Palo Verde Historical Museum and Society - Blythe and the Palo Verde Valley

These American Indian desert drawings, estimated between 450 and 2,000 years old, are located just north of the Palo Verde Valley. According to Mohave and Queshan tribes of the lower Colorado River, the human figure represents Mastamho, the creator of earth and all life. The animal figure represents Hatakulya, one of two mountain lions/people who helped in the creation. There are many intaglios located in the desert that surrounds the valley. Most are best viewed from the air.

Although he only visited the Palo Verde Valley twice, Thomas H. Blythe, shown in this portrait, applied for and received the water rights for Colorado River water and financed the construction of the original irrigation system. Blythe passed away in 1883, which halted construction on the irrigation system. When his estate was settled in 1904, construction resumed.

In 1902, the first school in the Palo Verde Valley, Arrowweed School, was established. Located approximately 100 yards east of the Palo Verde Lagoon, it was constructed of cottonwood poles and arrowweed. The first teacher was Ellen Decker, who later became Mrs. Lyman F. Norton. Her memoirs were published by the Palo Verde Historical Museum and Society in a book titled Memoirs of a School Maam .

Ellen Decker Norton and her son Bert are pictured on wash day c . 1911. They are at their Ripley ranch, where they lived until 1917. Ellen helped organize the First Baptist Church and was the first president of the Blythe Womens Improvement Club.

This 1881 portrait shows George S. Irish, Thomas Blythes representative and general manager in the valley prior to Blythes death in 1883. After Blythes death, Irish left the valley and settled in San Diego.

The steamboats pictured here, Gila and Cocopah , traveled up the Colorado River from Yuma, Arizona, and went as far north as Needles, California. They stopped at Ehrenberg, Arizona, which is directly across the Colorado River from the Palo Verde Valley.

The steamboats Cocopah , Yuma, and Queshan are shown at dock in this 1875 photograph. The steamboats ran until 1909, when the Laguna Dam was built north of Yuma, Arizona, and stopped all river traffic.

In 1907, a barbecue was held on the Blythe ranch, the headquarters for George Irish and O. P. Callaway during construction of the irrigation system.

Pictured here are Ralph and Tony Seeley in 1909. At the time, the brothers were working as brush hands. In 1899, they came to the Cibola Valley, located south of Blythe across the Colorado River in Arizona, with their father. Ralph Seeley left the valley in 1912 and never returned. Tony Seeley later purchased land and became a farmer, but he never lost his love of being a cowboy. Tonys son Raymond grew up in the valley, farmed here, and raised racehorses. Raymond Seeley was later elected to the California State Senate.

The Apperson Jackrabbit Stage carried mail and passengers from Yuma to Blythe. The trip from Glamis to the Blythe ranch house, a 70-mile journey, took two days. This photograph was taken in 1908. It looks like it was a rough way to travel.

This is an early homestead somewhere in the Palo Verde Valley.

James Davenport, an early pioneer, plows the field to ready it for planting sweet potatoes.

Pictured here in 1908 are Al and Basil DeMeyer. Note the sweet potatoes on the table between the two men.

Jack Marlowe came to the valley in 1904 and farmed here his whole life. He is pictured here on his homestead in 1923. In his younger days, he fought in Mexico against Pancho Villa. He served on the Palo Verde Irrigation Board of Directors for seven years and was active in the Blythe Lions Club and the chamber of commerce. The horses were named Dick, Buck, Bearcat, and Joe.