A unique and picturesque feature of Palm Springs are the palm trees that line the main thoroughfare, Palm Canyon Drive.
In addition to serving as landscape, they are the light standards of the city.
The palm trees were installed throughout the months of July and August of 1949. The planting was part of a $950,000 civic improvement project that included rodeo grandstands and a hardball baseball diamond to be added to the facilities at the Field Club, located on the east side of Sunrise Way between Baristo Road and Ramon Road. The entire project was scheduled to carry over for two to three years.
More than 300 Washingtonian palm trees, half Robusta and the other half Filifera, were purchased and hauled in one by one to be installed along the city’s main thoroughfare during the hottest months of the year. The palm trees were planted starting at Tamarisk Road and ending at Ramon Road. At the time they were planted, they ranged between 12 to 25 feet tall and were planted 35 to 40 feet apart.
Immediately, water lines were installed to provide semi-automatic watering for all of the trees simultaneously. Conduit was installed to protect the electrical wiring and a light was attached to the trunk of each palm to create soft lighting on the surrounding sidewalk at night.
There are a multitude of ways to Explore Palm Springs, which turned 75 in 2013. One of the more intriguing methods is by exploring Palm Springs history.
The Palm Springs Historical Society will share a weekly story whose time and place corresponds with today.
The Palm Springs Historical Society is located at 221 S. Palm Canyon Drive.
Visit www.pshistoricalsociety.org for more information.