USA > California > Imperial County > Calexico > A history of Calexico > Part 2
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Construction work progressed very slowly for lack of money. Always the same monster, lack of capital, hovered over the project. The cost of construction always ex- ceeded the available capital. The settlers were becoming restless, and they desired to have the Government to take over the work so that it might not be retarded for want of money. The Yuma project was being carried on at that time, and the settlers turned envious eyes on the prog- ress being made there.
However, water reached the boundary line in June of 1901. A luxuriant growth of vegetation followed the water along the ditches, proving that water was all that was needed to make the desert bloom. Sorgum, milo maize, wheat, and barley were raised near Calexico, also a test crop of cantaloupes, which was a thorough success. Travel- ers noticed the similarity of conditions there with conditions in Egypt. This suggested the possibility of cotton. The California Development Company tested out a few rows of cotton with marvelous success. By December, 1901, some 78,000 acres of land had been filed on, and actual work was begun on about 8,000 acres.
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The year 1902 opened with glowing prospects, which, however, were soon dampened by the reports of the Govern- ment. In the publications of the Department of Agricul- ture, (Bureau of Soils, Circular No. 9, 1902) the percent of alkali in the soil was exaggerated. People were warned to stay away from the land there. They were advised to abandon the worst of it completely and raise only certain crops on the best of the land. This was a severe blow to the Company. It discouraged the settlers who were al- ready there, and undoubtedly kept many prospective set- tlers from coming. It was also bad for the Company finan- cially, as it made capital still harder to obtain. In spite of this handicap, the Valley continued to prosper. By this time, colonists were literally pouring in.
The first woman to file on land in the Valley was Mrs. Shenk. The land is now the "C. C. Ranch."
Hard feelings had arisen between the Chaffey brothers and the original stockholders. In conclusion of the diffi- culty, the Messrs. Chaffey accepted $300,000 for their in- terest in the Company, and retired. To Mr. George Chaffey is due the credit for the material beginnings of the reclama- tion of that desert. Dr. Wozencraft and Mr. Rockwood dreamed and struggled, but Mr. Chaffey built. The ag- gregate credit, however, is more theirs than his, since it was not vision, courage nor ability that they lacked, but only money, which Mr. Chaffey was able to supply.
The telephone and telegraph came into the Valley about this time. The joy of the settlers on having telephone con- nection with Los Angeles was unbounded.
The first permanent building in Calexico was a small adobe which still stands, between the railroad and the bor- der. It was built by Edward Aiken & Co. and was the home of the International Bank. The adobe building, which now houses the offices of the Irrigation District, was also built at this time. Very shortly thereafter, Dr. Heff- ernan built a store building, also of adobe, on the corner of Second Street and Imperial Avenue.
The remainder of the settlement was composed of a ramada and tents. It was the custom for the owner to tie his tent flaps when he was away from home. This was the only lock that was needed. Practically never was any- thing stolen.
Among these crude surroundings in 1901 the Valley's first child was born in a tent. Her parents were Mr. and
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Mrs. Thomas Beach. They named her "Cameron," after the lake. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Beach and Mr. Frank Thing later boasted the first frame residences.
Messrs. Perry and Beach planted the first trees in the town in the yard of the Beach home, along Imperial Avenue and on the California Development Company's grounds. It was they also who conducted the cotton experiment.
The first school was taught by Mr. J. E. Carr. It was situated under a ramada three miles north and three miles west of Calexico, about midway between the towns of Cal- exico and Imperial. The district was known as the Im- perial School District of San Diego County. The next year the school was moved into a tent three miles east, which placed it on what is now the highway between Calexico and El Centro on the main canal. Hon. John Shenk succeeded Mr. Carr as teacher.
In 1904 the district was divided, and a school located in Imperial and one in Calexico. It was held in the same tent which was moved into town and set up on the corner of Third Street and Imperial Avenue and was shared by the Methodist Church. Miss Gaskill, now Mrs. P. W. Preston, was the first teacher in the town school. The following year a school building was constructed and Miss McWilliams, now Mrs. J. E. Peck, and Miss Nautridge were the teachers. There were 113 pupils at this time. The building still stands (1923) and is now used for the primary depart- ment of the Hoffman School.
