Imperial (216 page)

His acreage—Ibid., p. 208.

The Holly Corporation; number of homes and lots in 1968—Ibid., p. 212.

Health advisory of 1986—Ibid., p. 235.

“A Fisherman’s Paradise”—Salton Sea map (1986).

Discussion of Salton Sea dike in 1974—Ibid., p. 247.

Relative salinity of Salton Sea, 1950, 1974, century’s end—Recapitulated from the sources already given in the “Introductions” chapter entitled “Then and Now.” Salinity of Arabian Gulf (43,000 ppm) is taken from Bockris (E. D. Howe, “The Desalinization of Water”), p. 621.

Imperial Valley map—
Imperial Valley Press
, Inland Empire edition, 1974, pp. 36-37.

Activity of Date City in 1939—WPA, p. 639.

Dates of carrot and tomato events—
Imperial Valley Press,
op. cit., p. 18.

14 4 . Market Prices (1975)

Epigraph: “Life is better . . . in Imperial Valley, California . . .”—
Imperial Valley Press
, Inland Empire edition, 1974, p. 18.

Market prices of various commodities, 1975—
California Farmer
, April 5, 1975, p. 45 (“Markets: California Market Prices: Federal-State Market News Service, March 14, 1975”).

Footnote: Mexican rancher on cotton prices—Gilberto Sanders, interviewed on his ranch in Ejido Morelos, 2003. Terrie Petree interpreted.

The wise woman from Imperial—Kay Brockman Bishop, interviewed December 2006.

Asparagus: “. . . we all feel quite strongly that doing further research . . .”—California State Archives. Department of Food and Agriculture. Bureau of Marketing. Marketing-order files, 1941-1971. Box 1. State of California, Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Marketing. Proposed Marketing Order for California Asparagus Research, as Amended. Tuesday, August 10, 1971, beginning 10 o’clock, a.m. Stockton, California. P. 34 (testimony of John McCarthy, who works for the Garin Company, an asparagus grower in the Salinas Valley; he is also a member of the advisory board of the CAA). On p. 21 (testimony of Stockton’s William P. DePaoli, Manager of the California Asparagus Association, we learn that the CAA represents 156 growers of 74 million pounds of asparagus. The CAA believes hand labor is cheaper than mechanization, so stands against further research.

Status of various Imperial County million-dollar crops—Imperial Valley Agricultural Commission papers, 1975. P. 6 (Recapitulation); p. 4 (Vegetable Crops 1974-1975).

Status of Imperial Valley citrus for that year—Ibid., p. 4.

Commissioner’s summary—Ibid. Cover letter by Claude Finnell.

145 . San Diego (1975)

Epigraph: “Based on the research and analysis . . .”—The California Builders Council, p. II-1.

San Diego County population, 1970, 1980; total water capacity attained by the construction of Pipeline Number 5—San Diego County Water Authority, p. 41.

“Today, the county as a whole is about 90 percent dependent on imported water supplies . . .”—Pryde, p. 103.

“This one again about as large as all previous ones combined.”—Ibid., p. 112. In contradistinction to the SDCWA, Pryde claims that this 4th pipeline (8 feet in diameter), begun in the late 1960s, was finished in 1972, not 1973. I have chosen the latter year, since the SDCWA is more of a primary source on this point.

“It is hoped that this new line will be sufficient . . .”—Loc. cit..

“An overall surplus of cash revenues . . .”—The California Builders Council, loc. cit.

“Urbanization of this strip is now well underway . . .”—Laboratory of Experimental Design, p. 9.

“Unquestionably, it is entirely possible that an individual residential development . . .”—The California Builders Council, p. II-3.

“Among all developments surveyed for this report, the only one registering a deficit . . .”—Ibid., p. II-8.

“The appreciation of value on existing real estate has more than provided for the increased municipal service cost each year.”—Ibid., p. II-7.

Specifications and analysis regarding the commercial center in north San Diego—Ibid., pp. IV-222, 230. Phase I: Department stores, retail stores, and a mall. Ladies and gentlemen, can we all get behind that? Phase II: An office tower, a hotel, a conference center, restaurants, an entity called “civic/cultural,” which occupies 25,000 square feet, and a skating rink. We need have no fear that our lands will not become better and better as the years go by. Phase III: more “commercial, civic, and cultural,” some “office residential,” another hotel, and some townhouses.

Increases in San Diego County agricultural acreage and income, 1963-74—Pryde, p. 121.

“Parenthetically, in the absence of new growth . . .”—The California Builders Council, p. IV-345. Pp. IV-347-350 list the $11 million service increases—for instance, a legislative salary increase of $20,895, $1,222 for the Aerospace Museum, $415,223 in retirement-contribution increases “due to actuarial rate changes,” and, well, well, “Water Joint Accounts Division: Increase in Colorado River Water purchase due to below average run-off during 1970-71 winter”; that costs San Diego $2,599,000; it all adds up to $11,137,826.

