Indian Palms Historical Society

03/16/2026

WOMEN AT WAR

When the United States entered World War II in December 1941, it became apparent to aviatrix Jacqueline Cochran that the US Army Air Forces (AAF) were going to require a lot more pilots. In 1942, she submitted a proposal to the AAF, suggesting the inclusion of women pilots in noncombat roles.

Cochran's vision entailed using women to ferry aircraft within the United States. Initially, General Henry H. Arnold rejected her recommendation, but as a shortage of male pilots emerged, it was later approved.

Jackie traveled to larger cities nationwide to gather the names of interested women aged 21 to 35, who were over 5'4" tall and held a high school diploma. Over 25,000 women applied to join the war effort; only 1,830 were accepted, and from that group, 1,074 earned their wings.

During the war, these highly trained women tested, flew, and ferried 12,650 aircraft over 60 million miles as WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) under Cochran's leadership as AAF Director.

MILITARY STATUS DENIED

From the beginning of the WASP program, Cochran and her colleagues believed they would obtain official military status. Throughout 1943 and 1944, Cochran advocated for the militarization of the WASP pilots and recommended to General Arnold that military status should be granted, or the program should be discontinued entirely.

Cochran argued that their current classification as uniformed civilian employees was unsatisfactory, denied them military benefits, and since they flew military aircraft and were subject to military discipline, they needed official military standing for proper command.

In June 1944, a bill (HR 4219) aimed at militarizing the WASP was introduced but was defeated by 19 votes in the House of Representatives. The House Civil Service Committee issued a report opposing the measure. Due to changes in the war situation, it was determined that the WASP program was no longer necessary, leading to a recommendation for its termination.

DEACTIVATED

Letter to Jacqueline Cochran, WASP Director:

"In bringing to a close this important program of the Army Air Forces, I wish to express my appreciation to you for your resourceful, imaginative, and tireless work. The success of the WASP Program is due in large measure to your contribution as its director."

H.H. Arnold
General, U.S. Army
Commanding General, Army Air Force

Due to political pressures and the growing availability of male pilots, the WASP was disbanded effective December 20, 1944, without acquiring military status or veteran benefits. It took 33 years to rectify this issue when President Jimmy Carter signed legislation in 1977 granting the former WASP full veteran status.

On July 1, 2009, President Barack Obama signed Public Law 111-40, which authorized the Congressional Gold Medal for the WASP pilots in acknowledgment of their pioneering military service during WWII.

A NICE PLACE TO RELAX

From 1942 to 1945, the WASP pilots were invited to the Cochran-Odlum Ranch, a tranquil setting that provided a relaxed atmosphere for the women to enjoy leisure time and sunbathe by the pool.

On March 16, 1946, 80 years ago today, ex-General Henry "Hap" Arnold, the wartime commander of the Army Air Forces, visited the Cochran-Odlum Ranch near Indio, CA, for three days. He was accompanied by his executive officer, Col. Emmett McCabe. The general, recently retired from the army, was dressed in m***i while he relaxed at the ranch.

(M***i clothes, or simply "m***i," are ordinary, casual clothes worn by individuals who typically wear uniforms, such as military personnel.)

Throughout the 1980s, the Southern California chapter of the WASP met at Indian Palms Country Club, Jacqueline Cochran's former home, establishing a December tradition that lasted over a decade.

PHOTO CAPTION

General Henry "Hap" Arnold presents Jacqueline Cochran with the Distinguished Service Medal in December 1945.

01/17/2026

IF THIS BOX COULD TALK

The Cochran-Odlum Ranch, once the residence of lawyer-turned-millionaire industrialist Floyd Odlum and renowned aviatrix Jacqueline Cochran, holds significant historical relevance in the Coachella Valley. From their expansive ranch located near Indio, CA, this power couple mingled with the rich, famous, and powerful.

Yet, the true depth of their personal and business narratives lay a mere 2½ miles away, in the Indio Post Office Box where all their written correspondence were sent and received.

Within the confines of Post Office Box FFF, one could uncover Floyd's letters detailing negotiations for the sale of RKO Radio Pictures to Howard Hughes (1948), accounts of his leadership role at the newly established Arthritis Foundation (1948-1976), and discussions surrounding the acquisition of uranium mines (1952).

