In a time of change and the slow loss of our city's cultural heritage we have the rare opportunity to bring back a significant piece of Modesto's history. There are very few remaining Modesto artifacts that date back into the 19th century and recall a time and place much removed from our present lives.

The Rogers Drinking Fountain, a donation to the City from Mrs. Caroline Rogers DeYoe, is a piece of Modesto's history, and on Memorial Day in 1892, it was placed in the intersection of 10th & I Streets. Mrs. DeYoe donated the fountain as a memorial to her first husband, Stephen Rogers; her father-in-law, Stimpson Rogers; and her six-year-old grandson, Stephen Roy Rogers, all of whom died within a two and a half year time span. The boy, who had succumbed to diphtheria in 1885, was the subject of the marble statue which is integral to the larger granite memorial. In 1906, the fountain was considered a traffic hazard and was removed from the intersection and at the request of Mrs. Ella Rogers Maze, the boy's mother, the fountain was preserved and moved to Courthouse Park at 12th & I Streets across the street from today's main post office. The fountain stood at this location for many years and eventually was the subject of much vandalism, especially at Halloween. Finally, the Board of Supervisors decided the fountain was a safety risk and had it removed from the park in January 1953. Most of the various pieces of the fountain are in storage at the City's Corporation Yard. However, the statue of the Rogers boy is missing and its whereabouts has become part of Modesto's lore and legend.

oday, the citizens of Modesto propose to rebuild the fountain and create a new plaza, or square, in which to place it. Several local design firms are currently preparing construction drawings for the project.

The new setting will place the fountain once again in the downtown area. A triangle of city-owned land across the street from Modesto's premier open space, Graceada Park, on Needham Avenue would offer a prominent placement for the Fountain. Curved granite steps and ramps will give access to the center of the plaza. A curved granite seatwall will provide seating and a place to meet people before outdoor concerts in the park. New landscaping and lighting will enhance the setting. Our goal is to rededicate the founatain and new plaza on Memorial Day 2007, 115 years after the first ceremony.

Contact Daniel Machado of O'Dell Engineering at 571-1765 for more information.

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