The system of administering justice was unique. Mr. J. B. Hoffman was the first Justice of the Peace both in the entire Valley and in the town. There was no jail, so Mr. Hoffman improvised one. He chained a log to two mes- quite trees and then chained his prisoners, by the ankle, to the log. The offenders were chiefly drunken Mexicans and Indians. Later a small frame building was constructed for a jail.1
Occasionally it was necessary to take a prisoner to San Diego, the county seat. The stage line across the mountains had long since been discontinued, so it was necessary to go to Los Angeles via the Southern Pacific and there change to the Santa Fé and go down the coast to San Diego. The round trip took four days.
1. "Bob" Davis gained the reputation of being the 'town nuisance.' He continually broke the laws but was never convicted because nothing could be proved against him. He was very proud of his achievements and continually boasted of them. On one occasion while he was being detained in the jail, he upset it, and still later he burned it.
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Mr. Charles A. Sanborn was the Customs officer. The United States Customs service first established a station at Calexico about October 1, 1902. The first building oc- cupied as a customs house was located on Imperial Avenue near the present railway crossing, and the official crossing to Mexico was an extension of Imperial Avenue. On July 1, 1904, the customs office was moved to a frame building on the northwest corner of Rockwood Avenue and First Street, and Rockwood Avenue was used as the official cross- ing into Mexico. The Immigration service and the Cus- toms service were housed together until 1903, when the Immigration service became a separate office.
The religious needs of the community were first met by church services held in the dining room of the California Development Company's building. It was during one of these services that the Valley's first tragedy was announced. Mr. Perry was sitting in his office when Charlie Dow, the Chinese cook, came rushing in and shouted, "Mr. Pelly! One man plenty dead !" Upon investigation, he was found to be right. A man had been killed, but the murderer was never detected. The same Charlie Dow soon opened the first bakery in the town.
The Methodists and the Congregationalists both claim to be the oldest church. Both started in 1904.
During these early years there was but one piano in the town. This was borrowed for every important occasion and hauled about on a two-wheeled cart.
It was about this time also that Mexicali started. It was a natural outgrowth of Calexico, being the part of the settlement on the Mexican side of the line. The two towns were named by Mr. L. M. Holt (no relation to Mr. W. F. Holt.) Mr. Holt was a cripple and was popularly known as
"Limpy." He disjoined the names California and Mexico and reassembled the syllables and evolved there- from the names Calexico and Mexicali. It was also he who gave the Imperial Valley its name, although the credit is usually given to Mr. Chaffey.
Life was not all work and no play with the pioneers. They did more than their share of work, but when they played, they played equally hard. Horse racing was per- haps the leading sport. Imperial Avenue was the race track, and many and exciting were the races held there.
Another amusement was provided by fastening a five or a ten dollar bill to the end of a well-greased pole, then swinging the pole out over one of the irrigation ditches.
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Anyone wishing to climb for the prize was welcome to do so. Ninety percent of the contestants landed in the ditch. This sport was an unending source of merriment.
In the fall of 1902, the Southern Pacific Company be- gan work on the extension from Old Beach (now Niland) to Calexico. It was complete and in full operation in May of the following year.
With the railroad came many other conveniences, not the least of which was ice. It is difficult to imagine how these early pioneers survived the heat without ice. It is no wonder that the day of its coming was celebrated as a legal holiday. All business was suspended for the after- noon and the town had a big party at which everyone ate ice-cream.
Very soon after the coming of the railroad, the "boom" began. By that time there were over 700 miles of canals in the Valley.
A small settlement had grown up around Barne's store a quarter of a mile east of the present town limits and a quarter of a mile north of the border. It was thought that this settlement would be the town and Calexico would be merely the Company's headquarters. Natural growth, however, disproved this theory, and in 1904 the post office was moved from Barnes to Calexico. The store soon fol- lowed the post office, and today nothing is left of Barnes but the memory.
The post office was placed in Dr. Heffernan's store at Second Street and Imperial Avenue. Joe Estudillo was the post master.