“Luckily, by the 1970s there was a new source for imported water . . .”—San Diego County Water Authority, p. 41.

146 . Mexicali (1975)

Epigraph: “Water has been the key to Mexicali’s growth . . .”—Automobile Club of Southern California, p. 62.

Growth of “Mexican Imperial” (actually, all Mexican border areas, which of course includes the area I define as Mexican Imperial)—Salazar, p. 57 (“No Troops Line Border That Has Become Big Business: Changes Loom,” January 7, 1962). I say “the middle decade of the twentieth century” because Salazar speaks of “the last ten years,” which would be from 1952 to 1962; he is probably speaking approximately.

Remarks on family planning in the presidential campaign of 1970—Meyer et al., p. 705.

Increase in Mexicali’s population (462 in 1910; 18,775 in 1940, treble that in 1950; 400,000 in 1975)—Fradkin, pp. 295-96.

Mexico’s microcosm at twentieth century’s end—Pike, p. 347.

Squatters in Andrade’s time, and how CRLC dealt with them—Kerig, pp. 106-9. In September 1976, the peso fell from 12½ to 20½ fell from 12½ to 20½ to the dollar. In October, it fell to more than 51 to the dollar (Meyer et al., pp. 648-49). This doubtless encouraged border settlements.

Señora Socorro Ramírez—Interviewed on 19 February 2004 in her restaurant. Terrie Petree interpreted.

Screwworm cases, 1975—
California Farmer
, April 5, 1975, p. 41 (“Screwworms pose threat to Imperial County animals”).

Lupita—Interviewed on multiple occasions in her parking lot beside the closed Supermercado, 2003. Terrie Petree interpreted.

Bol’shaia Sovetskaia Entsiklopedia
entry on Mexicali—Vol. 16, p. 220. Here the 1970 population of the city is 390,400.

The same information in Spanish—Estado de Baja California (
ca.
1983), p. 68,
“Superficie y volumen de la producción agrícola en el estado”
of Baja California. The exact figures were: In 1978, 222.46
miles
de hectares produced 2.61
millones
de toneladas; in 1982, 275.78 m de h produced 2.15
millones,
with swings and dips in between.

Olga Liria Márquez—Interviewed on 19 February 2004, outside her little house in Colonia Colorado No. 4, which lies a few kilometers east of Highway 5, the Mexicali-San Felipe road, and not far from Rancho Roa. Terrie Petree interpreted.

Description of the Olmec-style mask—After a photograph in Carrasco and Moctezuma, p. 59.

Footnote: Hugo de Vries on Imperial—
Journal of San Diego History
, vol. XXI, no. 1, p. 38.

147. “The Language Seems to Belong So to This Country” (
ca.
1960 -20 03)

Epigraph: “You seem to be very fond of Spanish, Miss Worth . . .”—Wright, p. 107.

The tale of the five dead illegals from Sinaloa, and the arrest of Angulo—
San Diego Union-Tribune
, Wednesday, June 11, 2003, “Around the Region” section, p. B3 (unattributed item datelined Ocotillo: “Five immigrants die in I-8 crash”). The accident occurred on the 10th.

“Indicated that he had been driving” and “In continuing the investigation . . .”—
Imperial Valley Press
, vol. 103, no. 29, Thursday, June 12, 2003, p. A8 (“FATAL: Driver thought to be dead,” cont’d from p. 1).

Angulo, whose name was actually Cruz—He is now named Brigido Angulo Cruz in ibid., vol. 103, no. 30, Friday, June 13, 2003, p. A3 (staff report, “Coroner’s Office releases names”).

Mexican-ness of Calexico, 1934—Kerig, p. 305 fn.

Remarks of Kay Brockman Bishop—Interview on her ranch just west of Calexico, December 2006. Terrie Petree was present.

Contestants for Miss Calexico Pageant—ICHSPM document, cat. #A.95.232.1. Pamphlet: “Annual Miss Calexico Pageant. Friday, April 12, 1985—7:00 P.M.”

Mention of Martha Patricia Castellanos and of contest rules—Same folder, yellow pamphlet: “Miss Calexico Pageant April 18, 1986” [by] “Calexico Chamber of Commerce,” pp. 1, 7, 8.

Mention of Bill Polkinhorn—Same folder, “
DESERT CAVALCADE PARADE
’86 PARADE ENTRY LIST.”

“. . . Twenty and thirty years from now . . .”—César Chávez, p. 191 (“At the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco,” November 9, 1984).

Remarks of Richard Brogan—Interviewed in Calexico, April 2004.

Discussion of Northside’s Latin American-ization—Pike, p. 352.

