The Modesto Arch is a centennial slogan arch, built in 1912, to welcome automobile drivers to

Modesto, California Modesto () is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,464 at the 2020 census, it is the 19th largest city in the state of California and forms part of the Sacramento-Stockton- ...

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 lightbulb An incandescent light bulb, incandescent lamp or incandescent light globe is an electric light with a wire filament heated until it glows. The filament is enclosed in a glass bulb with a vacuum or inert gas to protect the filament from oxidat ...

s. The original first-place slogan was "Nobody's Got Modesto's

Goat The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the a ...

", 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 ''Cupressus sempervirens'', the Mediterranean cypress (also known as Italian cypress, Tuscan cypress, Persian cypress, or pencil pine), is a species of Cupressus, cypress native plant, native to the eastern Mediterranean region, in northeast Lib ...

trees stand behind 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 the flagpoles. These plans have since taken place.

References

{{coord, 37.63866, -121.00032, type:landmark_region:US-CA, display=title Buildings and structures in Modesto, California Arches and vaults