This same year also witnessed a great auction sale of lots. Regular excursions were operated from Los Angeles and many were the families who came to make their homes on the newly reclaimed desert.
Prominent among the arrivals of that year were Mr. and Mrs. John Steindorf. Mr. Steindorf started the Inter- national Lumber Company (now Calexico Lumber Com- pany) at Fifth and Emerson Streets. The Steindorfs have been among Calexico's leading citizens ever since. Mrs. Steindorf was the first president of the Womens' Club and will be spoken of again in that connection.
The Calexico Chronicle printed its first issue in a tent under a mesquite tree in 1904. Mr. Overshiner was every- thing, including owner, editor, printer and janitor. The next year he sold out to Mr. W. F. Holt, who moved the
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equipment to a frame building at First Street and Imperial Avenue.
A brick factory was started to meet the demands of the "boom." Messrs. Harbour and Peterson came from Los Angeles with a knowledge of brick making. Bricks were easy to sell but not so easy to make under desert conditions. It was such hot work that it was very difficult to secure labor. However, they started a kiln at Calexico and made brick, the first of which were used in the Calexico Hotel. Mr. Peterson did most of the work, and the firm not only made brick but took contracts for putting up the buildings. They built about 95% of the brick buildings in the entire Valley up to 1910. The factory was soon after discontinued.
The Mount Signal district took form about this time.
Before passing on to later times, let us make a closer acquaintance with the real builders of the Valley and the town of Calexico. As has already been stated, the Com- pany's headquarters were at Calexico. Mr. C. R. Rock- wood, the real Father of the Valley, was Chief Engineer and General Manager. Mrs. Rockwood was with him, helping him, sharing his disappointments and doing the countless things which pioneer women always do but for which they seldom receive credit or glory.
Mr. C. N. Perry was Mr. Rockwood's right-hand man. His official capacity was that of Assistant Chief Engineer. His work for the Valley can never be measured. He is a leader in every sense of the word. He has a large square jaw that betrays the determination of a bulldog, yet it is directed by a keen intellect. He has foresight, wisdom and industry. He has the strength of a giant, yet the gentle- ness of a child. Mrs. Perry's fortitude and character are also evidenced by the fact that she stood by her husband's side through all those early struggles.
Messrs. E. H. Gaines, F. F. Hall and D. L. Russell were also engineers on the project. Mr. L. R. Rockwood, brother of the Chief, was a chain-man. He is still one of Calexico's citizens. At present he is proprietor of the "Rockwood Lodge."
Mr. J. B. Hoffman, who came from Pennsylvania, was with the Company from the first, in various positions. It was he who pitched the first human habitation on the site of Calexico, namely his tent. At present he is president of the Mexican-Chinese Ginning Company. Mr. Hoffman is kindly and jovial, yet he has a character that is strong and true as steel. Mrs. Hoffman came to the Valley in 1903
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as Miss Florence Gould, to visit Mrs. Perry. She remained as Mrs. Hoffman. She is a true pioneer woman who has borne the hardships patiently. Her nature is sweet and gentle. She has done far more than a woman's share in this world's work, for not only did she help in the pioneer- ing, but she reared a splendid family as well. Mr. and Mrs. Hoffman are still among the leaders in Calexico.
Mr. Frank Thing, it will be remembered, grazed his cattle in the Valley before settlement began. In 1902 he opened a butcher-shop in Imperial and shortly thereafter opened one in Calexico also. His brother shared the busi- ness with him. They killed their own stock and bought and sold cattle and hogs. Later they expanded their meat shop into a general merchandise business. Mr. Thing was at that time a bachelor. It was not until 1908 that his fu- ture wife came to Calexico. Mr. Thing is a man with the true pioneer spirit. This means strength, both physical and mental. It means dauntless courage and untiring in - dustry.
Doctor Heffernan has already been referred to as as- sisting to finance the project. He was not only a financier but a real pioneer as well. Previous to his arrival in the Valley, he was a physician in Yuma. He was a resident of Calexico from the first and still has his office there. In the early days he served as Commissary for the Company.
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Beach came to Cameron Lake in 1900. Mr. Beach was one of the builders of the town and Mrs. Beach, one of the small band of women whose services can not be measured. The Beach family now re- sides in Los Angeles, and their little girl, Cameron, the Val- ley's first-born, is married.
