Indian Wells

History

The city derived its name from a historic Cahuilla Native American water reservoir, which served as a crucial water supply for nearby tribes. As early as 1820, the area now known as Indian Wells was the site of a thriving Indian village, as reported by W.P. Blade, a Smithsonian Institution geologist. A decade later, when gold was discovered on the Colorado River, William D. Bradshaw built a trail from Los Angeles through the desert to the gold mines. The Alexander and Company Stage Line used the trail to transport prospectors and Indian Wells became an important stop along the trail. Competition from the Southern Pacific Railroad caused the route to be abandoned briefly in 1875 before being reactivated by the Wells Fargo company the following year. Over the next decades, settlers gradually arrived in the area and date palm ranches became profitable. The area's first golf courses were opened in the 1950s at the Eldorado Country Club and the Indian Wells Country Club. In 1957, Desi Arnaz opened his Indian Wells Hotel (forerunner to the Indian Wells Resort Hotel). In 1960, Arnold Palmer won the first Bob Hope Desert Classic golf tournament. President Dwight D. Eisenhower was a regular Indian Wells visitor and later an Eldorado homeowner. In an election held on June 27, 1967, to avoid being annexed by neighboring cities such as Palm Desert, the inhabitants of Indian Wells voted to incorporate as a city. On July 14, 1967, Indian Wells became California's 400th city and the 16th in Riverside County. Since then, Indian Wells has continued to grow, with the development of resort hotels, golf courses and luxury residential areas.

Geography

Indian Wells is located at (33.715755, −116.341109). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , comprising 1.80%, is water.

Largest nearby schools

• Coachella Valley High
  High · Thermal · 2,657 students · 21.1:1 ratio
• La Quinta High
  High · La Quinta · 2,500 students · 24.8:1 ratio
• Indio High
  High · Indio · 2,143 students · 25.5:1 ratio
• Palm Desert High
  High · Palm Desert · 2,050 students · 24.4:1 ratio
• Shadow Hills High
  High · Indio · 1,751 students · 22.7:1 ratio
• Palm Desert Charter Middle
  Middle · Palm Desert · 1,347 students · 27.5:1 ratio
• Imagine Schools Riverside County
  Elementary · Coachella · 1,312 students · 23.9:1 ratio
• John Glenn Middle School of International Studies
  Middle · Indio · 1,045 students · 23.8:1 ratio