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

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.

1958: “The Young Lions,” starring Marlon Brando, Dean Martin and Montgomery Clift, is filmed.

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

1964: Construction begins on Club Circle. Borrego Springs Park (Now Borrego Springs Resort) Clubhouse opens.

1964-65:  Borrego Springs Park Development Co. goes bankrupt and the Clubhouse is padlocked by the County Marshall.  The Golf Course and Clubhouse remained closed for 34 years.

1991: John & Bill Cameron (Cameron Brothers Construction Company) purchased the property and began a $100 million dollar project to restore the course and clubhouse, to build a new hotel and develop senior housing. John Cameron says when they bought the clubhouse "the ceiling was on the floor" and "We redid the clubhouse just as it was. We liked it when we were here many years ago (John Cameron was attending a conference of the San Diego General Contractors Association when the Marshall padlocked the building) and we didn't want to modernize it with pink paint". “Bugsy,” starring Warren Beatty, is filmed. 

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

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