Mr. J. E. Peck came to the Valley in the summer of 1901 with his college friend, John Shenk. The latter re- mained a year as teacher of the district school. Mr. Peck became a draftsman for the Company. Later he was their silt expert. At present, he is owner of the J. E. Peck Lum- ber Company at El Centro. Mrs. Peck has already been referred to as Miss McWilliams, one of the first teachers in the town school. Throughout the years, she has been active in school, club and civic affairs.
The story of the early days would hardly be complete without mention of old Borego, the town's Indian mascot. He was a character such as one seldom meets even in story- books. He was past eighty, had no money and needed none. He lived on what he could pick up, an odd job for a meal here, another there. Often meals were given him.
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He slept anywhere. Why should he care where? His queerest trait was that of wearing everything he had. Peo- ple were generous in gifts of discarded clothing and he wore them all at one time! Perhaps he would have three or four vests and as many coats on when the thermometer was over 100. When questioned as to why he wore them all, he would always reply with the question, "What else shall I do with them?" He was everyone's friend and no one's enemy.
The early comers to the Valley were of three distinct classes: The first class was comprised of men who had strength, courage and determination. The second class was much smaller in numbers and consisted of men of wealth who took up large tracts of land for speculation. The third class was composed of adventurers who had no money and very little determination or courage. They desired only to sow little and reap much. Through natural processes, this class disappeared. It soon found that the reward could not so easily be gained. Men of this class were, at first, numerous and had considerable unfavorable influence upon the better people at that time, but they added nothing of value to the history of the Valley.
The early days were days that tested men and women. They went through wind, fire and flood. The weaker ones returned to the comforts of advanced civilization. Only the strongest remained. The result of this natural sifting is a strong, homogeneous mass of people. It has left only people of sturdy character who are self-reliant and ag- gressive.
Out of this class of people has grown the far-famed "Spirit of the Valley." This spirit is intangible yet it is definitely felt by everyone who has lived there. It is com- posed of ability to do things and the desire to do things well. It is a feeling of faith in one's self and in the Val- ley. It is optimism to the limit of good sense. It is a feeling of confidence in others as well as one's self. It in- volves the spirit of cooperation and extends wide-open arms to the stranger who is made of the right kind of stuff and will, himself, enter into the "Spirit of the Valley."
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Chapter IV.
The Floods, 1905-1906.
In order to understand the conditions that caused the floods, it is necessary to give a moment's attention to the geography of that region. The Colorado River flows in a general southerly direction, while the Alamo and New Rivers, only a few miles west of the Colorado, flow in a northerly direction. The reason for this apparent con- tradiction in the nature of things is that the land through which the two smaller rivers flow is the bed of the old Salton Sink. It is separated from the Colorado by a low range of hills and slopes to the north. The lowest point now holds the Salton Sea, the surface which is some 240 feet below sea level. The Colorado flows on the very rim of the Valley.
In 1903 the Government denied the Valley the use of the waters of the Colorado River. Mr. A. H. Heber had influential friends in Congress, and he made a noble and desperate fight for the rights of the people of the Valley. In the session of 1903-04, he caused a bill to be introduced which admitted that the Colorado was more valuable for irrigation than for navigation. The Reclamation Service opposed the bill. Finally a committee composed of House members and reclamation officials made a brief visit to the Valley and returned an adverse report. The result was that Congress refused the people of the Valley the use of waters of the Colorado River.
In June of 1904 Mr. Heber entered into a contract with President Diaz of Mexico whereby the California Develop- ment Company might take the Colorado's waters through Mexico where the United States had no jurisdiction, the only condition being that in case of a shortage, Mexico could retain half the water if it was needed on her own soil. The Mexican congress ratified the contract. For an- other reason also it was necessary to cut a new intake some- where along the course of the River, for the first four miles of the main canal had become so coated with silt as to make it impossible to supply the necessary amount of water to the 10,000 settlers of the Valley. This silt might have been removed, but the new cut was the quicker and the cheaper way.
