Uniquely is a Modesto Bee series that covers the moments, landmarks and personalities that define what makes living in the Central Valley so special.
“Water,” “wealth,” “contentment” and “health.”
Those are four words every Modestan knows well.
The words are etched on the iconic Modesto Arch at the intersection of Ninth and I streets.
A reader of The Modesto Bee asked Bee Curious , a community-driven series where reporters answer reader questions — from the mundane to the top of mind — about the Modesto region: “When did Modesto get the motto ‘Water, Wealth, Contentment, Health?’”
Here’s why the motto was chosen and by whom:
What is Modesto’s official motto?
The official motto of the city of Modesto is “Water Wealth, Contentment, Health.”
Although the Modesto Arch displays these four words without any punctuation, “water wealth” is actually one term, not two, the city wrote in an email to The Bee on Wednesday, Nov. 13.
