Postcard featuring a moving train passing by Mount San Jacinto, near Whitewater
1860s
Following the establishment of a stagecoach line, the Southern Pacific Railroad plans to build a line through the Coachella Valley. The Federal government grants the railroad ten miles of odd-numbered sections of land on each side of the railroad right-of-way.
1875
Cahuilla Indians help to construct a future railroad route through the Coachella Valley.
1876
President Grant establishes Indian reservations across Cahuilla territory, including the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation. That same year, the Southern Pacific rail service reaches the Coachella Valley.
1877
President Hayes extends the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation to include even-numbered sections.
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