Accordingly, the Mexican intake was cut under the direction of Engineer Rockwood in October, 1904. It was 50 feet wide. The water was low, and it was not expected to rise before the early part of the summer. This would
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allow plenty of time to construct a permanent gate and thus close the gap before flood time.
The Mexican government was exceedingly slow in rati- fying the plans for the permanent gate. Its approval was necessary, hence haste was urged. The desired sanc- tion, however, did not come for a whole year, or until De- cember of 1905.
In February, 1905, there came an unexpected flood. When it had subsided, it left the intake so silted up that it had to be dredged again in order to get enough water through it to supply the Valley's needs. A second flood produced the same result. The Imperial Valley Press of July 25, 1916 informs us that a single day's supply of water for the Imperial Valley contains enough sediment to build a levee twenty feet high, twenty feet wide and a mile long. In view of these facts, fear of the floods diminished. It was not until the third flood of the season, in March, that the engineers realized that they were facing an unusual season and therefore decided to immediately close the gap.
Consequently, a dam of piles, brush, and sand bags was thrown across the gap. It was just completed when an- other flood came and washed it away. A second dam was built and promptly shared the same fate. This last flood widened the gap from 60 to 160 feet. Water was over- flowing the banks of the main canal and running in a hun- dred streams to the lowest part of the sink. Here it was accumulating and forming the new Salton Sea.
The danger was now keenly appreciated by Messrs. · Rockwood, Perry, and their associates, but they were power- less to cope with the situation for lack of money. To meet the urgent need, they appealed to the Southern Pacific Rail- road for a loan of $200,000. This loan was granted by the late H. E. Harriman against the advice of his councilors. It was agreed that the Southern Pacific was to have control of 51% of the Company's stock until the loan was repaid and have the right to appoint three of its directors, one of whom was to act as president of the Company. Mr. Epes Randolph of Tucson, formerly connected with the Pacific Electric Company in Los Angeles, was appointed president.
Mr. Randolph made a personal investigation and tele- graphed Mr. Harriman that it might cost three-quarters of a million to save the Valley. Mr. Harriman wired back directions to proceed.
Mr. Rockwood then attempted to divert the river to the east side of the island opposite the gap by means of a
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jetty. This method proved unsuccessful and had to be abandoned.
The Southern Pacific Company next, under the direc- tion of their engineer, E. S. Edinger, put in a 600 foot dam of piling, brush mattresses, and sand bags, at a cost of $60,- 000. This dam was built in October and November. On November 29-30 came a tremendous flood which increased the flow of water from 12,000 to 115,000 cubic feet per second. The new dam was washed out completely. Scarcely a vestige of it was to be seen. Also the northern part of the island was washed away. This terrific flood widened the gap to 600 feet. Most of the river went tear- ing through it in a mad rush for the Salton Sea, which al- ready had an area of 150 square miles. If this continued, the Valley would again be, as it had been in the past, at the bottom of a lake.
Perhaps the greatest difficulty that the engineers had to face was that of supplying the necessary water to the inhabitants while the engineering work was in progress. They dared not cut off the water supply while they were closing the gap.
A method of control was suggested by Engineer Rock- wood, namely, to construct a permanent steel and concrete gate at Pilot Knob, where solid rock foundation could be se- cured, and dredge out the 4 miles of silted canal. Then, when the water was low, most of it could be run through this gate and channel, leaving the lower gap dry enough to construct a permanent dam or levee there. This could be done be- fore the next high water was expected.
Mr. Rockwood also planned to build a new headgate on the northern side of the intake and divert the entire river around the gap via a by-pass, while it was being per- manently closed. The chief objection to this plan was that it would necessarily be of wood on a silt foundation and might be undermined.
In November Mr. Randolph decided to try both plans, working on them simultaneously. Contracts for the struct- ural iron and steel work for the concrete gate were let in Los Angeles. Machinery for an 850 ton floating dredge, the "Delta," was ordered in San Francisco. Work was pushed hard throughout the winter. The steel and concrete headgate was not completed until June 28. The "Delta," owing to the San Francisco disaster, was not ready for work until the following November.
Work on the Rockwood gate continued day and night with alternate shifts. It was completed on the 18th of
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