Imperial County California America’s Winter Garden

“All-American Canal Gives Imperial Valley An Assured Water Supply Under Control” [Text, front]

This Depression-era promotional brochure was issued around 1935 by the Board of Trade of Imperial County, California. The tranquil pictorial wraps show the lush path of the All-American Canal, then under construction to convey water from the Colorado River into Imperial Valley. An accompanying map shows the route of the 82-mile waterway amid illustrated vignettes that highlight the region’s agricultural production, recreational activities, historic sites, and natural features.

The verso provides tables of statistics, photographs, and descriptive text to encourage settlement throughout Imperial County. The bold proclamation that ‘IMPERIAL VALLEY PRODUCES 60,000 CARLOADS OF FARM PRODUCTS ANNUALY’ reflects the largely agrarian nature of its inhabitants during a period where farm work offered some of the best opportunities for migratory workers looking to settle in a new home.

Also of interest is the naming of Hoover Dam. The massive project was referred to as such after the eponymous President oversaw the necessary legislation in Congress, but the successive Roosevelt administration attempted to rename it Boulder Dam. Each can be seen in the brochure, and the name was officially restored to Hoover Dam by Congress in 1947.