Coachella Valley

Before the War

Coachella Valley was first inhabited by the Cahuilla Natives who employed various hunting and survival methods, such as well-digging, to survive the dry climate.[1] Coachella, like many southern California areas, owes its initial growth to the railroads. Jason L. Rector first moved to the desert area to lay down railroad tracks for the Southern Pacific Railroad Company.[2] Ever since this moment in 1876, the town continued to grow, and became an official city in 1946.

During the War

Coachella Valley was an important location to the United States during World War II. Interests into the area began after the Germans had advanced on the port of Benghazi. Because of this, there were concerns by the War Plans Division of the War Department General Staff that troops needed more training in desert combat.[3] Climate similar to that of Benghazi only existed in California and Arizona.

It was determined that the Coachella Valley had the perfect climate to prepare troops for battle. It had a varying terrain, including mountains and sandy stretches, and a maximum temperature that reached 130 degrees.[4] Soon, the Desert Training Center would be located there with Major General George S. Patton Jr. as the Commanding General.[5] While these features of Coachella Valley were perfect for simulating the desert regions consumed by the War, they were almost unbearable for those who had to endure the training. A four-phase training program was established, focusing “first on the individual, squad, and platoon; second, on the company and battery; third, on the battalion; and fourth, on the combat team.”[6]

After the success of the North African campaign, the need for desert warfare training was no longer necessary. Afterwards, the Desert Training Center became the California-Arizona Maneuver Area. The area was enlarged to include Pomona, California; Phoenix, Arizona; Yuma, Arizona; and Boulder City, Nevada.[7]

After the War

As mentioned, Coachella became an official city in 1946, shortly after World War II. At that point, it had a large Hispanic population and became an area of social and political activism, mainly surrounding issues of illegal immigration.[8] In 2006, it declared itself a safe haven for immigrants. However, for those who are not from the area, Coachella is widely known for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. It started in October of that year as a two-day concert and festival, and has since grown into a popular three-day event.[9]

Footnotes

[1] Erica M. Ward, Images of America: Coachella (Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2014), 7.

[2] Ward, 10.

[3] George W. Howard, “The Desert Training Center/California-Arizona Maneuver Area,” The Journal of Arizona History 2 no. 3 (Autumn 1985): 273. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41859644.

[4] Howard, 274.

[5] Howard, 274.

[6] Howard, 278.

[7] Howard, 282.

[8] Ward, 8.

[9] Ward, 8.