What is the history of Palm Desert, California?
The area was first known as the ‘Old MacDonald Ranch’, then ‘Palm Village’ in the 1920s when date palms were planted. Local historians said the main residents of pre-1950 Palm Desert are Cahuilla Indian farmers of the now extinct San Cayetano tribe, but a few members of the Montoya family of Cahuilla/Spanish descent are prominent leaders in civic life. The first residential development occurred in 1943 in connection with an United States ArmyArmy maintenance camp in the area. That site was later developed into “El Paseo,” an upscale shopping district not unlike Rodeo Drive. In 1948, the Palm Desert Corporation began to develop real estate, and in 1951 the area was given its present name. Many celebrities keep homes in Palm Desert, including Rita Rudner and more recently, the current home of teenage pro golfer Michelle Wie and one of the homes of Bill Gates. The community was incorporated November 26, 1973 when it only had 1,500 permanent residents in a master-planned community covered
