Historical photos reveal changes in Palm Springs
News Channel 3 is taking a special look back in time: 85 years after Palm Springs was incorporated as a city, historical photographs reveal what has changed and what has stayed the same.
Inside the Welwood Murray Memorial Library, Renee Brown and the historical society work passionately to preserve the past. "We are the keepers of the history of Palm Springs," she told anchor Peter Daut. "We have just an accumulation of documents, historic resources and surveys."
From decades-old newspapers and magazines to blueprints to a variety of city records, the non-profit gives everyone access to a treasure trove of memories. "Our images go back to 1884. We have quite a selection," Brown said.
But it's the photographs that best reveal how much Palm Springs has changed over the last 85 years.
In 1938, long after becoming a playground for Hollywood stars, the time arrived for the growing village of Palm Springs to become a real city.
"For the schools, for the library, more so for the cultural things. As a village, we had a volunteer fire department. They wanted to have an actual fire department," Brown said.
So 653 residents voted to incorporate. The first city council represented a population of just a few thousand people, most of whom lived elsewhere during the hot summer.
"It's interesting that air conditioning played a role in the history of Palm Springs," Daut said. Brown responded, "Absolutely. Changed everything. Made it a year-round city."
The images from 1938 show a number of changes, including along Palm Canyon. Many of the buildings are gone, but some remain.
And then there are of course the people who helped to put Palm Springs on the map: celebrities like Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra and Lucille Ball, all of whom had homes here.
"What do you think the people back in 1938 would say about where Palm Springs is today?" Daut asked Brown. She answered: "I think they'd be really upset about the traffic, and I think they would be really upset about the way our streets weren't really thought out and how that affects us today."
The city plans to display several of the historical photographs as part of its upcoming 85th anniversary celebration.
"The theme is 'Cruising Through the Years,' so we'll be doing a photographic exhibition near the Marilyn sculpture from 1938 to the current day, cruising through the years of Palm Springs and the amazing history that we have," the city's communications director Amy Blaisdell said.
Check Out A Special Sneak Peek at the Palm Springs 85th Anniversary Car Parade
Learn more about Saturday's 85th anniversary celebration in Palm Springs here
The Palm Springs Historical Society invites everyone to stop by its two museums and research center. Admission is free.
For more information, visit www.PalmSprings85.com.
Tune in Friday at 6:00 p.m. as News Channel 3's Karen Devine talks to the former mayors of Palm Springs.
Former Mayors of Palm Springs gather at City Hall for an interview with KESQ’s Karen Devine in celebration of the City’s 85th Anniversary.@KESQ @KarenDevineKESQ pic.twitter.com/PoaJbN4dSU
— City of Palm Springs (@CityofPS) April 4, 2023
