8,377 people (13.5%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males.
There were 23,792 housing units at an average density of 1,721.0 per square mile (664.5/km2), of which 12,091 (54.7%) were owner-occupied, and 10,006 (45.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 8.2%. 32,153 people (51.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 29,304 people (47.2%) lived in rental housing units. The Census reported that 61,457 people (98.9% of the population) lived in households, 187 (0.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 490 (0.8%) were institutionalized.
There were approximately 4,336 adults who hadn't passed ninth grade, 5,175 with some high school education, 8,910 who had completed a high school education only, 8,367 with some college, 2,777 with an associate degree; People with a bachelor's degree numbered 3,797; those with a graduate degree, 1,685. Seventy-nine percent of the population had a high school diploma or higher.[16]
Geography
Lodi is flat terrain at an elevation of approximately 50 feet (15 m) above mean sea level datum.[17] Historically, land in the area has been used for grazing as well as for grain production.[18]
There has long been a movement in the area to preserve a "greenbelt" as a buffer zone between Lodi and Stockton in order to keep the two cities separate.[19]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city covers an area of 13.8 square miles (36 km2), 98.46% of it land, and 1.54% of it water.
Climate
Lodi has cool, wet winters, often characterized by dense ground fog, and hot, dry summers with a considerably higher degree of diurnal temperature variation than in winter. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Lodi has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa). Due to the city's proximity to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, summer temperatures usually dip into the fifties at night. Fog and low overcast sometimes drifts in from San Francisco Bay during the summer and it can be breezy at times, especially at night.
Average January temperatures are a maximum of 55 °F (13 °C) and a minimum of 37 °F (3 °C). Average July temperatures are a maximum of 91 °F (33 °C) and a minimum of 57 °F (14 °C). There are an average of 65.3 days with highs of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher and an average of 30.5 days with lows of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower. The record high temperature was 111 °F (44 °C) on June 15, 1961. The record low temperature was 11 °F (−12 °C) on January 11, 1949.
Annual precipitation averages 18 in (46 cm), falling on an average of 59 days. The wettest year was 1983 with 35.4 in (90 cm) and the driest year was 1976 with 7.18 in (18.2 cm). The most rainfall in one month was 15.01 in (38.1 cm) in January 1911. The most rainfall in 24 hours was 3.76 in (9.6 cm) on December 11, 1906. Snow is very rare in Lodi, but 1.5 in (3.8 cm) fell on January 12, 1930. January is the wettest month.[20]
Climate data for Lodi, California (averages 1980–2010, records 1893–present)
Signs point the way to various vineyards in Lodi, California
Early industries in Lodi included a sawmill, flour mill, vineyards, orchards, and cattle ranching.
The Lodi Land and Lumber Company sawmill was built on the south bank of the Mokelumne River in 1877, and relied on logs floated down from the Sierra during the rainy season. The mill was powered by a steam engine and had a capacity of 40,000 board feet (94 m3) per day.[12]: 32
The "Flame Tokay" grape was introduced from Algeria in 1857 and was a central feature of the vineyards that gradually rose to prominence because of the sandy loam soil and the location directly east of the Suisun Pass. Local Marvin Nies used old flame tokay vines located on property farmed by Malcolm Lea to create, in conjunction with U.C. Davis plant breeding specialists, the seedless Tokay. Malcolm Lea, a co-founder of Guild Winery and East-Side Winery, sold substantial quantities of crushed grapes to Inglenook and other older Napa wineries, as well as truckloads of crushed grapes to San Francisco restaurants that made their own "house" wines. For a brief period during the late 19th century, the vines were usurped in favor of watermelons and wheat, but price cuts and labeling problems encouraged farmers to plant more vines.[clarification needed][12]: 35
The early 20th century saw the establishment of several large manufacturers and general service providers with national distribution capabilities, such as Supermold, the Pinkerton Foundry, Lodi Truck Service, the Lodi Iron Works, Pacific Coast Producers, Holz Rubber Company, Valley Industries, General Mills, and Goehring Meat Company.[12]: 35-36
Today, the Lodi area is home to several large manufacturing, general services, and agricultural companies, including Archer Daniels Midland, Blue Shield of California, Dart Container, Holz Rubber Company, Kubota Tractors, Lodi Iron Works, Miller Packing Company, Pacific Coast Producers, Tiger Lines, Ag Industrial Manufacturing, Inc. (AIM), and Woodbridge-Robert Mondavi.[22]
Lodi is the birthplace of A&W Root Beer and A&W Restaurants, established in 1919, which subsequently became one of the first franchised fast food restaurants.[23]
Top employers
According to the city's 2021 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[24] the top employers in the city were:
Lodi the birthplace of A&W Root Beer since 1919Collectables at the A&W restaurant in Lodi, California
Lodi is the birthplace of A&W Root Beer, the first batch of which was made in 1919 on a hot dog cart during a parade. The spot where Roy W. Allen sold his root beer is now marked with a plaque. It is now sold in cans and bottles throughout the US, as well as in a chain of American restaurants. Lodi's A&W restaurant features a vast collection of A&W novelties.[citation needed]
Farmers market
The Farmers Market is held every Thursday evening from May 18 through September 1 (as of 2016) on School Street in Downtown Lodi. It is hosted and run by the Lodi Chamber of Commerce. It offers a large collection of fresh produce as well as baked goods, crafts, food vendors, and live entertainment.[25]
Grapes and wine
Lodi and its surroundings are well known for the cultivation of grapes and production of wine. There are many vineyards in Lodi with century-old grapevines, some going into California wines like Bedrock and Turley. Starting in the early 20th century, and right up to the early 1980s, Lodi promoted itself as the "Tokay Capital of the World" due to the abundance of the Flame Tokay variety[26] in the area.[27] Nowadays there are over 100 different grape varieties planted in the Lodi AVA in over 113,000 acres (46,000 ha) of vineyards. The town is surrounded by grapevines and the police cars have grape bunches painted on the sides of them. Winegrape culture pervades the town, with many business, street, and school names relating to the industry.
