Imperial Valley press., 1924-09-06
History Of Imperial Valley Is
J iRSn BY chamber Secretary in
AnsWerto Many Questions Asked


barley sacks and built levees at
sCalexieo to bar the muddy fleod
from the main streets.
,s "'The Southern Pacific railroad
company had togmoye its tracks sew
eral times from the encroaching wa
tiers of the north edge Of Salton Sea.
An appeal was made to President
Roosevelt and he in turn appeal
ed to the railroad company as. the
only organization with equipment
and men enough to stop the runaway
river. f. H. Hartman commission
ed Espe Randolph to undertake the
great task. Randolph called ON w.
T. Corey to get on the ground and
gave orders to give rock trains the
right of way all the way from Los
Angeles to Tucson. sThe mighty or
ganization began to move and at the
end of go days the flood was cut
off and the "valley was saved. "
"This stnpendous task put the
railroad in the position of creditor.
A reorganization took ' place in
which the old stockholders of the
California Development company
lost their holdings and receiver
ship was asked by the Southern Pa
cific. This, was in 1909.
i. lockwood as Touncer
Z The operation of the receiver
ship under W. H. Holabird through
the Los Angeles superior court, last
ed until the valley voted in 1912,
to organize the Imperial Irrigation
District. This is a municipal corp
oration and since that time has had
full charge of the water affairs of
the valley.
The people of the valley feel
that the early efforts of c. R. Rock
wood place him in the position of
being the actual founder and finder
of Imperial Valley. His early plans
have all been followed by the en-
gineers in charge. He planned the
present gate at the heading and it
bears his name Although time has
made thousands wealthy in this sec
tion Mr.. lockwood s attention was
too;closely given to the project for
him to, accumulate wealth and he is
today in modest circumstances in
the midst of boundless wealth that
he actually created by his persever
ance, his untiring efforts and his
ability as an engineer.
when thousands of people flock
ed to the desert sands and commenc-
ed the conquest against the wastes
that stretched from the San Jacin-
tos to the sand hills and from the
Mexican boundary line to the Choco-
late range, it did not take much ola
prophet to forsee the political divi
sion of San Diego county and the
formation of a new unit in Califor-
MIA 3 grand galaxy of counties.
Part of S. D. County
Imperial county was formerly
the western half of San Diego eoun-
ty. In 1907 the movement was
started and red hot summer cam
paign was carried on. The bene of
contention was for the county seat
with Imperial, the oldest town of
the valley, pitting forces against Ell
Centre, the newests town. Ell Centre
won the campaign, the division of
San Diego county took place and
when the election of August z was
held the new county had complete
set of officers from judge down to
constable. "
Franklin j. Cole was the first
judge and the only one the county
had up to 1919 when the legislature
provided for an additional court.
John M. Eshleman, later a nation
wide figure in railroad and corpo-
rate matters, was the first district
attorney. Mobley Meadows, pro,
duct of Arizona, was the first sher-
iff. John B. Baker was the first
recorder. Dan s. Elder was the first
county clerk. Fred Fuller was the
first assessor; j. E. Carr, the first
superintendent of schools; Paul Bo-
man the first treasurer; E. III.
Gaines the first surveyor; L. F. 'Da-
visson, auditor; E. f. Forester,
public administrator r. J. Mitchell,
coroner.
"The county's first board of sup
nrvisors. were: +. s. Webster, Porter
N. Ferguson, Sidney McHarg,
GEORGE wade and r. II. Clark.
"The county's offices were at
first scattered around in various
business buildings, the first meeting
of the board of supervisors taking
place in the upstairs corner room of
Holt Opera house block. Two years
ater the county acquired property
on Main street, Ell Centre, between