The Memorial Arch of Prosperity

The plaque on one of the pillars of the much-photographed Arch reads, “The Modesto Arch Dedicated March 9, 1912, As A Gateway Over U. S. 99 Which Traversed Downtown On 9th Street, 7th Street To The 7th Street Bridge.”

It was the Modesto Businessmen’s Association who initiated this project by receiving permission from the City Council to build an arch.  Contests were launched for both a slogan and a design.  The winning design brought $50.00 to architect Bernard Joseph of San Francisco, and the author of the winning slogan, Samuel Harbaugh of Modesto, received $3.00.  The $2,000 cost of the arch was raised with donations.  In 1934, the structure was moved several feet to the west to accommodate the widening of Highway 99 and the increased traffic since the opening of the new Golden State Highway Bridge over the Tuolumne River.

The Arch and its 696 light bulbs are maintained by the city of Modesto, and any suggestion to alter or move it has brought about loud opposition.  The Arch is illuminated at night, and in just four words, “Water, Wealth, Contentment, Health”, it tells the story of progress in Stanislaus County since the realization of irrigation to the land.