Imperial Valley press., 1924-04-16
CONKLINC ONLY
ONE HERE NOW
FIRST CITY DADS
Continued from page ~

ss lSOuLlHuGu lTUJu DdGt i
ed to concrete pavements, make
shift schools have been replaced by
adequate modern structures, and al
most all the dreams of the founders
are coming true, even to the con-
struction of a modern water supply
system.
Among the residents here in 1908
who are still living here are: F. B.
Fuller, president of the Southern
Trust bank; Ira Aten, director of
the Imperial Irrigation district; Roy
Rumsey, proprietor of mems fur
nishing store and landowner here
Jasper Travers, for the past two
years city trustee and water and
park commissioner; DIR. +. w. Pet
erson, Judge Conkling, C. Z. Paris,
of the Imperial Valley Milk Produc
ers association, and Ed Forester,
well known rancher.
Durham Press Going
A. w. Durham, proprietor of g
local stationary and printing plant
was another man who tells stirring
tales of those pioneer days. He de
clares that one could stand at the
FL Centre hotel, at Fifth and Main
streets and look toward the ives!
and see only one frame building in
that direction. He says there were
only seven green spots visible tc
the eye from the roof of this build
ing, but this was partly accounted
Cor by the fact that crops had beer
harvested and left brown stubblt
fields in their wake.
G. f. Paris at that time already
had joyous growth of green trees
and vines about his cottage and an
other house at Sixth and Brighton
had a prosperous growth of green
vines rambling over fence.
Mr.. Durham is the only one of the
original printers or publishers OF
hose early days still in business III
he city, or even living here. The
printing press on which much of the
ity's first printing jobs were
round out is still in commission
according to "Dad" Durham, who
one of the staunchest boosters fol
9l Centre the city has ever boasted
Calrpbens Were Here
A. w. Campbell, who lives or
State street near Sixth, is also an
her old timer who was among
[asa present at the birth of thu
ity in 1908. Mr.. Campbell was thel
employed by the Holton Power Com
J ny, and his wife and family cam,
n tho fall of 1903
Mrs. Campbell, a newspaper wo
man of much ability, was later asso
| c,ated with Ell Centro's daily news
| paper and became leader in elu
and political circles. She tells o
the determination of the little ban
! to have high school facilities fo
their children, with the result tha
in the fall of 1908, high school class
/ IS were opened in the old Presby
9rian church north of Fourth al
| range, which later blew down i
wind storm.
The daughter of Mr.. and Mr.
7ampbell, Dorothy Fern, was tn
! first graduate of the new school
and the only one in 1909. In he
honor, the first copy of La Solan;
the official publication of the loca
high school, was printed, with
j hand-painted cover by Homer HaN
! ermale whose father was editor o
| the Press-fof even in those day
| Ell Centre had already taken unt
| herself a newspaper.
Another daughter of the Camp
bells now Mrs. George E. KenAedy
was one of the first high schoo
| teachers in Ell Centre, holding tha
/ position from 1909 to 1912, when sh
, married Mr.. Kennedy, then promi
,, nent real estate man and contracto
of this city.