“And he was just petrified—he grew up in a country where this is prevalent . . .”—Smith (Josie Morales, 1992?).

148 . Los Angeles (1975)

Epigraph: “Its water projects today . . .”—
The California Water Atlas
, p. 36.

Epigraph: “I don’t mean to say we’re perfect . . .”—Lewis, p. 650
(Babbitt).

The smile of the Bella Union Hotel’s bartender—Bell, p. 6.

“After the fifties it went away . . .”—Marjorie Sa’adah, interviewed September 2004.

“Today Southern California has lost its booster spirit . . .”—Nadeau, p. 5.

“Gigantic watch springs of concrete”—Lilliard, p. 8.

Table: Cantaloupe and carrot statistics for 1969 and 1974—Census Bureau (1974), p. III-11.

Offsets to gross ag receipts of 1974—
California Farmer
, April 5, 1975, p. 12 (“West Coast News Notes: Southern California”).

Jobs in last decade of the twentieth century—Wagner, p. 10.

“The worst Latino gang war in history”—Smith, p. 29 (Mike Davis, 1993).

149 . El Centro (1975)

Epigraph: “Good Lord, George . . .”—Lewis, p. 542 (
Babbitt
).

Area of El Centro in 1980—Imperial Valley Directory (1980), p. xi, courtesy El Centro Chamber of Commerce.

150 . The Inland Empire (1875-20 04)

Epigraph: “But, you know, I honestly don’t think . . .”—Asimov, p. 9.

“Soon, the Inland Empire . . . had become the land of big-box warehouses.”—Wagner, p. 18.

Carrot and cantaloupe statistics for 1974—Census Bureau (1974), p. III-11.

Transformation of dairy farms into “world-class distribution sites”—Wagner, loc. cit.

Orange-growing cost per acre, 1950 and 1980—Wagner and Blackstock, p. 14.

Notes on smog-affected price increases and alfalfa decline, 1975—
California Farmer
, January 4, 1975, p. 14 (“Market Notes”).

Premier status of Corona in 1913; closing of plant in 1982—Wagner, p. 51.

The girl on the label of Queen Colony Fruit Exchange oranges—McClelland and Last, p. 97.

151. Subdelineations: Orangescapes

(or, “It Could Be Called Ambrosia I Suppose”) (1873 -20 05)

Epigraph: “Actually, the orange industry is not faced with overproduction . . .”
—California Farmer
, vol. 192, no. 8 (April 22, 1950), p. 364 (Joe Crosby, “Frozen Orange Concentrate Has Industry Guessing”).

“Buds all straight,” etc.—Phrases excerpted from fruit growers’ and merchants’ advertisements in Bynon and Son, pp. 9 [5], front RH endpaper, 104 [100].

Encomium to Chula Vista; citrus acreage valuations thereabouts—San Diego City and County Directory (1901), p. 7.

Will Wolfskill’s citrus planting in Los Angeles—McGroarty, vol. 1, p. 193 (“the first effort to make Los Angeles a citrus fruit center was made”); Riverside Municipal Museum, p. 8.

Wolfskill’s profits in the early 1870s—Riverside Municipal Museum, loc. cit.

Advertisements from Mrs. H. Shaw and Thomas A. Garey—McPherson, advertising end matter, pp. x, ix.

First arrivals of Florida citrus in northern American cities—
Encyclopedia of Food Science and Technology
, vol. 1, p. 420ff. (entry on the citrus industry).

L. M. Holt coins “Semi-Tropical California”—The Great Basin Foundation Center for Anthropological Research, vol. 1, p. 3 (Harry W. Lawton, University of California, Riverside: “Riverside’s First Chinatown and the Boom of the Eighties”).

“The Chinamen seemed to be especially expert in this line . . .”—Ibid., p. 175 (“Paul Wormser, Redlands, California, “Chinese Agricultural Labor in the Citrus Belt of Inland Southern California”).

The 1879 citrus fair—Ibid., p. 31 (photograph).

California citrus acreage 1880-93—Wagner, p. 48.

Description of Riverside citrus groves,
ca.
1885—After a photo in Kurutz, p. 83 (no photographer given).

Deep
vs.
shallow furrows for oranges, 1899—USDA
Experiment Station Record
series (1903-4), p. 195 (entry on irrigation, citing C. H. Shinn,
California Station Bulletin 147
, pp. 65-71, fig. 4).

Catalogue of “deciduous fruit” sent to the Eastern States by California in 1902—
Appletons’ Annual Cyclopaedia
, 1902, p. 701 (entry for United States of America [California]).

Citrus prices in 1904—
California Cultivator
, vol. XXIII, no. 6 (August 5, 1904), p. 142 (“The Produce Market”).

G. Harold Powell: “For two days we travelled across New Mexico . . .”—Op. cit., p. 18 (letter of 23? January 1904, to Gertrude Powell).