Imperial Valley press., 1910-05-14
PICTURESQUE CAMPO
Mountain Town to West of imperial Valley Offers Settlers Vacation
 Pleasures.

Campo, one of the most picturesque mountain towns of San Diego County, ls becoming more popular each season with settlers of Imperial Valley as a place for spending their vacations. It is situated one and a half miles from the international border, and is fifty three miles directly east of San Die go. nestled in the mountains at an elevation of 2550 feet.
 Campo is what might appropriately be termed a Government burg, for Uncle Sam supports here an official for every resident family. It is port of entry, has a United States Gus toms building and officer, an immi- grafton officer, with an inspector, and a line rider, and there is forest ran gers station with two rangers in charge. A Government Indian ma tron, having charge of the reserva- tions, is also established at Campo. and the line riders stationed at the nearest points east and west of Cam DO report to this place at appointed times.
 The store is the whole down town" of Campo Here one can do pretty much everything in the way of busi- ness. Besides a general line of mer- chandise, it is the headquarters for the telephone system, the telegraph office and the post office. It is one of the old landmarks of a half cen tury ago, when Campo was a typical wild border settlement and a rendez- vous for desperate characters. "Old Man" Gaskill had the store built more as a fort than as shop, and it is said many a lively fight has taken place within its walls or at it's DOT tals. The front walls of the building are four feet thick and made of bould- CTS, and the back wall is a part of 6he mountain against which it stands From the inside a cave has been tun- nelled into the mountain side. It was formerly the secret arsenal of the Gaskills. In one of the early days, his doorway by ruffians from the bor- der, who had come to sack the store, and was left for dead while they at sacked his brother in the blacksmith shop across the way. The wounded man revived, scrambled around until he rolled into the creek and this re- stored him so that he was able to as semble helpers and rout the invaders.
 Campo derives it's name from the fact that it was the d-time resting and feeding place for the Indians on their trading journeys to and from Lower California and the missions of Upper California. Even as the In- dians in those old times found Campo 1 attractive SC do visitors today finger | amidst it's attractions. Small game l is plentiful about the valley, and trips 1 can easily be made into the moun- | tains of Mexico, where there is hunt ing for deer, mountain sheep and an telope. An attractive hotel, furnish 1 ed with all the modern necessities and | many of the luKuries, offers it's home | like hospitality to the public It is | conducted by members of a we'll | known family in the pioneer days of | San Diego County history A large | ranch is run in connection with the l hotel, so that the best dairy, poultry | and garden products are me-raised | in abundance, and the tables are care fully served with wholesome home cooking.
 Cool, sparkling spring water is abundant at the hotel and camp grounds. Magnificent oaks and shel- tering willows give fine shade. A novel camp ground has been put in readiness. Mail arrives and departs three times a week. and express and laundry are carried by the new eight passenger auto stage from San Diego.
 Points of interest, which may be easily reached from Campo, are Ja- cumba Hot Springs. Desert Peak, from which is obtained fine view of the Colorado Desert; the Lagunas, beau tiful pine-clad mountains; Moreno Dam, DescansO, Buckman Springs, Juarez and Jocolitas, two active min ing camps below the international line. There are also many short walking trips iR the immediate vi- einity of Campo to add charm to this resort.
 Miss M Isabelle Davies, formerly of El Centro, is in charge of the Cam