The key to any city’s history is in the name of its streets. City streets are renamed as time goes on because the focus of the community changes or the city wishes to honor a person who has made an impact on the city.
Prior to 1930, many of the names of the streets in Palm Springs reflected the agricultural roots of the village. Main Street (Palm Canyon Drive) ran through the business and hotel district and Indian Avenue (Indian Canyon Drive) separated the Agua Caliente reservation from the lands that were originally purchased from Southern Pacific Railroad. Spring Street (Tahquitz Canyon Way) was named for the hot springs located on Section 14.
With the opening of the El Mirador Hotel in 1929, the Chamber of Commerce, who acted as a de facto local government prior to the city’s incorporation in 1938, looked for ways to attract more tourists to the area. They gathered signatures of local voters on a petition to rename the streets to honor the some of the Cahuilla elders who were influential in the governance of the local tribe. The petition was authorized by the Riverside County Board of Supervisors.
Many of the street names are common to those who drive on or live on these streets, never knowing the intrinsic connection names Alejo, Amado, Andreas, Arenas, Baristo, Belardo, Lugo, Patencio, Ramon, Saturnino, Vista Chino, Calle El Segundo, LaVerne Way, Largo Circle, Lorena Way, and Pablo Drive have with the early history of the city.
There is a multitude of ways to learn more about Palm Springs, which turned 82 in 2020. One of the more intriguing methods is by exploring the city’s history.
The Palm Springs Historical Society will share a story whose time and place corresponds with today.
The Palm Springs Historical Society is located at 221 S. Palm Canyon Drive. For more information, visit pshistoricalsociety.org.
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