The Modesto Arch is a centennial slogan arch, built in 1912, to welcome automobile drivers to Modesto, California where it currently stands at the intersection of 9th and I Streets. The arch bears the city's motto, "Water, Wealth, Contentment, Health", illuminated by 696 incandescent lightbulbs .
48-491: The Modesto Bee is a California newspaper. It has about 70 employees and is delivered throughout central California, reaching places such as Modesto , Turlock , Oakdale , Ceres , Patterson and Sonora . The Modesto Bee founded in 1884 as the Daily Evening News and published continuously as a daily under a variety of names. Before its purchase by Charles K. McClatchy and McClatchy Newspapers in 1924, it merged in
96-563: A central role in Modesto living in the Central Valley. Modesto has been often honored as a Tree City USA . The City of Modesto was originally a stop on the railroad connecting Sacramento to Los Angeles , built by Central Pacific Railroad . When Modesto was founded in 1870, the railroad company co-founder Mark Hopkins Jr. suggested to name it after his associate the banker William C. Ralston . Ralston asked that another name be found, and
144-531: A crowd of 15,000 people. Much of the profits ended up in local non-profit charities. Some business owners and citizens of Modesto complained of a rowdy and often drunk Mardi Gras atmosphere exhibited at X-fest. The last X-fest occurred in Modesto in 2015. Located in downtown Modesto is the State Theater with music acts and independent films. Downtown Modesto hosts a monthly Art Walk, with local artists displaying art for sale, artist demos, local gallery shows, in
192-417: A female householder with no husband present, 4,904 (7.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 5,177 (7.5%) unmarried . 15,887 households (23.0%) were made up of individuals, and 6,221 (9.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87. There were 48,908 families (70.8% of all households); the average family size was 3.38. The population
240-514: A free 6-week summer concerts-in-the-park series with its 130 volunteer musicians. Modesto is also home to Townsend Opera, founded in 1983 by the late Modesto-born opera singer Buck Townsend, and Modesto Performing Arts, as well as the Gallo Center for the Arts. Modesto is also home to the area's leading professional ballet company, Central West Ballet. The Mexican culture and traditions are displayed by
288-472: A multi-venue map self-guided tour. The Modesto Symphony Orchestra , which finds its home at the Gallo Center, held their first performance when Modesto had a population of 17,000 in 1931 and continues to be a staple in the community. Not to be outdone by the Symphony, MoBand (Modesto Band of Stanislaus County), established in 1919, is one of the oldest continuously performing bands in the U.S. The group performs
336-597: A part of Royal Robbins, a United States brand of clothing consisting of uniforms and tactical equipment for military). A cannery downtown produces food which is usually shipped to Sacramento and Fresno for transfer to rail or ship. Ceres has a few cereal and snack factories in the area. There are several small steelworking companies in Modesto. In mid-2008, a number of road projects were underway, with roads being constructed, repaved or repaired, at an estimated total cost of nearly $ 120 million. Rates of both violent crimes and property crimes are higher in Modesto than
384-557: A railroad employee exclaimed loudly in Spanish that Ralston was a modest man. The railroad company co-founder Charles Crocker then named the town Modesto in recognition of Ralston's modesty. Modesto's population exceeded 1,000 residents in 1884. With fields of grain, the nearby Tuolumne River for grain barges, and railroad traffic, the town grew. Irrigation water came from dams in the foothills, and irrigated fields of vegetables and fruit and nut trees flourished. By 1900, Modesto's population
432-428: A row with high temperatures exceeding 100 °F (38 °C). This can pose health risks for people with weak constitutions or who ignore the dangers of heat stroke. Onshore breezes (known locally as the "delta breeze") moderate these high temperatures somewhat, with cooler air coming in after 8 or 9 pm on summer nights, making Modesto potentially a couple or few degrees cooler than the northern and southern parts of
480-440: A week: Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. This article about a California newspaper is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Modesto, California Modesto ( / m ə ˈ d ɛ s t oʊ / ; Spanish pronunciation: [moˈðesto] ) is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California , United States. With a population of 218,069 according to 2022 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, it
528-485: Is also presented. The MAMAs were created by Chris Murphy and Chris Ricci to support and encourage local musicians. The McHenry Mansion is a restored historic home located at Fifteenth and I Streets. The McHenry family built the house in 1883 after the patriarch of the family, Oramil McHenry, left $ 20,000 in his will. The mansion was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1978. Graceada Park
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#1733085561572576-581: Is an urban park north of Needham Avenue and was recognized as a historic landmark by the City of Modesto Landmark Preservation Commission in 1998. The Hawke Castle is a historic residence built in 1929. It was influenced by the Norman architecture, and is now the property of George Thayer Real Estate. or the Walter B. Wood House, was originally located at 814 Twelfth Street. The house was originally owned by Walter Wood and
