About Palm Springs

The charming desert oasis of Palm Springs is just a short 2 hour drive east of Los Angeles and San Deigo and situated at the western end of the Coachella Valley. Nestled between the Santa Rosa to the south, the San Jacinto Mountains to the West and on the edge of the great deserts of Southern California the undeniably and unique geographical location gives Palm Springs and it's neighboring ten cities: Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, Bermuda Dunes, La Quinta, Indio and Coachella its famed year round sunshine and climate with an annual rainfall of less than 6 inches.

Whether it's hiking or relaxing by the pool, spending the morning on the tennis courts or a day golfing, Palm Springs brings to its visitors an outstanding array of attractions, world class dining and a sophisticated venue of extraordinary shopping experiences.

History

Palm Springs was once nothing more than a narrow sandy road wandering alongside the base of the San Jacinto Mountains. There were no white men and no known record of any white man ever settling in the area.

The only known residents at that time was a small village of Cahuilla Indians whom have called this valley home for thousands of years and established their village near and around the natural hot mineral springs they called "Se"khi" or hot springs (currently the home of the Spa Hotel at the corner of Indian Avenue and Tahquitz Canyon Way) and in the 1800's the spanish explorers called it "Agua Caliente" or hot water. The Cahuilla Indians existence centered on lush vegetation, growing simple crops, herding animals, and abundant water sources of the Indian Canyons. Studies of campsites in the Morongo Basin indicate that 10,000 years ago, around the stone age, ancient people inhabited the area known as Palm Springs, The inhabitants used bows and arrows, made baskets, fashioned pottery and wove fabrics from Yucca fiber establishing Palm Springs as one of the oldest villages on the western continent. The relatively modern discovery of this area took place with the Spanish Conquest of Alta California, and by 1774, spanish soldiers exploring new boundaries for their empire, became increasingly familiar on the Colorado Desert as Spain pushed up through California.

Basket Weavers	Bath House

In 1853, geologist Lt. R. S. William P. Blake along with his governmental survey team mapped the first "Village of Palm Springs" thereby establishing the first stage route through the desert (now I-10 Freeway) in 1872. The United States Government granted the Southern Pacific Railroad parcels of land to complete the railroad to the Pacific granting odd numbers to the railroad and even numbers to the local Agua Caliente Tribe but prohibiting any profits to be derived from either the leasing or selling of the land. By 1877, The Southern Pacific Railroad completed its line from the Desert to the Pacific Ocean.

Introduced to Agua Caliente by Banning indian guide and interpreter Will Pablo, in 1884 at age 57, editor, lawyer and politician Judge John Guthrie McCallum of San Francisco and his family became the first permanent non-indian settlers to call the desert home. McCallum planted groves of oranges, apricots and experimental strains of alfalfa. This with the completion of the Southern Pacific Railway and the water aqua duct, Palm Springs flourished with fruit and citrus tress and agricultural development soon followed and is now a vital financial producing resource of the Coachella Valley.

Judge McCallum	Bob Hope & Lucielle Ball

Palm Springs was incorporated as a municipality of the sixth class in 1938, at which time there were 910 registered voters in the area. The village inaugurated a city manager form of government supported by an unsalaried mayor and city council.

 

JFK	Lucielle Ball & Family

By 1919 Hollywood discovered Palm springs and its outlying regions as backdrop for many of its films. In these early film days stars like Rudolph valentino, Theda Bera, and Fatty Arbuckle, to mention just a few, spend much time here shooting films like "Covered Wagon" and "Salome" later, many of Hollywood's famous film elite came to reside here. Stars like Clark Gable, Donna Reed, Gary Cooper, Jane Wyman and Loretta Young as well as Bob Hope, Lucielle Ball, Dezi Arnaz and Frank Sinatra all called this desert paradise their home. In addition, visitors from the likes of Shirley Temple and writer Mark Twain to famous architects Frank Lloyd Wright. Presidents Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy and Gerald Ford have all made their mark on this desert landscape. Whether its been Hollywood's best and brightest stars or the worlds most celebrated leaders, the Little Village of Palm Springs as it was once known as has been called "America's Desert Winter Playground" and "The Golf Capital of the World." No matter what you call it, who you are, or where you come from, the small town charm and extraordinary beauty of our desert home will capture your imagination and revitalize your spirit.