Timeline of Events
First Air Freight Delivery
First air freight delivery of auto parts. Flown from San Francisco to Modesto, made national news.
World War I to World War II – 1917 to 1945
World War I began in 1914 and ended in 1918. In response Germany’s sinking of seven merchant ships in the Atlantic, as well as Germany’s profession of support for Mexico to recover Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, the United States declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917. Modesto’s citizens..Read More
Gateway City into Yosemite National Park
Modesto becomes auto gateway city into Yosemite National Park
First Air Strip in Country
Municipal charter provides for an air strip, the first in the country.
Modesto was known as
Modesto was known as one of the most progressive, prosperous, and beautiful cities in the state.
Early 20th Century – 1900 to 1917
The boom in irrigated farming caused Modesto’s population not only to rebound from the losses of the 1890s, but to nearly double to 4,034 by 1910. Irrigation brought tremendous prosperity and new buildings rose all over Modesto and phone service reached 466 addresses in 1906. A stable water supply also..Read More
Founding and Settlement – 1870 to 1900
Modesto was founded as one of the San Joaquin Valley’s railroad towns. In the late 1860s, Collis Huntington, Leland Stanford, Mark Hopkins, and Charles Crocker (the “Big Four”) announced plans to construct a railroad down the San Joaquin Valley to connect the northern and southern portions of the state. They..Read More