2023's top things to do in Manteca, CA There are a lot of things to do in Manteca, CA in 2023. Manteca is an interesting place. In 1861, Joshua Cowell was supposed to have been the city's founder, when it was founded. Apparently, the townspeople wanted both the station and the town to have the same name. Due to existing Cowell Stations in San Joaquin County, Cowell's name wasn't considered. In the end, Monteca was chosen, but officials made a mistake when filing the paperwork.