With the replacement by other varietals, primarily Zinfandel, Lodi is recognized for the old vine Zinfandel.[28] Lodi's growth as a premium winegrape producer and awarded wine region is largely due to the formation of the Lodi Winegrape Commission in 1991, five years after the appellation was formed.[29] In 1991, winegrape growers decided to self-impose a tax on their grapes to fund the commission, which now boasts seven full-time staff members and several volunteer committees focused on education, research, and marketing of the region's winegrapes. In 1992, the commission launched a grape Integrated Pest Management Program which has become California's original winegrape sustainability program, known as Lodi Rules.[30] In 2014, the rigorous, third-party certified Lodi Rules Sustainability Program was awarded the Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Award.[31] In 2015, Lodi was named Wine Region of the Year by Wine Enthusiast magazine.[32] The Wine Bloggers Conference of 2016 brought over 300 wine bloggers to the area, where attendees filled the Internet with compliments about the small-town hospitality of Lodi's approachable, authentic winegrowing community.[33]
Every September the Lodi Grape Festival is held and includes rides, food, and wine tasting. The Wine & Food Festival (formerly known as the Spring Wine Show, held in late March/early April, so as not to coincide with Easter every year) also showcases the area's 50-plus wineries. Beginning in 2016 there will also be a Beer Fest showcasing IPA and other types of beer along with food and music.[34]
Museums
Japanese Garden in Micke Grove Regional Park
The Hill House Museum, a restored Queen Anne Victorian built around 1901 for an early, skilled jeweler/watchmaking Lodian, George Hill, contains historical exhibits relating to the history of the town, including the house's original furniture.[35]
World of Wonders, a downtown science museum modeled after the San Francisco Exploratorium, features interactive science exhibits, classrooms, and a retail store.[36] The museum first opened on January 4, 2009.[37]
Theater
Downtown Lodi 12 Cinema Theater - panoramio
Changing Faces Theater Company is a non-profit, student-run organization that is supported by the Lodi Arts Commission. An annual two-week production occurs each summer and is cast with mostly local children ranging from age six up to college students and, sometimes, a few adults. The production is normally staged at Jessie's Grove Winery, where a number of additional activities are typically held at the same time.[38]
Lodi Musical Theater Company is also prominent in the Lodi theater community, staging shows at Hutchins Street Square such as West Side Story and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
From the 1970s to the late 1990s, Lodi was also home to the "Tokay Players," a group of local actors, directors, set builders etc. who had no professional experience, but put on dozens of productions over the period.
Zinfest
Vineyard in Lodi, California.
Conceived in 2005 by the Lodi Winegrape Commission, this wine event is held at Lodi Lake and features Lodi's finest Zinfandel wines.[39] Usually held on the third weekend of May, this event includes a Friday-night dinner called "Vintner's Grille".
As of 2020, Zinfest was renamed to RowXRow, but the 2020 festival was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Transportation
Lodi Amtrak station
The City of Lodi operates the Lodi GrapeLine local bus service.[40]
A Creedence Clearwater Revival song, "Lodi", was named for Lodi, California, although the songwriter John Fogerty admits he had never actually visited the city and simply thought it was "the coolest sounding name."[42]
The opening scene from the film, Cool Hand Luke, where Paul Newman was cutting the parking meters, was shot in Lodi.[43]
Lodi was featured by Huell Howser in Road Trip Episode 144.[44] Lodi is also often mentioned in the FX show, Sons of Anarchy. The show takes place in the fictional town of "Charming", which is said to neighbor Lodi.[45]
^ abcdefHillman, Raymond W.; Covello, Leonard (1985). Cities and Towns of San Joaquin County since 1847. Fresno, CA: Panorama West Books. ISBN978-0-914330-84-4.
