the-vaqueros

Explore Palm Springs: The Vaqueros

Private riding club embarked on five-day horseback adventure from Palm Springs.

Renee Brown History

the-vaqueros
The Vaqueros, a private riding club in Palm Springs, included stage and radio personalities, businessmen, and even travelers from the East Coast.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PALM SPRINGS HISTORICAL SOCIETY

On October 17, 1941, the Vaqueros, consisting of hundreds of horsemen from all parts of the country, began the annual trail ride and camping trip out of Palm Springs.

Leaving in a single file line from Rogers Ranch, they rode to Whitewater Creek and into mountain, valley, and desert country around Morongo, the Pipes, and up into Joshua Tree.

The five day horseback adventure was only open to men who either were members of the private riding club or as a guest of a member. Many of the participants were businessmen from all over California as well as from cities up and down the West Coast.

Some members traveled all the way from the East Coast to attend the event. Many celebrities from the motion picture industry as well as those involved in stage and radio were also members of the club and rode along on the annual trek.

Jack Boyer was in charge of the kitchen and Trav Rogers set up the camps along the way. The Vaqueros put in some pretty good days in the saddle, but they never lacked for the finer things in life including food, from beans to caviar, beverages, from beer to champagne, and nightly entertainment.

There is 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.