The region was ideal for habitation, and the Agua Caliente took advantage of the resources in the area and survived by living off of the land. They used multitudes of desert plants for food, clothes, medicine and hunted game such as deer, bighorn sheep, rabbits and other small animals. They also used an elaborate irrigation system to aid in the production of crops that were brought by the Spanish including corn, squash, beans and melons.

Sadly, in 1862 a small pox epidemic brought about by the influx of whites into the area almost completely wiped out the Agua Caliente altogether. In 1925, only 50 Agua Caliente remained. Today, there are 240.

The first non-Native American to settle in the Palm Springs area was Judge John Guthrie McCallum. Arriving in Palm Springs in 1884 from San Francisco with family in tow, McCallum worked alongside the Native Americans to build a 19 mile stone-lined ditch from the Whitewater River Springs to irrigate the dryer parts of the area.

Continuing throughout the 19th century, numerous explorers, colonizers and soldiers came through the desert and remarked on the lush oasis to be found in the Coachella Valley, but no formal name had been given to the site. Often referred to as Palm Springs, Agua Caliente or Palm Valley, it wasn't until 1890 when Harry McCallum wrote his address as Palm Springs that the region came to be known under those terms.

Eventually, the growing region was incorporated in 1939. The census at that time boasted of a little more than 5,000 permanent residents with 3,000 more during the peak tourist season. With numbers like these, it didn't take long for the Hollywood crowd to zero in on the desert oasis. Tennis clubs, golf courses, stables, swimming pools and bowling alleys soon sprung up everywhere, and the fame of Palm Springs kept growing.

Palm Springs experienced a decline in activities during WWII, but at the close of the war, tourists returned in even greater numbers than before, a trend that has not stopped continuing even today.

Today, everyone is prospering including the Agua Caliente. Members of this band still account for the largest land holders in the area, and they own and operate casinos and other attractions in the Palm Springs area.

 Each year, tourists flock to this vast, desert playground to experience the lush oases, barren landscapes, casino nightlife, Championship golf courses and luxurious spas that are unique to Palm Springs. From desert hikes through verdant oases to unbelievable nightlife, there is something for everyone in Palm Springs.