Meanwhile, Jackie’s exchanges would have included letters with Amelia Earhart (1935-1936), correspondence with Eleanor Roosevelt (1939), notes to pilot Chuck Yeager, and royalty payments from her book "The Stars At Noon" (1954-1972).

In 1959, during his second term, President Eisenhower took his first tour of Indio CA, and while there met with the Odlums at their ranch. Floyd and Jackie developed a strong relationship with Eisenhower, who spent each winter after his presidency (1961) at his nearby Eldorado Country Club home in Indian Wells, CA.

Although in retirement, Ike remained active and sought an office in a tranquil setting. The Odlums offered him an ideal workspace in one of their two-story guest cottages on the ranch. Each morning, he utilized this space to draft letters alongside his secretary and pen his memoirs before returning to Eldorado CC for lunch and a round of golf.

All of former President Eisenhower’s correspondence, both incoming and outgoing, also flowed through Post Office Box FFF. Wow, what stories this box could share!

In 1973, the Cochran-Odlum Ranch property became home to the residents of Indian Palms Country Club & Resort, and today, an unsuspecting resident of Indio rents Box FFF, oblivious to its storied past.

11/09/2025

THIS DAY IN HISTORY — November 9, 1946

The historic Cochran Ranch Golf Course owned by Jacqueline Cochran, famous aviatrix and her husband Floyd Odlum, president of the Atlas Corporation, officially opened on this date in 1946.

The course was created because Jackie, an avid golfer, grew tired of the 24-mile drive from her ranch home to the O’Donnell Golf Course in Palm Springs. Consequently, she chose to establish a golf course on the northwest quadrant of her ranch property located just south of Indio, CA.

This nine-hole course presented a challenging 3,091-yard layout known for its slick fairways, small greens, and many out-of-bounds markers. The Odlums offered local residents the chance to play for a fee of $5. In 2010, Golf Digest magazine recognized the course as a notable venue from the 1940s that influenced American golf.

Distinguished desert residents who frequented the Cochran Ranch Golf Course included Bing Crosby, Phil Harris, William Demarest, Ralph Bellamy, Fred Waring, James Cagney, and Alan Ladd. Other prominent figures such as President Eisenhower, Jack Benny, Lucille Ball, and Danny Kaye all took golf lessons at Jackie’s course.

THE EVOLUTION OF HOLE #5

Hole #5, which also played as #14, was a short par 3 measuring approximately 135 yards, with a bunker guarding the left side of the green. The hole abutted Avenue 48, and ran parallel to a service road within the ranch. That service road was situated just west of where Heifitz Drive is located today, with the green positioned between the Indian course's #4 green and #7 tee.

Originally, the Cochran Ranch Golf Course featured two sporty little par threes: holes #3 and #5. However, both were lost during the 1973 redesign of the Indian Palms Country Club & Resort to accommodate residential developments.

Sadly, there are no original holes remaining from Jackie’s 1946 design, only fragments contributing to the current nine-hole Indian course.

09/20/2025

HOME ON THE RANGE

After the transformation of the historic 9-hole Cochran Ranch Golf Course into the 18-hole Indian Palms Country Club course in January 1974, management continued to implement necessary improvements to the golfing facilities.

A new pro shop and cart barn were nearing completion in front of the 18th-hole lake, but the previous Cochran GC driving range was too far away from the new clubhouse and also interrupted the layout for holes #1 and #9, making its relocation necessary.

Fortunately, there was an abundance of open land available in 1974. The selected site for the new driving range was north and parallel to the new 18th hole. This area eventually became the 9th fairway of the Royal Palms course, when it was built in 1980.

The new 250-yard all-dirt driving range opened during the week of September 20, 1974, with plans to seed it with rye grass around October 1, when the weather became cooler. Daily green fees at Indian Palms Country Club were $7, unlimited play memberships were $350 annually, and a large bucket of practice balls would set you back $1.25.

To attract business, golf course superintendent Charles Shibata planned a novelty hole-in-one contest for his new driving range. Contestants would tee off from the roof deck of the pro shop, hitting over the 18th hole and lakes to a green on the driving range. A monetary prize awaited any lucky golfer who could score an ace.

However, despite this progress and enthusiasm, Indian Palms was already more than two months into Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. A year later, DMI of Boston would acquire title and take ownership of Indian Palms through a foreclosure action.

