.png)
as told By Lenora Earle Koehler
We left the train in Coachella, and started to cross the road to reach the hotel. My sister, age seven, in her pretty dress and shoes, took one look at the dusty road and refused to cross, so Papa gave her one or two swats and across we went.
We stayed at the wooden-shingled, one-story hotel a few weeks. The screen doors banged day and night as the wind blew constantly. Gladys and I cried for two weeks and Papa said, "I have made a mistake bringing you children here.". Papa's hope of finding better health for himself was the reason for his move to the warm, dry Coachella Valley. We had lived in Covina all our lives.
After the wind and sand ablowing, our next shock came when we saw a girl walking down the street carrying a dishpan. To our "English eyes" this was an outrage. That girl, Beula Myers, became my best friend and Mrs. Myers was like a second mother to me. My mother died when I was seven. Coachella was a small town. There was, besides the hotel, a blacksmith shop, a restaurant, and the post office. I remember a shoe store run by Charley Jones. It faced, I believe, Highway 99 and that area was also known as Jonesville. The Postmaster about that time was Myrtle Myers.
There was one school consisting of grades one to eight and no high school. I graduated from eighth grade there. My first teacher was Inez Myers, an older sister of Beula's. Inez became Mrs. Lawrence Paul of the Paul Ranch, an early date grower. Bill Huntington was a neighbor of the Myers, he was my first date in Coachella Valley.
Shortly, after our arrival, we built a tent house on Shady Lane in Coachella, on the Thurston ranch. My father leased a few acres near Coral Reef from a real estate agent, a Mr. Griffith. He owned one of the first automobiles in the area.
Our friends in Covina drove our team of mules and wagon to us and our ranching days began. Papa planted vegetables and as soon as they came up so did the wind and the plants were covered with sand. We lost money. But we were all beginning to like this desert and Papa's health did indeed improve. The second year was not much better, but Papa said he would stay in the Valley until he made back all he'd lost. About this time Dr. Lamb saw Gladys through a seige of typhoid fever.
Our next move was to Indio to a ranch located approximately near the present-day Luthern Church at Miles and Clinton. This time Papa made good.
While we were living on the Thurston ranch we came by horse and wagon to dances held in Gard Hall. Once we were flooded and were forced to stay overnight. We were put up at the train depot. Pun in those days consisted of picnics in Coral Reef and those dances. I remember also an early church, I believe a community church. Along with the Myers girls and others, I sang in that first early choir.
In Thermal I visited Mabel Thomas whose father was an oil driller. She introduced me to my first husband. Our daughter Marian died at two years and is buried on a sand dune on the Goth Ranch which then was the only burial ground in the area. It was marked only by a little wooden fence painted white.
Indio was beginning to grow. I married Arlen S. Watson, Assistant Railroad Yard Master of Southern Pacific. Our daughter, Beulah, is now Mrs. Martin Nyback. Arlen died in 1922, and my beloved Papa in 1929.
I married Francis Koehler. He and his father had started a feed and seed store on Fargo Street at the same location still today. It is owned and operated by brothers Roy and George Koehler. Francis' father is buried beside Marian.
Francis was Constable and later was made the first Chief of Police of Indio in 1930. He passed away in 1945, and is buried in Coachella Valley Cemetery. Our daughter Elaine is now Mrs. Julian Zambianco of Huntington Harbour.
Through these years, the infant date industry was growing and the second date packing plant was built, "Sun Gold", on Highway 111 by W. A. Johnson, Inc. and I became the first woman date plant superintendent in the United States. I was way ahead of today's womens libbers.
In the first date plant I worked under Don Mitchell as a floor lady. I built the first florist shop, "The Indio Florist" in 1945. It is owned and operated by the Willard Family, still at its original location.
My last business adventure in Coachella Valley came in 1960 when I opened the Aladdin Florist. I sold after a few years.
Indio was really growing now and a second high school was opened. One of my grandsons, Dennis Nyback, is a graduate of the original class in 1962.
I am proud to have been a part of Coachella Valley's early days and to know that a fair share of my family remain here and are growing with the Valley.
I divide my days between my two daughters and my wonderful sons-in-law.
The Periscope, a series available on Amazon:
The Periscope includes a series of engaging publications that detail the rich history of the Coachella Valley. From life as a pioneer, the growth of the date industry, all the way to the Salton Sea saga, and much more, the stories bring to life the desert region of Southern California. Written under the umbrella of the Coachella Valley Historical Society (dba Coachella Valley History Museum), books in the series tell the stories of the innovators who helped to make the vibrant region what it is today.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Dr. Priscilla Porter is the Co-Director of the Porter History-Social Science Resource Center at the Palm Desert Campus of California State University San Bernardino and a volunteer at the Coachella Valley History Museum. A former elementary school teacher, she is the author of many popular curriculum guides for teachers.
Professional gratitude is extended to the contributing authors: Patricia Korzec, Renee Brown, Diana P. Kitagawa, Rod Hendry, Julia Sizek, and Patricia Laflin. Credit is extended to Eduardo Contreras for the cover design.
This is the first book in The Periscope series from the Coachella Valley Historical Society (dba Coachella Valley History Museum). Additional books in the series will be available SOON. To hear about the latest books, sign up for the exclusive New Release Mailing List by sending an email to prisporter@aol.com. You’ll be glad you did!
Requesting Your Review – Reviews are very important to authors. If you’ve enjoyed this book, please write a review of it on www.Amazon.com
