Imperial Valley press., 1924-10-29
TRAVERS TELLS
OF EARLY DAYS
in Ell CENTRIC
Recounts Names and
Events That Helped
Mark History Here

before I'll CcntrO, OF FL CentrO was
few strides ahead of Jasper, in
the beginning the evening Of the
morning was the third day, and
water. and Sierra loan and Jasper
Travers came into being, and in
dissolublv have been mixed every
since. He is not the oldest inhabi-
tart. because he is too young, but
he is a close relative of the fist
white man that ever planted seed
in Imperial Valley, and found out
that the desert could be made to
bloom like the rose-provided it had
the necessary aqua.
To ge; proper conception OF
things alone in Imperial you want
to sit down and eonfab with JAS
per Travers. You don t know who
Jasper is2 Why, he Jasper Tray
ers, the pioneer land man, contrac-
for. farmer, builder, publicity agent,
ANYTHING and everything in the af-
fairs of El Centre, yesterday, to-
dav and for ever. IT it had not
been for the multifarious energies
of Travers it is possible that I'll
Centre would be in Imperial or
Brawlev today. 1t is just luck that
the town is here and the Sorihern
Pacific as WELL and the famous
Holton line, running gasoline
speedster to carry eight passengers
TO Holtvillc, and seven of them
back. Always one was left at llolt-
yille-shot or died or something.
When you get into this con-
fab with Jasper, notice how She
names of old-timers fit through
the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES to the
newcomer that mean little, but
to those who know are pregnant
with Importance.
Trayers has some old-time photos,
most of them faded, and many shoW-
ing CHASTITY want of knowledge
in the art of focusing, but they all
have some well-known perso1ages
of other days on them-Nuffer, Pc
terson, Harbour, Carter, Patten'
Varnev. Fuller, Holt, King, Potter,
Perry. Murry, Stover, Stack, SwaH-
son, Tout and dozens OF, other names
now removed to other scenes,
some gone forever, and some yet
with us, still active in the aff1!rs
of the valley.
First Man to Build
In 1905 FL Centre was composed
of half n dozen buildings of sorts
that had been moved over from
Imperial, so that the beginnings OF
this town were founded in the ether
city. Jasper Travers was the first
man to start substantial buildings
here. veritabIy earning the name ct
.sThe Pioneer Contractor, ana
though he did not do the whole CT
the erecting solid and substantial
blocks he paved the way for those
only too eager TO follow him.
We quote extensively from the
.Storv of the First Decade y by
Edgar F. Howe and Wilbur j. Hall.
A Redlands syndicate bought The
-ownsiteI of Ell Centre, and Travers
WIS a member Of the contracting
firm Of Fairchilds and Travers IN
that center of citrus culture. Ell
Centre was spot of desert ground
ut that time, simply that and no
thing more, and. Travers brought
Charles Nelson, an able foreman, to
the site he had selected for his flu
ture operations. The two dropped
off the train. in the midst of Taste
in November, 1906, half Il mile north
of the present depot on the Southern
Pacific, the depot then being leGn-
to with accommodation for one dog
and two trunks, with hole IN the
wall to carry flags.
The town was then made up of
the Franklin Hotel, couple of res
licences owned by DR.. Anderson, and
the inevitable real estate office on
Main street, ditch bringing wafer
from the canal west of the townslte.
That was ali ,thcre was. Tra7ers
first contract was the building Of
the .El Centre Hotel, on the north
west corner of Fifth and Main, at
that time considered just a Wild
dream by the men used to 'hacks
and tent houses. Travers was quiet
ly told on numerous occasions that
his friends thought he was going
batty. The promoters asked Tray
ers if he could handle more than one
building, and Travers said he could
handle all they could think Of and
needed, so they asked him to build
an opera house.
Opera House Comes Next
Can YOU imagine it? Surrounded
with shacks and leans-tos for the
most part composed of sailcloth and
rough lumber, they demanded sop
erv." Travers said he would d. it,
and the few residents discussed the
adVisability Of holding meeting
and pctitioning, for p" ioohy
house. -. They thought it was need
ed. Travers YVES experiencing diff
ficulty in getting men and mater
ials for the hotel, and to start an
opera house-well! However, he
started work on the Holt Opcra
House, and long before these two
buildings were completed Ira !erS
had more work than he could lnder
take.
" From that time on he was
one of the two biggest conSrac-
tors in this part of southwest.
He improved tho whole block
and residences all over town
on the south side of Main Street
came under his supervision, con-
tracing for million dollars
worth Of buildings in four years. Tic
built the Oregon hotel, then with
out an arcade, the III Centre ilotcl
block, the ice plant that buined
down and the one that succee led
il. and many of the fine blocks