The History of Palm Springs, California

Based on the ruins and artifacts found in the Coachella Valley, anthropologists believe that Native Americans inhabited the valley more than 10,000 years ago during the Stone Age. Unearthed bows and arrows lead historians to believe the area was inhabited by hunters. In addition, pottery and baskets have been unearthed, prompting historians to believe that the first inhabitants used plants in the valley for medicinal purposes. This original group of settlers died out after about 1,000 years.

Prior to the Spanish conquests through the west in the 1700s, the Cahuilla Indians took up residence in the Coachella Valley, where they farmed beans, corn and squash. The tribe survived the Spanish conquests and a smallpox epidemic in the mid-1800s. In fact, many other Indian tribes fell to the epidemic, but the Cahuilla remained and grew stronger.

The Cahuilla Indians were partially displaced in the mid-to-late 1800s as the newly formed U.S. government pushed West. In 1853, the area was surveyed by geologist William P. Blake and the first wagon route through the area was established. By 1872, Palm Springs was added as an intermediate stop between Prescott, Arizona and Los Angeles on the Bradshaw Stagecoach Line. Within five years, rail tracks were laid through the Coachella Valley for the Southern Pacific Railroad. The Cahuilla Indians still resided in the area, but their land had been reduced. In 1884, a judge, John Guthrie McCallum, bought land from the railroad, built a house and became the first Anglo settler in the area.

McCallum and the railroad brought more settlers to Palm Springs and by the early 1900s, Palm Springs was awarded a post office. A small central business district also developed and in 1914, the first schoolhouse in the area was built. The Desert Sun newspaper opened in 1927, the El Mirador Hotel opened in 1928 and Ruddy's General Store opened in the 1930s. Along with the McCallum's original adobe home, the general store still stands as a museum in current-day Palm Springs. The town of Palm Springs was incorporated in 1938.

World War II changed the face of Palm Springs. The giant El Mirador was taken over as a hospital, General George S. Patton selected the area to train soldiers who would be stationed in North Africa and an airstrip was built to service the military installation. With the movement of troops in and out of Palm Springs, this small, formerly unknown town gained interest and after the war, Hollywood types began to take advantage of the desert climate and its mineral pool. The first golf course in Palm Springs was built in 1945.

Palm Springs experienced its most significant modern growth spurt in the 1970s, when retirees began to move to the area and stay as permanent residents. Housing developments blossomed, golf courses were built and business flourished. Architects like German Bauhaus and Donald Wexler, both noted mid-century modern achitects, left their mark. Developer Alexander Homes took advantage of the migration of people to the area and popularized the post-and-beam home, known in the area as an Alexander House.

Palm Springs is home to 85 golf courses, casinos and the well-known Palm Springs International Film Festival. According to the 2000 census, more than 40,000 people reside in the Coachella Valley, which relies on tourism as its major industry. A popular golf destination, PGA West, with courses designed by Pete Dye and Greg Norman, La Quinta and Indian Wells are all located in the Palm Springs area.