Imperial County CA Archives History - Books .....Early Settlers In The Valley 1918
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Book Title: History Of Imperial County California

EARLY SETTLERS IN THE VALLEY

   P. J. Storms was one of the first permanent settlers in the Valley; he came
just after the annual overflow of the river and saw the land covered with grass,
and thousands of head of stock grazing.

   In the valley were Andy Elliott, Tom McKane, Fred Webb, Nat Wil-lard, Bruce
Casebier, Bert McKane, Wash Lawrence, Arthur Ewens, Thomas Silsbee and Charles
Hook. The Valley then had one voting precinct with ten voters on the list: P. J.
Storms, Arthur Ewens, A. J. Elliott, Fred Hall, William Huitt, W. Wilkins,
Thomas Silsbee, A. N. Jones, William Harris and Peter Larson. It was still part
of San Diego County and they were 140 miles by stage and 300 miles by rail from
the county seat, and as a result the election supplies did not arrive for the
first election until it was over.

   In October, 1900, the Imperial Land Company started the towns of Imperial,
Brawley, Calexico, Heber and Silsbee. Imperial was located in the center of the
irrigable district, and was intended to be the chief city of Imperial Valley,
Calexico on the international line, Silsbee to the southwest, Brawley north, and
Heber to the south; afterward Holt-ville and El Centro were added to the list.

   The first store in Imperial was for general merchandise and was built and
stocked by Dr. Heffernan, and Millard Hudson erected a tent hotel. The next year
was built the Christian Church and a printing office. They were the only wooden
buildings in the Imperial Valley until late in 1901. As the accommodations
improved the stream of land seekers increased. W. F. Holt built a telephone line
from Imperial to Flowing Well telegraph station. The Imperial Press, Henry Reed,
editor, was the first paper. The first child born was a son of Tom Beach,
superintendent of construction of the canals. Most of the necessaries used by
the settlers in the early days was brought in by the freighter with a long
string of mules, but the mule is being displaced by the automobile and traction
engine, and one of the picturesque effects of the country is fast disappearing.

   In May of that year (1891) a postoffice was given to Imperial with Dr.
Heffernan as postmaster, and in the fall a public school was organized by
Professor J. E. Carr from Nevada City. This school was to serve for the entire
district and was located in the center of the population, which was about 10
miles south of Imperial City on the bank of the main canal. The night before the
school was to open Professor Carr took two men and drove to the location in a
wagon and set up a tent, and next to it they built the school house of arrow
weed, with eight supporting poles and the next day this sheltered 50 pupils,
many of whom later walked five miles every day. In the following spring the
district was divided and permanent buildings erected.

   In April, 1902, the Imperial Land Company invited the Southern California
Editorial Association to make an excursion to the Imperial Valley, and they were
so well treated that they felt very friendly to the Valley and the publicity
they gave to the work of development brought a great many settlers.

   In 1902 the government put out "Circular No. 9," a so-called soil expert's
report on the soil of the Valley which had been eagerly watched for both by the
settlers and prospective settlers. He proved conclusively, to his own
satisfaction, that the land was too full of alkali to grow anything. It did not
leave the settlers a ray of hope. Many newspapers gave publicity to the pamphlet
and featured it. One editor, Isaac Frazier of the Oceanside Blade, treated the
thing as a joke and with some others refused to take the government expert
seriously. There is no doubt but the report did a great deal of damage to the
community, beside injuring the credit of the California Development Company.
Dissensions arising in the company itself, the Charleys withdrew from the
enterprise. Time has disproved the report of the government's inexperienced
expert, and the settlers have gone on raising all sorts of things that were said
to be impossible.

   In 1902 the first Farmers Institute was held in the new brick block of the
Imperial Land Company. In August they gave a big watermelon festival where 250
people feasted. In fact the year 1902 witnessed the birth of many business
enterprises and a rapid growth of construction and settlement. Water was turned
into the main canal in March, 1902.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

THE HISTORY
OF
IMPERIAL COUNTY
CALIFORNIA
EDITED BY
F. C. FARR

IN ONE VOLUME
ILLUSTRATED
Published by ELMS AND FRANKS
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 1918


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