09/14/2025

Even the streets within Indian Palms Country Club have historical significance. Here is a look back at Street Series #1 from 2018.

THE PRIESTS OF INDIAN PALMS - Historic Street Series #1

When IPCC was born in 1973 its streets were named after famous and notable people. This is the first, in a series of posts that will feature those namesakes.

Priest Court

Ivy Baker Priest, (1905-1975) served as Treasurer of the United States under President Eisenhower from 1953 to 1961, during which time her signature appeared on all U.S. currency.

President Eisenhower appointed Priest as Treasurer, the second woman to hold this position.

After her eight years in national office Priest continued her political career in California where she successfully ran for state treasurer in 1966 and again in 1970, becoming the first woman elected to a statewide office there and serving alongside Gov. Ronald Reagan.

Ivy Baker Priest was also the mother of Pat Priest, an actress best known for playing Marilyn, the “ugly” family member in the 1960s television show The Munsters. In 1967, Pat starred with Elvis in the film Easy Come, Easy Go.

08/09/2025

JACKIE’S FINAL FLIGHT — August 9, 1980

Aviatrix Jacqueline Cochran passed away at her modest home in Indio, California, at the age of 74.

Seven years prior, she and her husband, Floyd Odlum, had moved from their cherished Cochran-Odlum ranch, which was transformed into the Indian Palms Country Club & Resort.

It was August 11, just two days after her death, that a burial plot was purchased for her at Coachella Valley Cemetery for $496. The following hot and cloudy morning of August 12, Jackie was laid to rest with her rosary beads and a doll, in a simple pine coffin adorned with yellow roses. Thirteen mourners attended the burial.

On October 6, 1980, a grave marker was installed at a cost of $50. The marker displays an image of the Northrop T-38 Talon aircraft in which Jackie set eight world records in 1961.

At the time of her passing, Jacqueline Cochran held more records for speed, altitude, and distance than any other aviator, regardless of gender, in aviation history.

05/29/2025

BESSIE’S ALTERNATE LIFE

100 years ago today, on May 29, 1925, little four-year-old Robert Jr. was playing in the yard of his grandparents’ home in DeFuniak Springs, Florida. Somehow he discovered a match, the match became lit, and it caught his clothing on fire. In an attempt to save him, his clothes were ripped off, a doctor was en route, and his mother, Bessie, was telephoned regarding her son’s tragedy.

Bessie, who was only 19 at the time, was living 125 miles north in Montgomery, Alabama, working as a hairdresser. By the time she made the 2½-hour drive home, it was too late; Robert Jr. was so badly burned that he didn’t survive till day’s end.

The cause of death was— fire burned (accidental), no burning building involved, and contributory shock.

After the loss of her son and eventual divorce from Robert Sr., Bessie, a beauty shop employee from the Florida panhandle, was now free to reinvent herself with visions of becoming a career woman and traveling the globe.

A.K.A. JACKIE

The first step in Bessie’s transformation was to erase her past and concoct a new, more interesting biography for her public image.

By the time she published her memoir, "The Stars at Noon, 1954," until her death in 1980, Jackie would stick to her invented fictional life story of growing up in poverty as an orphan, not knowing her parents or birthdate, and selecting the name Cochran from a phone book.

• Bessie was not adopted; she was the youngest of five children born to Ira and Mary Pittman.

• The majority of rural families in southern Alabama and the Florida panhandle were poor during that era, but the Pittman family was not impoverished; in fact, they were most likely better off than most.

• Bessie met Robert H. Cochran at age 14, became pregnant, got married, and was now Mrs. Bessie Cochran.

• Bessie Cochran, age 15, gave birth to a son, Robert Cochran Jr., in 1921.

* Robert Cochran Jr. dies in 1925.

• Bessie and Robert Cochran Sr. divorce in 1927.

• Bessie Cochran moves to New York, keeps her surname, and didn’t select the name Cochran from a phone book as she claimed; rather, she sought a more sophisticated name than Bessie. The name selected from a phone book was Jacqueline.

The transformation was now complete. Liberated and single 21-year-old Miss Jacqueline Cochran presented herself as a modern, glamorous young woman. Jackie went from being an out-of-work hairdresser with little source of income to becoming a rich society icon, business woman, and famous aviatrix, all as a result of millionaire Floyd Odlum and his "sugar daddy" coffers.

