REPRESENTING THE HISTORY OF TRANSPORTATION
Indio was, and remains, the transportation hub of the Coachella Valley. This mural illustrates the artists representation of Indio in the 1920's and 1930's.

Railroad
Indio was a major rail center from 1876 to 1973. The two story Indio station was both a stop over freight station and hotel for rail passengers. The depot was built in 1887 and destroyed by fire in 1966. Living quarters for the crews lasted into the 1960's. A.J. Tingman was the first telegrapher station attendant and postmaster. The "T Bone" served meals and a six stall roundhouse was built. Ice to cool the passenger trains came from Truckee. There were 19 side tracks in the Indio yard, and over 500 employees based in Indio when it was closed in 1973 in favor of the new Colton yard. Over 40 trains per day still come through Indio in the 1990's. Indio's population was 1,187 in 1920. Indio incorporated as the Valley's first city in May, 1930, by a vote of 154 to 131, with a population of 1,500. Southern Pacific Rail Road (SPRR) remained a major local employer until 1973.

First service station
The first service station serving autos and trucks in the Valley was located at Tingman and Fargo. P.L. Everett's station started off with hand lever pumps. Over the years Indio remained the major fuel stop for travelers with all the major and regional brands.

Highways 99/70/60
In May of 1923 Highway 99, was officially opened with a public street dance at the newly paved intersection at Jackson Street. Hwy 99 was the main North to South link from Mexico to Canada, Highway 70 also was part of the 99 link, and connected Los Angeles to Pheonix and beyond. The first "auto camp" (motel) was located on Route 99 at Miles and Smurr. The truck in the mural shows Ruiz Trucking, a family business still in Indio which has delivered local produce to Los Angeles for over fifty years. Indio Boulevard is part of Historic Route 99.

Airports
In 1928, Indio had the first airport in the Valley, built for the Indio Aero Club, located in what is now known as the Carver Tract.

Bakery truck
Mary Ann's Bakery of Thermal delivered to Indio in this era. Mary Ann Bundschuh Trager is represented in the mural.

Date shop
The Desert Gold Date Shop was on Hwy 99 in front of the Deglet Boor Pate Growers date packing plant. C.P. Huntington President of SPRR, brought date shoots to the desert as an experiment. Indio eventually became the "Date Capital', of the World. Dates, citrus, vegetables, and table grapes are among the sixty crops grown in the Valley. Local agriculture prospered due to the availability of water, good soil, lots of sunshine and an excellent transportation system.