Many of the materials in this collection are personal papers of F. Joseph Dietrich, or his son, F. J. Jr.. They represent both their involvement with the Stockton Terminal and Eastern Railroad and their real estate activities during the period in which their company was known as Dietrich & Leistner (1915-1931) and the F.J. Dietrich Co. (1932-). The papers consist of correspondence, financial records, advertising copy, maps, and, above all, real estate documents--deeds, mortgages, leases, etc. As such, they provide a substantial resource for students of real estate development in California and of the history of Stockton.

Under various company names, Eugene M. Grunsky, George W. Leistner, F. Joseph Dietrich and his sons bought, developed and sold real estate in Stockton and San Joaquin county, California between 1889 and the present. Their companies dealt equally in agricultural, commercial, and residential properties, but they were particularly active in the residential development of east and north Stockton during the early 1920s.

Collection is open for research.