El Centro in Imperial County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

McConnell Ranch

Established 1908

Photographed By James King, February 7, 2015

1. McConnell Ranch Marker

Inscription. In 1908 Hardy McConnell and son, Leslie, (A Native Son) left Temescal Canyon, near Corona, enroute to settle in Imperial Valley, driving two teams of horses pulling wagons, hauling farm implements, chickens and leading a cow.

Fourteen days later they arrived in the town of Imperial.

Buying raw desert land, the McConnell Family leveled the sand dunes with teams of horses pulling fresno scrapers. Once sand hills, McConnell Ranch is now a highly productive farm.

McConnell Ranch is still owned, operated and inhabited by the McConnell Family with six generations having lived on the Ranch.

This fence was built out of hay bales grown on McConnell Ranch.

Erected 2006 by Native Sons of the Golden West.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Native Sons/Daughters of the Golden West series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1908.

Location. 32° 49.32′ N, 115° 29.044′ W. Marker is in El Centro, California, in Imperial County. Marker is on McConnell Road, 1.3 miles north of E. Evan Hewes Hwy (County Route S80), on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2341 McConnell Road, El Centro CA 92243, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers.

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At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Imperial Valley Veterans' Memorial (approx. 1.1 miles away); Pearl Harbor Survivors Memorial (approx. 1.1 miles away); Mobley Meadows (approx. 1.1 miles away); Site of Rancho El Tecolote (approx. 3.9 miles away); Harold Bell Wright (approx. 3.9 miles away); Schaffner Dairy (approx. 4.1 miles away); Imperial Valley Press (approx. 4.9 miles away); Women's 10,000 Club (approx. 4.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in El Centro.

Also see . . .
1. History of Irrigation in the Imperial Valley. " The story of the Imperial Valley is synonymous with the dream of irrigating the desert. In 1859, Dr. O.M. Wozencraft, who had originally come to California seeking gold in the Gold Rush in 1849, prevailed upon the California State Legislature to grant him the rights to 1,600 square miles of the Salton Sink as a destination for a canal carrying water from the Colorado River. His goal was irrigation for farm lands and water for inhabitants of the Colorado Desert Valley. His plans were interrupted by the Civil War, but his cause was taken up by Mr. C.R. Rockwood in 1892. Rockwood was an engineer originally employed by the Arizona and Sonora Land and Irrigation Company to determine if it was possible to irrigate land in Sonora, Mexico using Colorado River water. Finding this idea unproductive, he investigated
Photographed By James King, February 7, 2015

2. McConnell Ranch Marker & Fence
Wozencraft's plan to irrigate the Salton Basin and use the Salton Sink as a destination for canal drainage. The Arizona and Sonora Land and Irrigation Company changed its name to the Colorado River Irrigation Company and authorized Rockwood to conduct detailed surveys to plan the project. The money to proceed however, did not materialize. Rockwood sued to gain title to the data he had developed in 1894, and reformed the company into the California Development Company, with Mr. A.H. Heber, a Chicago promoter, as President, and himself as Vice President..." (Submitted on March 17, 2015, by James King of San Miguel, California.)

2. The History of Imperial County, California (ebook). (Submitted on March 17, 2015, by James King of San Miguel, California.)

The New McConnell Ranch House image. Click for full size.

Photographed By James King, February 7, 2015

3. The New McConnell Ranch House

Credits. This page was last revised on August 1, 2018. It was originally submitted on March 17, 2015, by James King of San Miguel, California. This page has been viewed 912 times since then and 90 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 17, 2015, by James King of San Miguel, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.