Modesto – The Modest City (Cont.)
Modesto today is famed for several things. In addition to its arched sign . . . the city has the national record for the highest per capita retail trade for cities above 10,000 population. The figure given y the U. S. Dept. of the Census is $1,200 per inhabitant which is twice the average for the State of California. It also pays the highest sales tax per capita of any city in California above 10,000 further substantiating the claim of being a rich trade center.
It boasts of a championship band that has won the State championship five years in a row and the second place in the national contests twice. The city has a full symphony orchestra of 80 pieces. No financial institutions failed in the city during the depression and the business failures amounted to less than one per cent. There is a Junior College with close to 1000 students registered which turned out a conference championship football team last year. | ||
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 | Modesto in the 1940s. Upper left, Modesto Junior College (either the original North or South Halls). Below, right, 10th & J Sts. To the left, 10th street at I. | |||
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