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Unique, both loved and reviled, the Modesto Arch might well have been emblazoned with the winning city slogan, "Nobody's Got Modesto's Goat." Cooler heads prevailed, and the second place winner was used instead and has been with the good citizens of Modesto ever since - "Water, Wealth, Contentment, Health." One of the stories heard often is that Eleanor McClatchy, publisher of The Modesto Bee, so disliked the arch that she banned its picture from being used in the newspaper. Built in 1912, the arch spanned the entrance to the city for many years, and, other than a short move so Ninth Street could be widened, and a recent refurbishment, there has never been a real threat to dismantle the city's most famous landmark. In a city not known for preserving its landmarks, the Arch bears witness to Modesto's past and future. | |
