My Day in Indio...

When I found out that my dear friend, Fern, was going to be only 80 miles away, we made a plan for me to visit her while she was staying with her daughter in Indio.

For those who don't know, Indio lies between Palm Springs (northwest) and the Salton Sea (southeast). The area was originally inhabited by Cahuilla Indians and was the site of Spanish and Mexican exploration in the late 18th century. The Spanish subsequently established a mission outpost there. The city was founded in 1876 as Indian Wells, on the site of a Native American village, by the Southern Pacific Railroad, and in 1877 it was renamed Indio (Spanish for Indian). Okay, more history later.
Fern and I became fast friends, almost right after we moved to South Lake Tahoe. We are kindred spirits and the hours sitting on the back patio, catching up and sharing stories, flew by! I miss her already!
I wanted to visit the Coachella Valley History Museum since I was so close and I do love history! The museum is housed in the 1926 adobe home of Dr. Harry W. Smiley. The Smileys became stranded in Indio on their way to the coast. The majority of the residents of the Indio townsite, at this time, were employees of the Southern Pacific Railroad and needed a doctor. Dr. Smiley needed money to repair his car and agreed to be the company doctor. Eventually the couple decided to stay and built this home. The Smileys made significant contributions to the social and medical development of the Indio community. What a perfect space to hold the area's history.





I learned about U.S. Route 99 via a collection of postcards and hotel keys. So cool. US 99 was a main north–south United States Numbered Highway on the West Coast of the United States until 1964, running from Calexico, CA, on the US–Mexico border to Blaine, WA, on the U.S.-Canada border. It was assigned in 1926 and existed until it was replaced, for the most part, by Interstate 5. Known also as the Golden State Highway and The Main Street of California, US 99 was important throughout much of the 1930s as a route for Dust Bowl immigrant farm workers to traverse the state. It's the unsung Highway hero (I guess no one got their 'Kicks' on route 99). Sad!
So some older history. In the 1850s, local artesian wells were utilized for irrigation, and Collis P. Huntington, president of the railway, successfully introduced Algerian date shoots (more about that later, too). Indio developed as a desert spa and a shipping point for agricultural produce, especially dates, citrus, grapes, vegetables, and cotton. After 1949, water via the All-American Canal gave added impetus to Indio’s growth.
Prior to the accidental formation of the Salton Sea (1905), this area was the lowest in the valley where salt flats were left by the Gulf of California. Salt was mined, bagged, and transported by train.
I have always been intrigued by the Salton Sea. We even camped there two years for my birthday. Starting in the 1920s, the Sea became a very popular recreation area. Developers hoped to make the area around this unique body of water the Palm Springs of the East Valley but before the dream came true, the 1980s recession killed the plan (and then the fish began dying, it was not meant to be). Such interesting local history.
We then moved south of the border. I loved the colors, textures, and motifs found in the exhibit, Corazón de Mexico.

This outstanding and eclectic collection of Mexican folk art includes textiles, pottery, costumes, and wooden toys. It captures the vibrant spirit and life of this amazing artwork.




My last stop was at The California Date History Museum. Oh so many questions. Where did dates originate? How have they evolved? How did they make their way to the Coachella Valley? Why are they so dang yummy?

This historical exhibition covers the history of the world’s oldest cultivated crop – the date palm. From its origins in the Middle East to its introduction to Coachella Valley and up to the modern-day, here one can learn about the horticulturalists and essential workers who helped the date palm take hold.

Today the area produces all of the United State’s 41.4 million pound annual date output. Date production has become more than an economic boon to Indio, though. It has become part of its culture. Every year, Indio holds the National Date Festival, its Middle Eastern theme harkening back to the crop’s roots.
The Fair started as a festival to celebrate the end of the annual date harvest in the desert region, the major commercial date-producing area in the Western Hemisphere. Dates were an unknown commodity in the desert until 1903 when date palms were transplanted there from Algeria. By the early 1920s dates became a major crop for the area. Date groves in the Coachella Valley also became tourist attractions.
When World War II started all fairs in California were halted. When the War ended, Robert M.C. Fullenwider was hired to manage the Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival. Fullenwider introduced an Arabian Nights theme tying in with the desert region and date industry.
Also, tying into this theme, the Fair has a scholarship pageant called Queen Scheherazade. Students from Riverside County compete to win the scholarship money for continued education and act as the goodwill ambassador over the Fair. Next year we hope to be there!
Last stop was to ogle a variety of Date trees in the Date Garden. Without fruit on them, they all looked alike but I was happen to wander about in them.

For something different, I came home via 74, the Palms to Pines Highway. Oh man, the snow was pretty crazy (I know Tahoe friends, I can't even imagine what's going on there). it was a surprise for SoCal and I was happy to be in my Subaru.

Connecting with a good friend, learning something new about a town, and an exhilarating drive home... all made for a really awesome day! I do love a road trip, even if it's only 80 miles long.

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1 comments:

Four Points Bulletin said...

I am confused as to where the CA Date History Museum is. When I search for it, the Coachella Valley Museum comes up. Is it on the same grounds? Or are you at Shields? Let me know! Looks fun.

March 11, 2023 at 5:41 AM

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