The History of La Quinta

                                             
                                                     

    Sitting at the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains, La Quinta is a quaint, beautiful city known as "The Gem of the Desert."

    The city´s name  refers to a type a hacienda or rest stop reached every five days on a long journey via either foot or horseback. There used to be a settlement known as Arabia, near the Thermal/Oasis area. Settlers traveling from Arabia to Palm Springs or on to  Los Angeles would stop and rest up during their arduras tri at these areas along the way. The stop here was referred to as La Quinta, as it was the fifth stop of the journey, quinta in Spanish meaning fifth.

    Archaeologists believe the first inhabitants of the Coachella Valley arrived about 1000 BC.  They were hunter-gatherers and lived around Lake Cahuilla which no longer exists.  These people became known as the Cahuilla (Ka-wee-ya) Indians.

    The European explorer, Juan Batista de Anza , arrived in 1774 with his expeditionary forces and life changed forever for the native inhabitants.  The Spanish brought with them their horses, steel swords and firearms.  At that time it´s estimated that there were about 7500 Cahuilla-speaking people living in the desert lands now known as the Coachella Valley. 

    When California became a state in 1850, the ingress of Americans to the state, many seeking gold, brought the "white man´s disease" ? smallpox.  In 1862 the death toll to the Cahuilla was as high as 6000-10,000 and before the epidemic ended, less than 2500 survived.

    Between 1875-77, President Grant established the first Cahuilla Indian Reservation which included the Cahuilla, Cabazon, Morongo and Torres-Martinez tribes.  It was managed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.  In 1891, Congress passed the Act for the Relief of Mission Indians which in part, set the boundaries for all the tribes.  These boundaries exist to present time in our checkerboard pattern of land, with evey other section of land designated as part of the reservation.  This strange division of land came as the result of an agreement the Federal Government made with the Southern Pacific Railroad Co. in 1860, granting them 640 acre sections of land over vast areas of many western states.  The reservation encompassed 2400 acres of land, but the SP later claimed 700 acres to create a railroad and interstate highway.

      Today, there are fewer than 50 members of the Cabazon tribe.  Their business enterprises include Fantasy Springs Casino, Fantasy Springs Bowling Center, Cabazon Resource Recovery Park to name a few. 

      

 LA QUINTA TODAY

    La Quinta is a peaceful and relaxing community with a small town friendliness. It is 30 minutes from Palm Springs and nestled at the base of the majestic Santa Rosa Mountains.

   La Quinta has been growing rapidly since 2002. Baby boomers and retirees have been buying homes in its upscale communities such as: PGA West, Tradition Country Club, Lake La Quinta and The Citrus. There is also a quaint area called La Quinta Cove that is being transformed by fashionable homes.

   Golf and Tennis enthusiasts from around the world visit or locate to La Quinta for the fantastic facilities and spectacular events hosted here annually. PGA West is internationally recognized as one of the world´s most magnificent resort communities, and it has been the site of numerous national and professional events.

The city of La Quinta remains very active and promotes many community events for their residents.   Events are planned year-round and offer something for everyone.  Any time of the year you can find events for teens, animal shows, art show to showcase of local artists and much more.   Adding to the city´s character is the La Quinta Arts Festival, which takes place yearly in March. Today this long-running outdoor art show is known as one of America´s most important art fairs. They have juried artists and artisans displaying paintings, sculpture, jewelry and crafts.

   At the city´s southern end is Lake Cahuilla, a county campground and day use facility for swimming, fishing and picnicking. There are numerous hiking and biking trails, both no-incline and mountainous terrain. Enthusiasts can hike or bike from the top of "The Cove" to the base of the rugged mountains that form a dramatic backdrop to the city.

   La Quinta was incorporated in 1982 and it is the first recorded city to be named after a hotel. This came to be through a wealthy gentleman from San Francisco who built an exclusive hotel in the 1920´s in the cove of the Santa Rosa Mountains and called it the La Quinta Hotel.

   The Legends claim that the term "La Quinta" came from early Spanish explorers who were known to ride for days at a time, going straight from dusk to dawn for four days in a row. They would finally rest on "la quinta" or "the fifth" day. Eventually La Quinta became the term used for a small country estate or a resting place. The rock peaking out at Highway 111 and Washington Street in La Quinta was once such a resting place. La Quinta inspires a strong loyalty among its residents. Perhaps due to the Cahuilla Indian history reports that the ancient tribes called La Quinta "The Garden of Eden" because they believed that it was where human life began on
Earth.

    

SHOPPING    

       
Do you like  to shop?  La Quinta offers many different shopping choices. La Quinta is proud to be the first California city  to open a Wal-Mart Supercenter. 

For a more unique shopping experience, La Quinta Village,  and  Old Town La Quinta offers specialized shops and boutiques.  Designed to replicate early outpost shopping, the La Quinta Village  and Old Town La Quinta offers restaurants, shops and art galleries.   Come experience this unique shopping opportunity.  Each month on the first and third Wednesday is the Street Affaire. It's a great opportunity to see why this is a special shopping experience.

DINING  

LA QUINTA DEMOGRAPHICS

Population: 38,340   Zip code: 92253  East of Indian Wells

Median Price:  $615,000   Least- $235,000  Most- $10,000,000

Median Income: $65,000  Median Age: 40

Summary Words: "The gem of the desert" nestled in the foothills of the scenic Santa Rosa Mountains.  La Quinta is recognized for its world-class golf at the historic La Quinta Resort & Country Club (once considered a hidden hideaway for the rich and famous), as well as, the famous PGA West communities. It is a thriving arts community with excellent quality of life features. Renovation of the original village "cove" area is under way now and will add to the quaint charm of the hotel and complement the existing  lifestyle of the fabulous country club life that dominants the area.  And much more is coming to this high growth area such as the new SilverRock Resort with a 5 star hotel.
www.La-Quinta.org