Folding Chairs on the Sand

by Sue Harford Ferdig Allerton

Little did Cliff Henderson know when he launched his idea to develop the 'Sand Hole, ' Coachella Valley, into the upscale city of Palm Desert the revelations that lay before him. His endeavor led him to 'discover' a small group of faithful bible readers on his newly purchased land. Joining them, the group grew to become the church of General Eisenhower and his wife, Mamie. The history of the early church begins with folding chairs on the desert sand under the blue sky to a magnificent church building that seats more than a thousand people.
The city of Palm Desert that Cliff developed became everything he had hoped as the 'smartest address in the desert.' Movie stars and captains of industry bought property to build their vacation and retirement homes designed by some of the finest architects of desert homes. The Palm Desert shopping district, El Paseo, favorably competed with upscale shopping districts of New York and Hollywood. Soon magnificent resorts with 18-hole golf courses went in along with golfing fundraisers that started with the words, Bob Hope Classics. With the development of Palm Desert, neighboring areas developed as well, all upscale and host to many different sports, such as tennis, swimming, golfing, bicycling, and triathlons.