Borrego Sun - Since 1949

Using a smoke tree for a Christmas tree. Hanging a wet sheet in the doorway for air conditioning. Traveling for over two days on washboard roads to get to Brawley. Spelling Borego with one "r". These and so many more fascinating facts enthralled Borrego's 4th graders as they learned about Old Borego and listened to old timer, Denny DuVall, who lived in the original house built in the townsite of Old Borego off Rango Way.

Every year the Civic Foundation sponsors a writing contest for 4th graders about life in Old Borego. This is part of the social studies curriculum for 4th graders where they learn the history of their area. The Civic Foundation sponsors a field trip to the old townsite where Frank Murillo and Denny DuVall give tours and talk about the old store, the post office and the original home built with a space between the roof and the ceiling to allow for cooling air flow and where the original home had no indoor plumbing, and the kitchen was not attached to the house. So many interesting differences between life then and now. The students loved the information and the tour!

Then, on History Preservation Day, during Veterans' Day weekend, the house, store and post office are open to the public for tours and the students' essays are displayed and winners announced. The Civic Foundation presents three $50 awards to the most creative, informative and well written essays. This year's winners were Isaiah Garcia, Alexa Lopez, Alexander Shalizi and Eduardo Vilchis (honorable mention). Their teacher, KC Deichler, presented the awards while a hefty crowd of about 50 people and proud parents looked on.

Borrego Springs has a rich history beginning with the Native Americans a few thousand years ago, to the cattle ranchers, homesteaders, farmers and to the current Park Headquarters and tourist destination that is Borrego Springs.

Students had many questions about the additional "r" added to Borego. So how did that happen? The spelling of Borego first appears on a county map in 1883. According to Denny DuVall's father, Ed, who moved here in 1928, his conversations with the Native American Elders at that time revealed that the area had been home for years to the young Native Americans from various tribes in the area who could not behave. They were kicked out of their tribes and sent on their way with one day's worth of food. They congregated in an area they called Borego which meant "end of the trail" or "home."

As the story goes, in 1947 Burnand, Di Giorgio and Kurhts began building up and promoting this area called Borego. They decided to add an additional "r" which now translates loosely into the Spanish word for sheep and they added the word "springs" to make the area more appealing and perhaps resemble Palm Springs, although there are no springs in Borrego.

Students listened wide-eyed as they pondered being sent out in the desert with only one day's worth of food. Truth or fiction, it didn't matter. They were captivated and wanted to know more about the history of their area. Voila the goal of teaching history....to get children curious and to promote deeper investigations and understanding of our past. Mission accomplished.