The airfield, built to handle military cargo and personnel planes, would become Palm Springs Regional Airport. Italian prisoners of war, housed at the adjoining detention camp, labored at the hospital. El Mirador Hotel, second home to the stars and the site of today's Desert Regional Medical Center, served as Torney General Hospital, treating U.S. Patton's troops as they prepared to invade North Africa. By the time it was incorporated in 1938, the Village of Palm Springs had become world famous as a winter playground for Hollywood stars, European royalty and business tycoons, all who came to enjoy the endless sunshine and serenity of the desert.ĭuring World War II, the desert became training grounds for General George S. In 1909 Nellie Coffman's Desert Inn opened, as did a garage for servicing the vehicles which brought visitors from the East Coast and Los Angeles, and a school for the children of handful of year-round residents. During these years Palm Springs grew rapidly. Palm Springs continued attracting more visitors and non-Indian residents, but it wasn't until President Eisenhower signed the Equalization Law in 1959 that tribes could realize profits from their lands. Welwood Murray built the first hotel, The Palm Springs Hotel, in 1886. The first permanent non-Indian settler, Mc Callum purchased land from Sourthern Pacific and built an elaborate aqueduct.

In 1884, Judge John Guthrie McCallum of San Francisco arrived in Palm Springs with his family, seeking health for his tubercular son. The even-numbered parcels of land were given to the Agua Calientes, but federal law prohibited them from leasing or selling the land to derive income from it. In 1877, as an incentive to complete a railroad to the Pacific, the US government gave Southern Pacific Railroad title to the odd-numbered parcels of land for 10 miles on either side of the tracks running through the Southern California desert around Palm Springs. In 1853, a government survey party mapped Palm Springs and its natural hot springs mineral pool - now the site of the Spa Hotel and Casino - and established the first wagon route through the San Gorgonio Pass (now I-10). In 1863, a smallpox epidemic killed thousands of the Agua Caliente. Much of tribal life centered around the lush vegetation and abundant water in the area known as Indian Canyons, site of North America's largest natural fan palm oases. One of many Cahuilla bands, the Agua Calientes existed as peaceful hunters and gatherers, adapting to the extremes of desert summers and mountain winters. More than 2,000 years ago, Palm Springs' first residents were the ancestors of today's Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. Palm Springs Desert Resorts Convention & Visitors Bureau Visit Greater Palm Springs to learn more.There are commercial and public locations for camping and RVs in and near Palm Springs. The Coachella Valley is nine resort cities in one beautiful oasis: Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Indio, and Coachella. History is part of the draw today, from its charming village atmosphere to its world-famous collection of Mid-Century Modern architecture. While the whole area is often referred to as Palm Springs, Palm Springs is actually a single city-the one that started the tourism ball rolling early in the 20th century. It is this unique combination of small-town comfort and big-city amenities that makes the Palm Springs area, quite simply, the perfect place. And it’s also a charming and friendly destination remarkably easy to get to know. It’s a sophisticated world of unforgettable resorts, gourmet restaurants, couture fashions, and first-class meeting facilities. The exciting cities of the Palm Springs Desert Resorts share a perfect climate and sensational scenery, but each city has a personality all its own.

When you arrive in Palm Springs and the desert resort cities of the Coachella Valley, you have reached a 640-square-mile vacation paradise, a business getaway, and a great place to play.

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