624-486: Is based on ozone alert days and number of pollutants in the air. In May 2010, Forbes magazine, in association with the American Lung Association , indicated that Modesto was one of the top 25 most polluted cities in the U.S. As of the 2000s, downtown Modesto (DOMO) has new attractions including the Gallo Center for the Arts and the new Downtown Plaza adjacent to Modesto Centre Plaza. Downtown Modesto has lost
672-574: Is being designed to create a special entertainment zone along the corridor between the Modesto Centre Plaza and the Gallo Center for the Arts and the adjacent core streets of 10th, 11th and J streets. Modesto is located in the center of the Central Valley surrounded by the Coastal Ranges and the Sierra Nevada , and close by, the numerous farmlands that produce a majority of several crops for
720-489: Is now used to augment city water. In various parts of the city and its perimeter the following water pollutants have occurred from time to time: nitrates , dibromochloromethane , volatile organics , salinity, total dissolved solids and other pesticides . Each of these contaminants is not present citywide. The EPA rates air quality in Modesto as a 23 on a scale to 100 (higher is better), making Modesto an unhealthy place to live for those with breathing difficulties. This
768-560: Is the 19th-most populous city in California . Modesto is located in the Central Valley region , 68 miles (109 km) south of Sacramento and 90 miles (140 km) north of Fresno . Distances from other places include: 40 miles (64 km) north of Merced, California , 92 miles (148 km) east of San Francisco , 66 miles (106 km) west of Yosemite National Park , and 24 miles (39 km) south of Stockton . The city, in
816-483: The Köppen climate classification . It has cool to mild winters with moderate rainfall and hot, dry summers. Most of the rainfall occurs during the winter and the annual total is 13.2 in (340 mm). The highest rainfall in a season was 26.01 in (661 mm) in 1982–83 and the lowest being 4.3 in (110 mm) in 1912–1913. Precipitation usually comes in the form of atmospheric rivers or bomb cyclones and some of
864-519: The San Joaquin Valley , is surrounded by rich farmland. Stanislaus County ranks sixth among California counties in farm production. It is home to Gallo Family Winery , the largest family-owned winery in the United States . Led by milk, almonds, chickens, walnuts, and corn silage, the county grossed nearly $ 3.1 billion in agricultural production in 2011. The farm-to-table movement plays
912-497: The Ballet Folklorico Group "Casa Cultural Tradiciones". Folklorico groups are often at Modesto events, sharing their culture with traditional dance and colorful attire. The Modesto Area Music Awards (MAMA) are held each October. Local radio stations and promoters nominate local bands and voting happens online. There is a black-tie ceremony and trophies are given to winners in multiple categories. A lifetime achievement award
960-809: The Central Valley. The 2010 United States Census reported that Modesto had a population of 201,165. The population density was 5,423.4 inhabitants per square mile (2,094.0/km ). The racial makeup of Modesto was 130,833 (65.0%) White , 8,396 (4.2%) African American , 2,494 (1.2%) Native American , 13,557 (6.7%) Asian (1.5% Filipino, 1.3% Asian Indian, 1.2% Cambodian, 0.7% Chinese, 0.6% Vietnamese, 0.5% Laotian, 0.2% Japanese, 0.2% Korean, 0.1% Hmong, 0.1% Pakistani), 1,924 (1.0%) Pacific Islander , 31,244 (15.5%) from other races , and 12,717 (6.3%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 71,381 persons (35.5%): 30.8% Mexican, 0.7% Puerto Rican, 0.6% Salvadoran, 0.5% Spaniard, 0.4% Spanish, 0.3% Nicaraguan, and 0.2% Guatemalan. Non-Hispanic Whites were 49.4% of
1008-538: The Downtown summer concert series, featuring Chris Isaak , Hootie & the Blowfish , The Doobie Brothers and Styx . X-Fest, deriving from its real name Xclamation Festival , was a 21-and-over music festival in downtown Modesto. Begun in 2000, X-Fest evolved into a large outdoor event stretching for 15 blocks and featuring the world's largest disco which occupied four blocks on its own. In 2008 X-Fest featured 50 bands and
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#17330855615721056-722: The Historic Cruise Route with markers celebrating classic legends like George Lucas , Gene Winfield , Bart Bartoni and others. Classic Community Murals was launched by Modesto magazine ModestoView and the Peer Recovery Art Center to create a series of large scale murals celebrating the Modesto Classic Graffiti heritage. Many of these are on the Cruise Route. New business incentives have been created to enhance facades, signage, and permitting. A promenade
1104-609: The Hotel Covell, the art deco Strand Theatre, and the Sears building. Historic 10th and 11th streets, which were the original locations of the cruising featured in American Graffiti , have been designated by the City of Modesto as the Historic Cruise Route. This is now a tourist walk with information about Modesto's music, car and Graffiti culture. In 2014, the Walk of Fame was launched on
