Calipatria
Calipatria, at the center of what's called the 'North End' District of Imperial Valley, was established April 4, 1914 by the Imperial Valley Farm Lands Association. Briefly known as Date City, Calipatria's name comes from a combination of California and Patria, a Latin word meaning "Father". Calipatria grew quickly, and by 1918 had electricity, telephone, water services, stores, churches, and a $35,000 school. Three warehouses were constructed, and could barely handle the amount of barley the North End was producing. Rail lines were built connecting Calipatria to Westmorland and Holtville, and the city finally incorporated February 28, 1919. By 1922, there were two banks, three hotels, and two cotton gins in town.
Like its neighbor Niland, information on Calipatria through the rest of the 20th century is scant. A landmark 184-foot flagpole was dedicated in 1958 (more on that below). The rail lines to Holtville and Westmorland were abandoned in 1962 and 1970, respectively, and subsequently removed. The Calipatria State Prison opened in 1992, and today houses more than half of Calipatria's roughly 7500 residents. A small handful of businesses are still open along Main Street, but very few historic buildings remain from the city's past.