"Cochran was the name she chose. That’s the story she told me. She created it herself. She believed that she was someone’s illegitimate child and didn’t want to know her background. Her foster family’s name wasn’t hers, however, so she decided to create her own name. I think it adds to the uniqueness of my good friend, Jackie Cochran." —Yvonne Smith, co-executor of the Cochran Estate

One cannot dispute Jacqueline Cochran’s many aviation accomplishments, but the story of her early life is a fictional tale of fabricated misinformation and falsehoods.

In 1973, the former historic Cochran-Odlum ranch became Indian Palms Country Club & Resort in Indio CA.

01/15/2025

THIS DAY IN HISTORY — January 15, 1974

Back in 1973, the historic Cochran Ranch Golf Course was being modified and expanded from its original nine holes into a championship 18-hole layout and became rebranded as Indian Palms Country Club.

The cost to build a new nine and modify the existing nine was $296,441, or in 2025 dollars $2.1m. This expansion comprises, more or less, the current-day Indian (1-9) and Mountain (10-18) golf courses.

Even as late as June 1973, not one single new hole existed yet, which meant the entire Indian Palms golf course back nine was constructed in about six months for its grand opening on January 15, 1974.

One of the first golf course projects was the excavation of the massive 1.5-acre lake on the 18th hole, which was filled with water in September 1973. Overseeing the progress was Indian Palms greens superintendent and vice president Charles Shibata.

NUMBER 18

Every great golf course needs a great finishing hole, and Indian Palms had one of the best. The designers carved out the new challenging 18th hole (Mountain #9) where there once were citrus orchards.

So what made this 18th hole so great? From the back tees, it measured 450 yards, and even though the tee box was elevated, the best drives are stopped dead in their tracks by a sizable and devious hill right in the middle of the fairway. The second shot is not for the faint of heart, a blind shot of approximately 200 yards from a severe uphill lie to a green surrounded by water on three sides. This hole earned its #1 handicap, and if you were lucky enough to get a par, you took it and headed over to the 19th hole for a beer; because you deserved it!

THAT DAMN HILL …the mystery of the lost sister

When Floyd and Jackie built their Cochran-Odlum Ranch just south of Indio, CA, it was a hub for many of their rich and famous friends. The Odlums wanted to make sure that guests were taken care of, so they constructed guest cottages on the ranch. At one time there were 4-5 cottages dotted throughout the property.

Most of the cottages on the ranch were built on top of large hummocks to protect them from floods. Today, the only surviving cottage is Guest House #1 (Celebrity House), but when the 18th hole was designed, there was an obstacle just 500 feet to the east, as Guest House #1 had a sister, and she was in the way.

An Indian Palms urban legend professes that to save money after the demolition of the sister cottage, they would bury the debris instead of hauling it away. The legend is that the hill is actually the buried remains of the sister cottage.

We love a good myth, but it’s not true. The hill in the fairway was always there and was the northern half of the hummock that the sister cottage sat upon. The southern half of the hummock would have been located in the present day driving range, with the cottage itself located in the current tree line of the 18th hole.

Maybe someday we will be able to do an excavation on the hill; who knows, we might get lucky and find some wood and stucco buried.

11/09/2024

THIS DAY IN HISTORY - November 9, 1946

Today marks the 78th anniversary opening of the historic Cochran Ranch Golf Course. In 2010 Golf Digest honored the course as one of the most important golf courses from the 1940s to have an influence on American golf.

The golf course was located on the ranch owned by Jacqueline Cochran, famous woman flier and her husband Floyd Odlum, president of the Atlas Corporation.

In 1973, the Cochran-Odlum ranch property became Indian Palms Country Club & Resort in Indio, CA. and Jackie’s original nine-hole golf course was modified (more or less) into what is today the IPCC Indian 9 course.

THE EVOLUTION OF HOLE #4

If you were to go back in time, the original 4th hole would play right down the middle of the present day HOA 3 homes, with the putting green in the center of Gable Dr.

