1772: Pedro Fages, of the Presidio in San Diego, was probably the first non-Indian to traverse the region, when he visited the area in pursuit of deserters.

1774: Juan Bautista de Anza, the son and grandson of Spanish frontier captains, discovers one of the first land routes to California through the Borrego Valley.

1776: Anza leads 240 soldiers and colonists, including 115 children, and about 1,000 horses, cattle and mules, on an epic march of American history 1,600 miles from Culiacan, Mexico, up through Borrego Valley, eventually founding the Pueblo of San Francisco.

1782: The native palm tree is first noted in a written diary by Fages.

1831: The Jackson party of American trappers, including J.T. Warner of Warner Ranch fame, enters California via the Borrego region.

1846: Kit Carson and an escort of 15 men pass through the area guiding Gen. Stephen Watts Kearny on to what would become the battle of San Pasqual.

1848: Gold is discovered in California and there is heavy migration from Baja, California and Sonora, Mexico via the Borrego region.

1850: Judge Benjamin Hayes passes through area as he enters California to be­come state's first jurist.

1858: Butterfield Overland Mail passes through Borrego on first overland mail delivery between St. Louis and San Francisco. The 2,812 mile trip takes 23 days, 23 hours, and 30 minutes.  Operations were suspended in 1861.

1869: Gold is discovered and the mining towns of Julian and Banner are born to the west of Borrego Valley.

1900: First homesteading in Borrego Valley starts.

1907: Present day Salton Sea forms.

1920: Borrego has active Chamber of Commerce and the common acceptance of the spelling “Borrego” takes over from “Borego.”

1928: La Jollan Guy L. Fleming and Clinton Abbott of San Diego submit first plans for Anza Borrego Desert State Park.  “Beggars of Life,” a silent movie starring Wallace Beery and Louise Brooks is filmed.

1936: Noel Crickmer, manager of the Del Mar Hotel, first visits Borrego Valley.

1937: One of the first structures in Borrego Valley, a simple adobe house is built at Burks Ranch. Named The Desert Lodge, it serves Thanksgiving turkey dinner to 17 guests. The population of Borrego Springs zooms to 25 people.

1942: Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Borrego comes alive with Army and Marine units in training.

1945: In May the San Diego Gas & Electric Company agreed to bring the first power line into Borrego Valley.  Electric service began in October.

1948: On New Year's Day the Hoberg's Desert Resort opened.  Screen Star & local resident Frank Morgan (the wizard in the Wizard of Oz) was named the first Honorary Mayor of Borrego Springs.

1949:  Sal Carson, Hoberg's resident orchestra leader, wrote a hit tune entitled "Borrego".  The Borrego Sun, the valley's only local newspaper, is published for the first time in March by Paul W. Strand.  The brand new Borrego Springs Airport was dedicated on May 1.  Master of Ceremonies was radio and screen star Leo Carrillo.  Borrego Air Ranch is constructed.

1950: Borrego Desert Club is formally opened with a Luau attended by such notables as Di Giorgio, Kuhrts, Scripps, Chaney, Hoberg, Carrillo and others.  Di Giorgio Fruit Corporation ships 149,000 packages of grapes from Borrego Springs.

1951: The Borrego Sun is sold to George J. Kuhrts III and Jack Benson.

1954: James S. Copley purchased the Borrego Sun "as a lark" for the sum of $5000.  The Copley's would remain publishers of the Borrego Sun for the next 54 years.

1958: “The Young Lions,” starring Marlon Brando, Dean Martin and Montgomery Clift, is filmed in Borrego.  On April 22, the redwood resort Borrego Palms (formerly the Hoberg's Desert Resort) was virtually destroyed by fire.  There was no Fire Dept in Borrego Valley at that time.

Late 1950's: Hollywood celebrity Bing Crosby and others purchased 3,000 acres in the Sleepy Hollow area near the Borrego Air Ranch.  It was never developed.

1960: The Copley family (newspaper empire) purchases The Desert Lodge and changes the name to La Casa del Zorro Desert Resort.

1965: Di Giorgio Development Company builds The Mall and the Villas Borrego on Palm Canyon Dr.

1968: The Roadrunner Club Mobile Home Park on Palm Canyon Dr. is built by Di Giorgio.

Mid 1970's: Di Giorgio builds Indian Head Ranch estates at the north end of Borrego Valley..

1982: At the south side of Borrego Springs Di Giorgio begins construction on the 3,000 + acre resort Rams Hill Country Club.

1988: Rams Hill County Club is sold to the Southmark Pacific Corporation/Borrego Springs Development Corporation.

1991: “Bugsy,” starring Warren Beatty, is filmed in Borrego.

1999: Larry Latham (Rams Hill LLC) purchases Rams Hill.

2000: Legendary TV series "X-Files" began its eighth season with two segments set in the Anza-Borrego Desert.

2002: Western United Life Assurance Company purchases Rams Hill.

2004: Rams Hill is purchased by GH Capital of Sherman Oaks, CA, Sept 8 which rebuilds the entire golf course, renovates the clubhouse & redesigns the entrance at a total cost in excess of 65 million dollars.  The county club is renamed Montesoro Golf Club & Resort.  This would be the most expensive ambitious project in the history of Borrego Springs.

2007: GH Capital purchases the Casa del Zorro in December from David Copley, spends more than 20 million dollars in renovations and changes the name to Borrego Ranch Resort & Spa.  Late in the year the Stock Market nearly collapsed.

2009:

2009: GH Capital places Montesoro and Borrego Ranch Resort & Spa on the market for sale.

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