History of Desert Hot Springs, California

By David J. Harvey

History of Desert Hot Springs, California

Desert Hot Springs, California, has been a hot spot for relaxation and tourism since the 1950s and now hosts several resorts and dozens of golf courses within 10 miles of the city.

Discovery

According to the Desert Hot Springs Historical Society, Jack Riley was the first white man to set foot on the land that is now called Desert Hot Springs. He arrived to the area in 1908.

Homesteading

The Desert Lands Act that allowed homesteading brought Hilda M. Gray to develop the first homestead in the area just south of today's Two Bunch Palms. She was still living in the area when Cabot Yerxa--who is generally credited as discovering hot water on Miracle Hill--arrived in 1913.

Township

Talk of a town at Desert Hot Springs began as early as 1941, when Yerxa started an Old Indian Pueblo near the mountains. The architecture is Hopi Indian style, similar to the architecture found in New Mexico 1,000 years or so ago.

Formation

According to the Desert Hot Springs Historical Society, the incorporation date for the city of Desert Hot Springs is Sept. 17, 1963.

Hot and Cold

Desert Hot Springs is famous for its natural hot mineral water, but it is also known for its underground aquifers of pure cold water--the two are divided by the San Andreas Fault, which bisects the hill.

About The Author

David J. Harvey has worked as a journalist since 2006, while earning a degree in political science and writing at the University of California, San Diego. He has written and edited for the UCSD "Guardian" and the AUC "Caravan" in Cairo, and currently freelances with San Diego's "Uptown News."

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