When Indian Palms modified the course, the designers took Cochran #8 (which played east to west), and made #8 into IPCC #4 (which now plays west to east)

09/30/2024

60 SECONDS THAT CHANGED AMERICAN POLITICS

On February 8, 1952, Jacqueline Cochran, one of the most famous women pilots in the United States, helped organize a massive rally at New York’s Madison Square Garden for Dwight Eisenhower supporters. The arena held 16,000 people, but more than 25,000 showed up. Clark Gable gave a speech, and Ethel Merman and Mary Martin also appeared.

Aviatrix Cochran flew, in her own plane, to Paris to personally show Eisenhower the three-hour-long rally documentary film. Jackie was present when the film was seen by Eisenhower in the projection room of the Allied Powers in Europe. It was a sobering and emotional moment for Ike to witness, as it was clear how much the American people supported him.

At the end of that private screening, Cochran stood up and made a toast: “To the next President of the United States!” This rally film and Jackie’s persuasion helped convince Ike to run for president.

Dwight Eisenhower’s campaign for president in 1952 was like none before, as it introduced the use of television as a political tool.

On September 30, 1952, Cochran reached out to Roy Disney, co-founder of the Walt Disney Company, to produce a black-and-white animated television commercial in support of Eisenhower’s candidacy. The minute-long animated political ad titled “I LIKE IKE,” conceived by Cochran, was ground-breaking at the time, especially since only ±40% of households owned a television.

So, the next time you watch a million dollar political ad on TV, you will know its humble origins.

Ike, Jackie Cochran, and Floyd Odlum remained close friends for the rest of his life. After his presidency ended in 1961, Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower spent each winter until his death in 1969 living in the Coachella Valley. The Odlum’s furnished him with an office in one of the cottages at their Cochran-Odlum Ranch just south of Indio, CA, where he spent eight winters (1961–1968) writing portions of his memoirs and relaxing in retirement.

In 1973, Floyd and Jackie’s historic ranch became Indian Palms Country Club, where the presence of Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower can still be felt.

07/30/2024

1930s Palm Springs - O’Donnell Golf

Jackie Cochran was an avid golfer, but was tired of driving the 24 miles from her new (mid 1930s) ranch home to the O’Donnell golf course in Palm Springs, so she decided to build a few golf holes on her ranch property, just south of Indio, CA .

She enlisted friend, golfer, and fellow WASP pilot, Helen Dettweiler for the project, but Helen convinced Jackie “if you are going to do this, then do it right and build a full nine-hole course.”

When you are married to one of the ten wealthiest men in the United States, and you want your own personal golf course - you get one.

The photo, from the 1930s, shows a couple of hikers enjoying the view from Inspiration Point, overlooking the O'Donnell Golf Club.

07/27/2024

FIRST ESCROW COMPLETED — July 27, 1973

Pictured in the living room of their new condominium, located on the corner of Cochran and Odlum Drives, William and Eleanor Carr were the first residents of the planned community of Indian Palms.

Jacqui Meeks, a member of the Walker & Lee sales staff at Indian Palms, presents the new owners with a magnum of champagne, a gift from the developer, Bruce Odlum.

The Interior design for the condominiums offered style options that would appeal to either the young or the mature. One of the themes was a contemporary style, decorated in vivid kelly greens and bright lemon yellow and orange. The furniture was light, white, and airy for a very casual desert feeling.

The Carrs selected the “Hopi” floor plan (as in Hopi Native American Tribe) for $38,750, which had two bedrooms and a den. They decorated it with dark brown s**g carpeting and green and gold accents.

In 1973 the Phase #1 grand opening pricing of the Tract 4700 condominiums ranged from $28,950 to $39,500 (205k-280k/2024).

Because of high interest rates and an unfavorable economy, the Tract 4700 condominiums went from grand opening to bankruptcy in just 17 months. Developer Bruce Odlum committed su***de at his nearby home on the former Cochran-Odlum Ranch, which today is Indian Palms Country Club in Indio, CA.

Tract 4700 consists of 112 condominiums, but only 60 were originally built. Of the 60, only 31 were sold and occupied. The remaining 52 would be built by a different owner/developer.

🅐 Bruce Odlum, Indian Palms Condominium Developer
🅑 William Carr
🅒 Eleanor Carr
🅓 Bert Anakin, Walker & Lee Sales Head
🅔 Jacqui Meeks, Walker & Lee Sales Staff