Charming (Sons of Anarchy)

Approximate location and fictional statistics

According to a sign on the edge of town, Charming's population is 14,679, and the city motto is "Our Name Says It All". Charming covers 22.7 square miles (59 km²) and is located in San Joaquin County, California, in the upper part of the metro triangle, which is bounded by the Bay Area, Stockton, and Sacramento. Show writer Kurt Sutter has stated that he envisions the town as being located between Lodi and Stockton, which would place it near the real-life Census-designated place of Morada, California. At other times in the show, Charming is said to be 50 miles (80 km) from both Oakland and San Jose, and about 30 miles (50 km) from both Stockton and Lodi.

In Season 1, the show's official website gave GPS coordinates for Charming that placed it in the middle of an agricultural field along California SR 12, about 3.75 miles (6.0 km) west of Interstate 5, just under 1 mile north of the road. These coordinates put Charming between Lodi and Rio Vista, California. The website no longer includes this data.

In the Season 5 episode, "Crucified" (at 15:58), the side of the Teller-Morrow truck shows a 95206 zip code, which corresponds with Stockton, and a phone number with a 925 area code.

The town's average high temperature in January is 54 °F (12.2 °C), and the average low is 38 °F (3.3 °C). In July, the average high temperature is 94 °F (34.4 °C), and the average low is 61 °F (16.1 °C).

Fictional history

After the California Gold Rush (1848–1855) brought an influx of population to the region, lumber and agriculture became prominent industries in the area. In 1859, these pioneer settlers decided to establish a town where the ample Redwood country meets the fertile Central Valley. The town was originally named Timberville, but when two railroad land surveyors stopped in the town, one proclaimed it the last "charming" place for a railroad station before the very large, flat central valley. The other declared he had just named it as such. After the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906, the town saw a small influx of settlers who left the Bay Area in search of a simpler, more stable life. In the post-World War II baby boom, housing developers began to purchase several farmsteads and develop them with roads, utilities, and housing. Once-rural orchards and ranches became picturesque middle-class neighborhoods and communities. Some of these neighborhoods include Crestwood, Sellwood, Eastburough, and Buckhead (known today as Sam Crow's Corner). Today, one of the most unusual qualities of Charming is that it's maintained a classic Americana look and structure. It is also rumored to have E Clampus Vitus activity in the early years, but can neither be confirmed nor denied.

The town is rural and largely working middle class. Early industries in Charming included a lumber mill, saw mill, orchards, farming, and cattle ranching. Today, Charming also has an auto manufacturing industry. Oswald Lumber, Oswald Beef, and Oswald Construction are three of the town's predominant companies. Charming has managed to keep out unsightly chains, corporations, and franchises; nearly all of its businesses are local and independent. Local businesses include Floyd's Barber Shop, Hoffman's Pharmacy, Lumpy's Family Restaurant, and Teller-Morrow Automotive Repair. There is one hospital, St. Thomas Hospital. The Charming Cherry is a cultivar that originated in the region and is noted for the contrast between its sweet skin and somewhat tart flesh.

Law enforcement

Charming initially had its own police department headed by 30-year police veteran Chief Wayne Unser. Chief Unser had close ties with the local Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original (SAMCRO). Unser's Deputy Chief, David Hale, a 15-year veteran of the Charming Police Department, was killed in the line of duty during the wake for murdered SAMCRO prospect Half-Sack Epps. After Unser retired, the San Joaquin County Sheriffs Department took responsibility for law enforcement in Charming, and the Charming Police Department became defunct. Lieutenant Eli Roosevelt, a 20-year veteran of the San Joaquin County Sheriffs Department, headed the Department's Charming/Morada Substation until his death in the Season 6 finale (2013). The substation is now being commanded by Lieutenant Althea Jarry.

Sons of Anarchy

One of the notable biker gangs in Northern California is the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club. Sons of Anarchy was formed in 1969 by John Teller and Piney Winston. SOA has become one of the top MCs worldwide, from the United States to Northern Ireland, with the founding chapter in Charming being known as Redwood Original. Soon afterwards, John and a close friend, Clay Morrow, opened up Teller-Morrow Automotive Repair. After John Teller's death in 1993, Clay took over as president of the club, Piney remained vice president until he was diagnosed with emphysema upon which John's oldest son Jax Teller became vice president.

Club matriarch Gemma Teller Morrow, (Jax's mother and John's widow) is considered the queen of Charming, as she does a lot for the community. Soon after John Teller's death in 1993, Clay and Gemma married. After a severe domestic dispute between Gemma and Clay in 2011, they separated. It was later revealed that Clay killed John Teller and Piermont "Piney" Winston. For this, Jax personally stripped Clay's presidential patch.

Following Jax Teller's death on December 8, 2014, club Vice President Filip "Chibs" Telford took over as acting President, naming Alexander "Tig" Trager as the new Vice President. Happy Lowman continues as Sergeant-At-Arms.