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If you were the first to settle in an area, what would you call it? Would you try to establish a legacy with your family name or perhaps pick something to puzzle future historians? From Spanish origins to city founders, geographical features and even a typo, there have been many inspirations behind the naming of cities and towns around Stanislaus County.

Likely the most well-known naming is that of Modesto. According to Modesto Irrigation District's book "The Greening of Paradise Valley," Modesto was founded in 1870 when the Central Pacific Railroad established its first station in the county.

The railroad founders and directors Charlie Crocker, Mark Hopkins and W.C. Ralston established the boundaries, and when it came time to record the area and name, Hopkins said, "Name it Ralston."

Ralston declined, saying, "I thank you for the honor but must ask that some more appropriate name be chosen." A Mexican worker named Tony remarked, "Este señor is mucho modesto," Crocker agreed, and Modesto was chosen as the name.

Traffic flows as a woman crosses Broadway Avenue in Salida.

Modesto is not the only city with a Spanish name, of course. In 1865, the city of Salida was founded after John "One Arm" Murphy operated a ferry there across the Stanislaus River.

Initially, it was named Murphy's Switch in 1870, according to "StaniStory: Change and Continuity in Stanislaus County," by David Seymour and Keith Highiet.

The name caused confusion for the U.S. Postal Service due to Murphy's Camp (now just Murphys) in the Sierra, so was changed to Salida in 1875. The name means "exit" in Spanish, as it was the Central Pacific Railroad's northernmost exit in the county.

Towns that neighbor Stanislaus County, like Los Banos and Manteca, also share names of Spanish origin. If you were to pronounce either in spanish dialect, people would likely be confused. Salida is known as Sah-Lie-Dah instead of Sa-Lee-Tha and Manteca is known as Man-Tee-Kah instead of Mun-Te-Cuh. Los Banos means "the baths," named after a spring that irrigates the San Joaquin Valley.

Manteca was originally named Monteca but was misprinted in documents. Despite the error, the name Manteca was accepted. It is not known if the founders were aware that Manteca translates to "lard" or "butter" in Spanish.

Main Street in Knights Ferry, Wednesday, April 16, 2025.

Most cities in Stanislaus County are named after the men who founded them or first settled in the area. Some of these are Knights Ferry, after William Knight; Grayson, after Andrew Jackson Grayson; Crows Landing, after Clinton and Lewis Crow; Patterson, after John D. Patterson; Hughson, after Hiram Hughson; Keyes, after Thomas J. Keyes; and Denair, after John Denair.

Though no towns are named after founding women, Ceres is named for the Roman goddess of agriculture.

Ag and water were influences

Rich in water, it is no wonder how Riverbank and Waterford were named. Riverbank was first called Burney's Ferry in 1867 after Maj. James Burney purchased the Islip ferry boat used to cross the Stanislaus River. It later changed to Burneysville before changing to Riverbank in 1911.

Waterford was first known as Bakersville after William Baker established his ferry operation there in 1857. The town was often confused with Bakersfield, which led to mail problems with the U.S. Postal Service. So the name Bakersville was changed to Waterford referring to the town's ford in the waterway. A ford is a shallow part of a river or stream that can be crossed on foot or by vehicle.

Even though many of these cities were established long ago, the name origins sometimes are more recent discoveries. McHenry Museum and Historical Society Executive Director David Seymour said Turlock's origin story may not be what was previously believed.

The origin of the name Turlock remains a subject of disagreement.

According to Townsquare Publications and a story from The Merced Sun-Star, some think it originated from the Irish word "turlough," which referred to a dry lake. But Seymour said, "The city's name derived from pioneer Henry Lander after he read Harper's Weekly. The magazine featured a serial novel called ‘Bred in the Bone,' which referred to a fictional town called Turlock." The city was founded in 1871.

Another of Seymour's latest discoveries is the origin of Empire, an unincorporated area of Stanislaus County between Modesto and Waterford. It was founded in 1854 after a meeting at the Empire Saloon in San Francisco between Stanislaus County landowner Edward Townsend and John Gage Marvin, a lawyer from Pennsylvania.

Marvin went on to become the first superintendent of California public instruction, which led to the establishment of the California Department of Education. Townsend convinced Marvin to purchase land near his and he founded Empire City after the saloon where the deal went down. In 1862, floods washed out Empire City and a new town called Empire was established just a mile down the road. Appropriately, the original defunct Empire City now lies at the cemetery, where Lakewood Memorial Park now exists.

Are there any cities, streets or landmarks with odd names around where you live? Send me a message at [email protected].

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