The first permanent white settler was the Honorable Judge John Guthrie McCallum of San Francisco, who arrived in 1884 with his family, seeking health for his tubercular son. Two years later, he purchased all the surrounding land in the vicinity from Southern Pacific and set about improving the water supply by constructing a $60,000.00 aqueduct. Completion of the project made possible the rapid growth of fruit trees and alfalfa fields and led to the subsequent rich agricultural development of the Coachella Valley.

Following closely behind McCallum was Dr. Welwood Murray, who purchased a site from McCallum and erected the first Palm Springs Hotel in 1886, a 26 guest establishment. In 1897 McCallum passed away, but his daughter Pearl McManus still resided in the Village where she saw her father's dreams come true.

By the turn of the century, Palm Springs was becoming a thriving resort with more than ten building, a post office and many seasonal visitors. The world-famous Desert Inn came into existence when Mrs. Nellie Coffman, who visited the village with her son, Earl, in 1908, returned a year later and bought the Eleanor Martin home and 1 3/4 acres of land for a down payment of $2,000 to start the hotel. Over the years, property and buildings were added to the site, and in 1955, son Earl sold the Desert Inn to Marion Davies for close to $2,500. It was sold again in 1963 to Home Savings for an undisclosed amount.

In 1913 Zaddie Bunker arrived with her husband Ed to open the first garage in Palm Springs. The 25 white settlers and 50 friendly Indians might have been a little more impressed with Zaddie had they known she was to become world-famous as the great grandmother licensed to fly multiple engine aircraft and would crack the sound barrier in 1959 flying in a F-100 Super Sabre.