"First Auction Sale of Lots at Imperial April 12, 1904." Inside the Tent with the California Development Co. and Hopeful Landowners
4/12/1904
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Since the 18th century, the Federal Government has encouraged and promoted the orderly distribution and development of publicly owned land in the United States. In this photograph of a land auction-whether public or private is not know-was in Imperial, California, in 1904. Until the 20th century, the southernmost area of California was an unpopulated, arid wasteland known as the Colorado Desert. By 1905, land developers had built a canal to connect the area with the Colorado River, which would provide necessary water. Towns were established and lots were sold. Despite occasional flooding from the Colorado River, the area prospered. Today the Colorado Desert is called the Imperial Valley and is one of the riches agricultural areas of California. This photograph was sent to E. A. Hitchcock, Secretary of the Interior, by A. H. Heber, president of the California Development Company.
Text adapted from “Photograph of a Land Auction” in the January 1979 National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) publication Social Education.
Text adapted from “Photograph of a Land Auction” in the January 1979 National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) publication Social Education.
This primary source comes from the Records of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior.
National Archives Identifier: 516432
Full Citation: Photograph 48-RST-7-25; 'First Auction Sale of Lots at Imperial April 12, 1904.' Inside the tent with the California Development Co. and hopeful landowners; 4/12/1904; Photographs Accompanying Reports to the Secretary of the Interior, 1887 - 1930; Records of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior, Record Group 48; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/first-auction-sale-of-lots-at-imperial-april-12-1904-inside-the-tent-with-the-california-development-co-and-hopeful-landowners, May 16, 2024]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.