La Quinta Historical Society

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La Quinta Historical Society

We are a volunteer, nonprofit service organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the rich, multi-cultural history of La Quinta, California.

06/11/2026

Snapshot in time: Hacienda del Gato 📸

This is a historically significant ranch house built in the 1920s in the Spanish Colonial Revival architecture style. The ranch house is located on the grounds of the Tradition Golf Club today. The property was formerly owned by John Marshall (Marshall Cove/Ranch) and was built by one of the first pioneering female architects, Helen Douglas French.

The property was later sold to William Rosecrans (grandson of a former Civil War hero). Thereafter, Rosecrans renamed the property Hacienda Del Gato after the family cat reportedly saved Elizabeth Rosecrans from a lethal rattlesnake strike.

In a tribute to the courageous family cat, a sign was established to pay tribute to the cat. The cat lived for another 20 years after the incident and visitors often inquired about the story and burial site when stopping by the hacienda.

05/31/2026

As Preservation Month comes to a close, we'd like to introduce the dedicated volunteers who help make historic preservation possible in the City of La Quinta. The board members of the La Quinta Historical Society generously share their time, talents, and passion to preserve our community's unique history and ensure its stories are remembered for generations to come.

Their commitment helps protect La Quinta's heritage, celebrate its past, and strengthen our connection to the place we call home. Thank you to these remarkable volunteers for all that you do for our community.

Pictured from left to right:
James Blanton - Vice President
Linda Williams - President
Michael Chanco - Historic Preservation
David Cribari - Treasurer
Mary Lawson - Membership
Caryl Cummings - Secretary
Sabina Greco - Archivist
Elisa Guerrero - Social Media
David Mackesey - Historian
Not pictured: Nancy Salvatierra - Board Member

05/17/2026

Preservation Month: May 1982, the City of La Quinta was established! Here's an undated photo from the archive of a city council meeting in the early years of our city.

Follow along for more La Quinta history, and become a member of the Historical Society, all on our website! Link in bio 🔗

(This post has been updated to correct a previous error regarding the date of this photo)

05/08/2026

Snapshot in Time 📸: May 1942

General George S. Patton, Jr. came to the Coachella Valley to create the largest military training facility in the world. The Desert Training Center included eleven camps spread throughout the desert and covered an 18,000 square mile section of Southern California, Western Arizona and Southern Nevada. Over a two-year period more than 1,000,000 troops
were trained there.

Gen. Patton was put in charge of Thermal Army Air Field as a fighter base, Desert Center Army Air Field as a close-support bomber base, Rice Army AirField near Parker Arizona as a
transport base, and Shaver's Summit Field as the air base for Camp Young Headquarters.
Military equipment was sent to Indio via rail and then convoyed out to the troops in the desert. Gen. Patton requisitioned many of the valley's most significant locations for military use. World War II rationing made travel to the desert difficult. The La Quinta Hotel shuttered from 1942 to
1945.
The Army appropriated properties and it's believed that members of General George Patton's staff used some of the hotels in the area which included the La Quinta Hotel and the Desert Club facilities.

To read more about this and other Snapshots in Time, visit our website! Link in bio 🔗

05/02/2026

In honor of preservation month and the founding of the City Of La Quinta, here is a photo of the first Mayor and First Lady, Fred and Kay Wolff, at the incorporation on May 1, 1982.

04/19/2026

Join us for two exciting (free) events coming up in the next few weeks!

All of our upcoming events can be found on our website, and you can also explore membership options, explore the archive, and more!

04/12/2026

Snapshot in Time 📸 1951

The Desert Club, opened on Thanksgiving Day 1937, was a pinnacle of 1930s modernism and Art Deco design. While a complete day-by-day menu from that exact era is rare, the club was a high-end social destination that served classic American "supper club" fare to Hollywood celebrities and desert.

Pictured here is a large Desert Club Menu dated Christmas 1951.

Some of the celebrities who visited The Desert Club include: Rita Hayworth, Kirk Douglas, Virginia Mayo, Gary Cooper, Micheal O'Shea, Piper Laurie, Jane Russell, and Jeff Chandler among others.

04/01/2026

Flashback to our Biennial Casita Tour 📷

This event is a crowd favorite and sells out very quickly. On this tour, we visit a select few of the famous La Quinta casitas. They are a fascinating piece of our city's history and it's a treat to explore them for this event.

Special thanks to Nikki & Jim Somerville, Mary Silveri & Glen Knabenshue, Michael Chanco & Mike Paganelli, and Wendy Valliere for opening their homes to us this year!

03/21/2026

Mark your calendars! Our next speaker series event is happening on April 9th with David MacKesey exploring the history of the railroad in the Coachella Valley in the 1800's 🚂

Join us at the La Quinta Museum!
📍 77885 Avenida Montezuma
📅 April 9th - 2:00pm

03/08/2026

📸 Snapshot in Time: Late 1970's - early 1980's

Established in 1974 within the Diocese of San Bernardino, St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in La Quinta, CA, was founded by Fr. Raymond Bluett, designed with inspiration from acclaimed film director Franco Zeﬃrelli to resemble a 12th-century Romanesque basilica, was dedicated on November 25, 1984.

It features a vaulted ceiling, and its interior art, including mosaics by Alexander Rosenfield, the artist who designed and painted 14 frescos reproducing the Giotto murals of the original Church of St.Francis in Assisi, Italy. The public came to see him working on the frescoes at the church.

As pictured, around 1982, are from left to right Franco Zeﬃrelli, Father Bluett and Frank Capra standing on the site where the new St. Francis of Assisi Church would be built. It is on the south platform of the old Point Happy homestead on Washington Street in La Quinta and was dedicated in 1984. For the first 10 years of the parish’s history, services were held at the local Crocker Bank and at the Simon Motors auto dealership.

The first mass was attended by Frank Sinatra, Gregory Peck, Cary Grant, and Roger Moore........................................................................

Follow us for more historical tidbits and join as a member to support our mission of preserving the history of La Quinta for future generations! Visit our website for more information.

Address

77885 Calle Montezuma
La Quinta, CA
92253

Telephone

+17605641283

Website

http://laquintahistoricalsociety.com/

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