Modesto Arch
About
The Modesto Arch is a steel slogan arch built in 1912 that spans I Street at its intersection with 9th Street in downtown Modesto. Funded by public subscription and championed by the Modesto Business Men's Association (predecessor to today's Chamber of Commerce), the arch was designed by architect Bernard J. Joseph and bears the city's enduring civic motto, 'Water, Wealth, Contentment, Health,' picked in a public design-and-slogan contest over the runner-up 'Nobody's Got Modesto's Goat.'
Originally lit by 696 incandescent bulbs, the arch was moved slightly in 1934 to accommodate road widening and underwent a full LED-lighting restoration in 2012, a joint effort between the Chamber of Commerce and the City of Modesto to mark its centennial.
The arch is one of the most recognizable and photographed symbols of Modesto and functions as an unofficial gateway to downtown, especially striking when lit at night, making it a frequent backdrop for community parades and festivals such as Graffiti Summer.