Get out! Now! The little ones too!

This is an episode about resilience and calm in the face of adversity, and a part of Palm Springs' history that should not be forgotten. I interview Miss Thelma, a (nearly) lifelong Palm Springs resident who was impacted by the removal of homes on Section 14 - an unpleasant time in Palm Springs history.

This episode of A Bert’s Eye View is brought to you by Modernism Week— the celebration of midcentury and modern architecture, design, and culture in sunny Palm Springs, California. Join the fun in October and February with tours, talks, parties, and more—tickets and details at ⁠modernismweek.com⁠.

The information presented in this podcast is for general knowledge and entertainment purposes only. All research that was done and opinions expressed are our own and not necessarily those of Modernism Week.

Episode Transcript

(00:06):
Hey there and welcome to Upper Tie View.
My name is Bert and I'm the Buster Operations Manager for
Modernism Week in Palm Springs, CA.
I coordinate all of our double Decker bus tours during our
Modernism week. Festivals.
In February and October, many ofyou have been our guests and we
hope that you'll return. If you haven't joined us yet,

(00:27):
please do. It's a great introduction to our
city and its architecture. While doing research for the bus
tours, I come across a lot of information that we just don't
have time to share. This series of podcasts will
highlight some of those interesting details that we
cannot cover during your short time with us.
So TuneIn and enjoy a bird's eyeview.

(00:57):
Well, we're doing something a little different today.
I'm talking with Miss Thelma, who's a longtime Palm Springs
resident, having moved here in 1958 with her new husband.
Joining our conversation is her daughter.
Sherry, my name is Thelma. Hi, I'm Sherry, born and raised
here. I'm Thelma's daughter I.

(01:17):
Came from Denver, Co and while Icame here I got married and my
husband lived in Palm Springs soI left there, went to Texas, got
married, came to Palm Springs and this is where I am now.

(01:40):
He had a room. He was written for somebody, the
reservation as they can't call it at that time, and we stayed
in that room until we got a house.
Thelma and her husband moved into a small duplex on Section
14 owned by a Black family in Banning.

(02:01):
The family's elderly mother lived in the other half.
Everything was small, closed in,but we made it third Rose Swamp
coolers, very hot in the summer and we stayed there for quite a

(02:23):
few years and we had two children in the house.
Then one day the landlord showedup and told them that the house
was to be bulldozed and they needed to leave quickly.
But she was telling us that we have to leave because we could

(02:44):
live there anymore because she wouldn't own the house anymore
because we all would have to getoff of the reservation and find
somewhere else to stay. So we had to find somewhere to
play, go on our own. So shopped around a lot of
places. Another fan because of his
black. So we had to do it on our own

(03:10):
word of mouth and where other people just going and branching
it off to you know, and we end up on the North End, as they
call them North Indian. Yes, a friend of ours had built
a house out here at 5 some property and bought a bought the

(03:33):
land and had a house built And at that time what you call them
guide that came in and build building houses in this area.
OK. And so he brought property which
next door and had a house built.And so we had to do something.

(03:57):
So we did the same thing. We bought property and had this
house built and which we're still here.
In order to buy the property andfinance the construction of the
house, they needed a loan. The young family couldn't find
any lender in Palm Springs that would give them the money.
They finally found someone out in Riverside.

(04:18):
And even the places that we wantto bath, which is over in
Gateway now, they wouldn't let us go over there.
And they had a whole block wall across that road, road to Park
Rd. by the church. We couldn't even go through
there. They had us blocked off.
The that property. Was.
At the time like a nicer area. Because some of those.

(04:41):
Homes have pools and they were larger and I remember coming
here and it not being built, butI remember coming here to to the
to. The house when it was already
built house. Yeah, when it was I.
Think Dune Construction company that built this home.
At that time I remember coming. Some of you will think that this

(05:03):
is a sad story, and in many waysit is.
But it's also a story of resilience and perseverance and
not letting things get you down when all the odds are stacked
against you. Miss Thelma still lives in the
same house that she and her husband built.
They raised three daughters. They all went to college and
went on to have successful careers, and they have

(05:23):
grandchildren of their own. Some of these memories were
difficult for them to talk about, but I appreciate them
doing so. I think their story needs to be
told, and I'm glad that you're listening.
And you're aware of? What happened so many years ago?

(05:44):
Support for a Birds Eye view comes from Modernism Week,
celebrating global modernism andPalm Springs design each October
and February. [e-mail].