Esto Broughton Female Political Pioneer UNPLUGGED VIEW

By Harrison Power

graduate from the University of California Berkeley in the Class of 1915, and then graduated from the UC Law School in 1916. Returning to Modesto, she became the first woman lawyer admitted to the bar in Stanislaus County. After her first election to the Assembly in 1918, she was then re-elected to represent the greater Modesto area in 1920, 1922, and 1924 – the last of two in which she ran unopposed, as she was able to register under multiple political party affiliations and earned the nominations.

California women won the right to vote in the state in 1911, nine years before the 19th Amendment secured women’s suffrage across the country, but it was not until the Election of 1918 that a woman won a seat at the table in Sacramento. In 1918, a young woman named Esto Bates Broughton put Modesto on the political map in a historical way. Esto Broughton was elected as a Democrat to the California Assembly representing Modesto and the greater 46th District, becoming one of the first women elected to the State Legislature (only 3 other women were elected that year). When sworn in at age 29, she was the youngest woman elected to the Legislature until her record was broken in 2002.

Born in Modesto on January 8th, 1890 to James and Jennie Broughton, Esto Broughton grew up in the family home at 1715 Downey Avenue where the Discovery Inn is now located. Broughton went on to

While in the Assembly, Broughton advocated for women’s community property rights, jobs programs for World War I veterans, beverage consumer protections, and became the leading voice on agricultural irrigation. The Broughton-Bennett Bill, one of Broughton’s first bills introduced in 1919, even paved the path forward for to allow irrigation districts to generate and provide electricity to district residents, as MID and TID continue to do today. As a high mark of her commitment to public service, Esto Broughton was a nominated delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1932 that named Franklin Delano Roosevelt the presidential nominee, and again was a delegate in 1952. After a trailblazing life in politics and law, Esto Broughton passed away in Modesto on November 20th, 1956 and is buried in San Jose.

Esto Broughton, Modesto native and political pioneer, became one of the mothers of female political representation in California. For an opportunity to learn more about Esto Broughton and other Modesto history, you can attend the Modesto History Project’s second poster exhibit reception at Picasso’s on July 20th at Picasso’s, 963 10th Street, from 6:00PM-8:00PM. Posters will visible July 3rd to August 3rd

A point of pride with Modesto Unplugged is our penchant for showcasing exotic and obscure instruments, some of which I reasonably suspect have never before been heard in a concert setting in our city, nor would be were it not for our programming. There was the classically trained Chinese erhu virtuoso.....the mesmerizing hang drum duo from Germany.....the Celtic group rocking a hurdy-gurdy.....and the unforgettable Eliza Rickman - one of the most fascinating artists I’ve ever featuredmaking use of quite the spread of trinkets including a bowed glockenspiel. A year or so has passed since I last enjoyed the opportunity to present such unique instrumentation, and it’s high time for another new offering.

I’ve partnered with the Mistlin Gallery for a special joint concert, where their Grace Lieberman Cabaret series meets my ‘Songlines’ world music series. On the first Sunday of this month, we’ll present an afternoon with Ensemble Sangineto on tour from Italy. I’ve featured groups sharing the music of Italy before. Still, this trio offers a twist with a sound not quite like anything I’ve hosted, fusing traditional Italian & Celtic styles with classical, folk, and even some Gregorian chant. The sides of this triangle of tempo are twins Adriano & Caterina Sangineto on harp and bowed psaltery, respectively, and Jacopo Ventura on guitar and bouzouki, with all three sharing vocal duties. Italian folk tunes meet modern international flavor with charming melodies, original arrangements, delicate polyphonic vocal textures, spirited rhythms, and innovative and unpredictable use of instrumentation. This trio promises to be one of the coolest acts I’ll have a hand in hosting all year. Champagne and dessert are inUnplugged View: Hey Combo, Combo Italiano

by Aaron Rowan

A point of pride with Modesto Unplugged is our penchant for showcasing exotic and obscure instruments, some of which I reasonably suspect have never before been heard in a concert setting in our city, nor

by Aaron Rowan

would be were it not for our programming. There was the classically trained Chinese erhu virtuoso.....the mesmerizing hang drum duo from Germany.....the Celtic group rocking a hurdy-gurdy.....and the unforgettable Eliza Rickman - one of the most fascinating artists I’ve ever featuredmaking use of quite the spread of trinkets including a bowed glockenspiel. A year or so has passed since I last enjoyed the opportunity to present such unique instrumentation, and it’s high time for another new offering.

I’ve partnered with the Mistlin Gallery for a special joint concert, where their Grace Lieberman Cabaret series meets my ‘Songlines’ world music series. On the first Sunday of this month, we’ll present an afternoon with Ensemble Sangineto on tour from Italy. I’ve featured groups sharing the music of Italy before. Still, this trio offers a twist with a sound not quite like anything I’ve hosted, fusing traditional Italian & Celtic styles with classical, folk, and even some Gregorian chant. The sides of this triangle of tempo are twins Adriano & Caterina Sangineto on harp and bowed psaltery, respectively, and Jacopo Ventura on guitar and bouzouki, with all three sharing vocal duties. Italian folk tunes meet modern international flavor with charming melodies, original arrangements, delicate polyphonic vocal textures, spirited rhythms, and innovative and unpredictable use of instrumentation. This trio promises to be one of the coolest acts I’ll have a hand in hosting all year. Champagne and dessert are included in the ticket price at the Cabaret series: Sunday, May 7 at 2 PM, $40 general admission.

Keeping with the world-music theme, the Modesto Symphony Orchestra concludes its classical season with two nights of Mozart’s ‘Requiem’ followed by American composer Florence Price’s Symphony #3. The last piece celebrates the composer’s heritage, brimming with jazz, blues, and ragtime influence. The third movement is based on a dance style developed by central Africans enslaved on plantations in the South. May 12 & 13 at 7:30pm at the Gallo Center. Tickets start at $19. I’ve neglected to see an MSO concert for a while, but there’s nothing quite like that fully satisfying symphonic sound, and this double feature is one to look forward to. See you next month with more news of the finest original songwriting and world music coming downtown. Intimate performances. Infinite playlist. MODESTO UNPLUGGED.

www.modestounplugged.com.