Modesto, California
Modesto, California is the urban center of the San Joaquin Valley agricultural area and the seat of Stanislaus County. It is the 16th-largest city in California, with a population of over 210,000. The rich farmland surrounding Modesto provides fruits, nuts and wine to California and around the world. Although not far from other northern California urban centers (such as San Francisco and Sacramento), Modesto supplies its own economic and cultural life to the region. Those moving to Modesto will have the unique opportunity to seek out the activities that make Modesto the city it is today.
Economy:
Modesto is primarily an agricultural center, thanks to the fertile farming areas in the surrounding San Joaquin Valley. The region’s many crops include wine grapes, walnuts, tomatoes, peaches, melons, apricots and almonds. Most of the industries within the city itself are closely related to agricultural production. The city’s biggest employer, the Ernest and Julio Gallo Winery and Glass Company, employs thousands of Modesto residents. Other employers include fruit canning facilities, cereal and snack packaging, metals manufacturing, education, the medical field and county and city government. The Modesto area has a high unemployment rate, a condition that has existed for decades.
Tourism:
Modesto has two well-established and active musical groups, the Modesto Symphony Orchestra, which performs six times throughout the year, and the MoBand (the Modesto Band of Stanislaus County), which performs in a summer series. Other performance groups include: the Townsend Opera Players and the Central West Ballet. During the summer, Modesto keeps busy with arts festivals. The most notable of these are X-Fest (the Xclamation Festival), a music and arts festival, and Graffiti Days, a festival recalling George Lucas’ “American Graffiti” with arts and a classic car rally. Modesto is nicknamed both the “Garden City” and the “Rose City” due to the many flowers that line the city’s streets. Along with these flowers, the Modesto Garden Club also cares for a flower clock comprised of more than 25,000 flowers planted throughout the year. Modesto’s many historic buildings include: the McHenry Mansion (built in 1883), the McHenry Museum (originally the city’s library), the Southern Pacific Depot (built in 1915) and El Viejo Post Office (built in the 1930s). The Modesto City-County Airport offers flights to San Francisco, while Amtrak provides 12 passenger train routes per day. Public transit in Modesto consists of buses operated by the Modesto Area Express, Stanislaus Regional Transit and the San Joaquin Regional Transit District.
History:
Modesto came into being when the Central Pacific Railroad line ended there on November 8, 1870. Originally to be called Ralston, after the railroad’s director, the name changed to Modesto (the Spanish word for “modest”) when Ralston refused the honor. Incorporated on August 6, 1884, Modesto rapidly grew with the San Joaquin Valley’s agricultural areas and reached a population of 4,500 by 1910. Irrigation projects changed the nature of the region starting in the early 20th century, and Modesto-area farmers soon switched from grain crops to fruits and nuts. Modesto has grown immensely in recent decades, with the population doubling to over 200,000 during the 1990s alone. Moving companies in Modesto are still experiencing a major growth as more residents flock to the area every year.
Colleges/Universities:
• Modesto Junior College
• Institute of Technology
• California State University-Stanislaus
Interesting Facts:
• More track and field records have been set in Modesto than any other city in the world. The city hosts the Coca Cola Modesto Relays each year.
• Modesto native George Lucas’ 1973 film, “American Graffiti,” is set in Modesto (the director’s home town) but, due to filming restrictions, was actually shot in Petaluma, California.
• Modesto’s official motto, “Water Wealth Contentment Health,” appears on the 1912 Modesto Arch in the downtown area. The motto was chosen from a contest, but the actual winning entry, “Nobody’s got Modesto’s goat,” was deemed inappropriate.
Helpful Links:
• Modesto Storage Facilities
• Modesto Moving Guide
• Modesto Real Estate
• Modesto Convention and Visitors Bureau
• Modesto Insurance