A City Built on Agriculture
Modesto, California is located in the Central Valley, between Sacramento to the north and Fresno to the south. The city has been designated as a Tree City USA. Modesto is well known for its rich agricultural history – its county, Stanislaus, is in the top six of California counties in terms of farm production. Modesto’s main farm products are almonds, milk, walnuts, chickens, and corn silage. In 2011, Stanislaus County grossed more than $3 billion in agricultural production.
Let’s take a look at some other interesting trivia about Modesto, California.
Modest Modesto
William C. Ralston was a San Francisco financier who played a large part in the founding of the city. The town people wanted to name the new city Ralston, but he asked that they choose something else. Based on his refusal, the region became known as Modesto, which is Spanish for “modest.” Shortly thereafter, the town’s motto was adopted: Water Wealth Contentment Health.
This Town is Nutty
As mentioned above, almonds and walnuts are key crops in Modesto. In honor of that fact, the local minor league baseball team is called the Modesto Nuts. The team has been known as the Nuts since 2005 when they began an affiliation with the MLB’s Colorado Rockies. The Nuts, like many pandemic-sidelined sports teams, are looking forward to getting back on the field in 2021.
Downtown Modesto
Most Northern Californians know that SoMa refers to San Francisco’s South of Market district. Of course, there is also Manhatten’s famous SoHo District that follows the same naming pattern and refers to the area south of Houston Street. Sacramento’s revitalized downtown area has adopted DOCO as the moniker for the neighborhood known as Downtown Commons. Modest Modesto also has a jaunty acronym for its city center – the locals refer to Downtown Modesto as DoMo.
The Rich and Famous Get Their Start Here
For this list of Hollywood notables that hail from Modesto, we will go in order from least to best known.
- Travis Oates – Oates took over for the voice of Winnie the Pooh’s best friend, Piglet, after John Fielder, the original voice actor, died.
- Jeremy Renner – We just took a huge leap in the “famous” category. Renner, who has starred in such hits as Hurt Locker, The Bourne Legacy, American Hustle, and The Avengers, was born and raised in Modesto. He graduated from Fred C. Beyer High School and went to Hollywood after college.
- George Lucas – Ponder this deep question: without Modesto, would we even know Luke Skywalker, Yoda, or Indiana Jones? Star Wars creator George Lucas was raised on a walnut farm and attended Thomas Downey High School before beginning his illustrious directing and screenwriting career.
American Grafitti – an Homage to the City
The 1973 George Lucas classic film “American Graffiti,” which starred Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss, and Harrison Ford, and featured many other soon-to-be-famous actors and actresses, though not filmed in Modesto, was based on Lucas’ life growing up there. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture and raked in $140 million with its $700,000 budget.
Every June, Modesto welcomes thousands of hot rod enthusiasts from around the country. They gather to show off their vintage autos at an event known as the Graffiti Summer Festival.
Cheers to Modesto
E&J Gallo Winery, the largest exporter of California wines, is headquartered in Modesto.
Roundabouts Abound
In recent years, Modesto has installed a number of traffic roundabouts intended to force traffic to slow down, and to maintain a constant, steady flow in order to eliminate car idling. The roundabouts initially caused quite a bit of confusion, so for a period of time, the city devoted a section of its website to the justification of the installation of the roundabouts and also a tutorial on how to use them.
Watch the YouTube video highlighting things to do in Modesto.
Modesto Personal Injury Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a personal injury lawyer in Modesto, California. I have worked on behalf of injured Stanislaus County residents for nearly four decades. If you or a family member has been injured in an automobile accident caused by a negligent driver, reach out to my office for free, friendly, and compassionate advice. Our local number is (209) 227-1931 and we can be reached toll-free from outside the region at (800) 404-5400.
References from prior clients are the best indicator of good service. Find some of ours at the links below:
Photo: https://pixabay.com/photos/office-people-accused-accusing-2539844/
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