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Indian Wells History

It seems appropriate that an affluent community such as Indian Wells has its roots in a gold mine.

The site of a once heavily-populated Native American village, Indian Wells was put on the map in the 1860s after the discovery of gold in the Colorado River. It became a stop along a stagecoach trail that was used by prospectors heading west to make their fortunes.

A decade later, the future site of the City of Indian Wells found itself along the new Southern Pacific Railroad line that traveled through the Coachella Valley. As stage and rail traffic grew, a water well was constructed by the County of Riverside in 1870. It was located some 100 feet south of the abandoned Native American village. Through the early twentieth century, the well served thousands of travelers, in addition to the area’s first permanent residents.

Those first settlers started residing in the area in the late 1800s and a post office was soon established. By the late 1910s, Indian Wells was becoming known as a residential area.

The date growing industry was also established around the same time, and by the 1920s, Indian Wells was a thriving community. The town saw another growth spurt in the 1950s, when the El Dorado Country Club and the Indian Wells Country Club and Golf Course opened their doors, attracting tourists and celebrities.

In 1957, the first property owners association was established, and 10 years later, a petition was filed with the state by the Citizens for the Incorporation of Indian Wells. Some 285 voters registered for the first city election in June of 1967, and they overwhelmingly voted to incorporate the area, making it California’s 400th City.

It was around this time that the city became a lure for celebrities and other famous personalities. For example, Hollywood entertainer and Indian Wells Hotel owner Desi Arnaz was one of the developers of the Indian Wells Country Club and Golf Course, and president Dwight D. Eisenhower so appreciated the area that he designated it as his winter residence. Indian Wells’ prestigious golf and tennis tournaments were also a magnet for some of the biggest names in the country.

Indian Wells’ first elected officials, including Mayor Pete Peterson, established policies to keep the city a mostly residential community. Over the next few years, infrastructure was built to support the thriving town and its growing population.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Indian Wells welcomed the Balboa Bay Club/Indian Wells, the Desert Horizon Country Club and the Golf Resort at Indian Wells. Other developments included the conversion of the former Eldorado Polo Grounds into world-famous golf courses at The Vintage Club, the establishment of the Living Desert Botanical Gardens and Zoo and the construction of the Civic Center. Also established at this time were the Cove Communities Services Commission (formerly the Cove Communities Fire Commission) and the Palm Springs Desert Resorts Convention and Visitors Bureau.

For the city’s 25th anniversary in 1992, city officials and residents found themselves on solid ground budget-wise. In the next few years, even more development took place with the construction of walking and bicycling paths, the transplanting of utilities underground, the approval of the city’s first affordable housing project, and the construction of the over-crossing on Fred Waring Drive at the Whitewater Channel.

In the late 1990s, Indian Wells continued its expansion with the annexation of 387 acres of land that became the home of the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, site of the Newsweek Champions Cup and Pacific Life Open (formerly the State Farm Evert Cup). Indian Wells also pledged $5 million to the California State University-San Bernardino desert campus and dedicated the Eisenhower Walk of Honor, a tribute to President Eisenhower.

The community was also being recognized as the city with the highest national income.

As the City celebrates its 40th anniversary, it boasts a population of nearly 4,900 full-time residents, with as many as 6,000 additional residents calling Indian Wells home during winter months.