1152-531: The United States. There are also grassy and tree-filled preserves nearby. The city is in between the Tuolumne River and the nearby Stanislaus River . There is a small creek named Dry Creek, which is badly polluted by agricultural runoff and is adjacent to several parks. Rivers and lakes near Waterford are accessible for a kayak , or small motorboat , and there are several points of public access. This access
1200-423: The age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.36. In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.1% under
1248-414: The age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males. Modesto has a large agricultural industry which is based on the fertile farmland surrounding the city. Modesto is home to the largest winery in
1296-462: The city was $ 22,886. About 14.9% of families and 18.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.3% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over. In September 2010, the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research released a study indicating that 32% of the population was obese vs. a statewide average obesity rate of 22.7%. Poverty was one of the factors listed as contributing to
1344-411: The columns, which contribute to the illusion of the original flagpoles' height and location. In 1934, the arch was moved a little bit to the southwest to make way for the expansion of 9th Street. In February 2012, a project was planned to restore the arch to its original appearance with the change of lightbulbs, repainting of the original color, patching minor cracks on the columns, and the replacement of
1392-469: The environmental factors technically assessed were air quality, water quality , environmental noise , soil contamination and visual impacts. Much of the soils in Modesto are classified as part of the Hanford series: (HbpA) fine sandy loam , moderately deep over silt. These soils are well-drained, moderately coarse-textured soils derived from alluvium from granitic rock. The Hanford soils are important for
1440-550: The high obesity rates. As of the census of 2000, there were 188,856 people, 64,959 households, and 46,640 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,277.3 inhabitants per square mile (2,037.6/km ). There were 67,179 housing units at an average density of 1,877.2 per square mile (724.8/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 69.6% White , 25.6% Hispanic or Latino , 4.0% African American , 1.2% Native American , 6.0% Asian , 0.5% Pacific Islander . There were 64,959 households, out of which 38.7% had children under
1488-613: The last 100 years with the highest amount being 1.5 inches that fell in January 1962. Usually on average the weather does not go below 30 °F and not above 103 °F. Average January temperatures range from 56 °F (13 °C) in the day to 34 °F (1 °C) at night. There are about 20 days per year that see temperatures at or below 32 °F (0 °C) and 79 that are at or above 90 °F (32 °C). Winter days that receive precipitation tend to be milder while drier days have freezing nights that allow for frost build up until
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1536-442: The morning. Thus, winter temperatures can vary from lows in the low 30s in dry months to 40s in wetter months. Days in the winter can occasionally be as high as 70 °F (21 °C), but there can also be cool rainy days as late as May reaching only 60 °F (16 °C). Average July temperatures range from 95 °F (35 °C) in the day to 63 °F (17 °C) at night. During the summer months there can be multiple days in
1584-466: The most precipitation can come during the El Niño years. In addition, Modesto experiences drought cycles like the rest of California where the seasonal rainfall can be a few inches below average in dry seasons and a few inches above during wet seasons. The city does not have a full storm sewer system, and many streets flood during winter rain storms. Measurable snowfall has only been recorded in only 4 months in
1632-421: The population in 2010, down from 83.1% in 1980. The Census reported that 198,210 people (98.5% of the population) lived in households, 1,189 (0.6%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 1,766 (0.9%) were institutionalized. There were 69,107 households, out of which 27,152 (39.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 33,230 (48.1%) were married couples living together, 10,774 (15.6%) had
1680-496: The post office were painted by Ray Boynton , a Work Projects Administration artist. The post office was listed in the NRHP in 1983. Modesto Arch The original first-place slogan was "Nobody's Got Modesto's Goat ", which was later rejected, and the second-place slogan was used instead. The arch once bore two flagpoles on each of its columns until they were removed due to rot. Presently, two Mediterranean cypress trees stand behind
1728-517: The production of a wide variety of irrigated orchard, field, and truck crops . Vicinity watercourses include the Stanislaus River , the Tuolumne River and Dry Creek which empties into the Tuolumne River. Area groundwater, which is the principal source of water supply in the city, has been historically impaired in a fashion that is spatially variable. Water from the nearby Modesto Reservoir
1776-521: The same year with the Modesto News-Herald , adopting that name as part of a consolidation. In 1933 it changed its name to the Modesto Bee and News-Herald , and in 1975 abbreviated the name on its masthead to The Modesto Bee . Its current owner is the descendant firm, McClatchy Company , an American newspaper corporation. In May 2024, the newspaper announced it will reduce its print days to three
