The History of Stockton Wheel Service

During the late 1800's, The Holt Family owned a wagon and wagon wheel manufacturing business in New England. One of the Holt brothers came to San Francisco and opened a business which included the manufacturing of wagon wheels. Those wheels assembled in San Francisco's moist climate soon fell apart in the heat of the San Joaquin Valley.

In 1883 the business was moved to Stockton, California, where the dryer climate allowed for the production of sturdy wheels, which became famous for their durability. The new business earned a nationwide reputation for outstanding quality and innovation, building strong, dependable wheels and developing solutions for special applications.


In 1892, The Company was incorporated as Holt Manufacturing Company and Stockton Wheel Company on the corner of Aurora and Church. As Holt Manufacturing grew, the wheel business was continued as a side line and stayed in the Holt family until 1932, When Robert Nephew purchased the business and moved it to Miner Avenue.

The business moved to Fremont Street in 1941. James Barry purchased the business in 1954, and sold it to Roger Kitto in 1957. In 1975 the business moved to the present location at 648 W. Fremont Street. Finally, the business was purchased by Frank Mauro, Jr., in 1977.

Since its founding, the company has fabricated wheels for almost every corner of the world. From small cart wheels, to giant industrial and agricultural wheels. Wheels for NASA's Space Shuttle, the movie and entertainment industry, and of course, custom wheels for hot rods and cars.

Stockton Wheel has come to symbolize ingenuity and dependability. It has earned national and international respect as the leader in its field, as seen from its exposure in widely read hot-rod magazines such as Hot Rod, American Rodder, Rod and Custom, Custom Classic Truck, Truckin' 4WD and Off Road, Four Wheeler, and Sport Compact Car. Memorabilia from Stockton Wheel Service can even be found in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C.

If you're anywhere near the Stockton area, it's worth a trip to go by and see this unique shop. You get a real sense of history. Stockton Wheel Service is the country's oldest operating wheelwright, and has been in business continually for over 120 years.

If you're building a street rod or "restoring" some street muscle, you owe it to yourself to give Stockton Wheel a call. You don't have to settle for the wrong wheels just because they're close to right. After all, 120 years of wheel manufacturing and fabrication does give you some expertise.