1824-536: The state average. Of particular note is that Modesto ranks among the top car theft cities in the US. As of 2012 , Modesto ranked number 1 in car thefts per 100,000 people, although the city dropped to number 3 in 2013, behind Bakersfield and Fresno. In Modesto the crime rate is higher than 86% of California's cities. The Rockabilly genre of music originated in Modesto with the formation of Maddox Brothers & Rose on KTRB Radio in 1937. The "Hillbilly Boogie" sound, featuring
1872-686: The string slapping percussive sound by Fred Maddox, would become popular on a national scale and would later be the foundation for Rockabilly. Fred Maddox's bass is housed at the Experience Project Museum in Seattle, Washington. The city's annual Architectural Festival honors Modesto's history as a testing ground for mid-century modern architecture during the 1940s and 1950s. Modesto's mid-century buildings have been featured four times in Museum of Modern Art publications. Filmmaker George Lucas , who
1920-681: The world: E & J Gallo Winery . The Gallo Glass Company, a company of Gallo Winery, is the largest wine bottle manufacturing company in the world. Gallo provides about 3,500 jobs to Modesto residents and 2,500 jobs in other parts of the state, country, and world (meaning that most of its employment base is in Modesto). In 2023, Gallo laid off 355 of its California workers. Other major privately owned companies based in Modesto include Foster Farms Dairy , Royal Robbins , international award winner Fiscalini Cheese, Sciabica Olive Oil, Save Mart , Acme Construction, Aderholt Specialty, and 5.11 Tactical (formerly
1968-446: Was 2.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 9.1%. 112,065 people (55.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 86,145 people (42.8%) lived in rental housing units. According to the 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $ 49,852, and the median income for a family was $ 56,629. Males had a median income of $ 47,473 versus $ 37,629 for females. The per capita income for
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2016-590: Was born in Modesto, graduated from Thomas Downey High School in 1962 and attended Modesto Junior College, immortalized the city in his award-winning 1973 film American Graffiti . The film portrayed the spirit of cruising and friendship on Modesto's 10th and 11th streets in 1962, and inspired a revival of interest in 1950s pop culture. The Modesto American Graffiti Festival is held annually in June. It attracts thousands of visitors and car enthusiasts, along with hundreds of classic and antique cars . Music festivalmerFest,
2064-462: Was constructed in 1884 in the Italianate style. The house has been removed from its original location, and modern renovation of the house has compromised its NRHP designation. The Robert Walton House was constructed in 1957, as a development of Frank Lloyd Wright's New York Usonian Exhibition House concept. The U.S. " El Viejo " Post Office is located on Twelfth and I streets. Wall murals inside
2112-467: Was given as part of a government plan when hydroelectric power dams were installed upstream for flood control, irrigation , and electric power generation. The nearest large open seaport is the Port of Stockton , used for oceangoing ships that transport goods, particularly cement, fertilizer, and agricultural products, from California to overseas. Modesto has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Csa) under
2160-448: Was more than 4,500. During World War II , the area provided canned goods, powdered milk, and eggs for the US armed forces and Allied forces. For the next few decades, Modesto's population grew about two percent per year, to over 100,000 in 1980 and over 200,000 in 2001. The city's official motto, "Water Wealth Contentment Health," is emblazoned on the downtown Modesto Arch , which is featured in local photographs and postcards. The motto
2208-442: Was selected in a contest held in 1911, with a $ 3 prize for the winner. (The original winning motto, "Nobody's got Modesto's goat ", was later declined by town officials.) Modesto's motto is sometimes spoofed as "The land gets the water, the bankers get the wealth, the cows get contentment, and the farmers get the health." In 1885, Modesto enacted what is now considered to be the first zoning ordinance. The ordinance's primary goal
2256-589: Was spread out, with 54,012 people (26.8%) under the age of 18, 20,838 people (10.4%) aged 18 to 24, 53,116 people (26.4%) aged 25 to 44, 49,691 people (24.7%) aged 45 to 64, and 23,508 people (11.7%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.5 males. There were 75,044 housing units at an average density of 2,023.2 per square mile (781.2/km ), of which 39,422 (57.0%) were owner-occupied, and 29,685 (43.0%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate
2304-649: Was to keep laundries (which were primarily Chinese run), out of the city. After an arrested man filed to contest the constitutionality of the ordinance, the case escalated to the California Supreme Court which found the law to be constitutional. In the late 1980s Modesto embarked on an update to the city's general plan pursuant to requirements of the State of California. The result was a comprehensive evaluation of alternative population and land use projections along with associated environmental impact analysis. Some of
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