La Quinta, California, home of the La Quinta Arts Festival has an ancient and archaic name and past. Founded in 1776 by Conquistadores led by Juan Baustista De Anza. In those days it was quite common for travelers from Mexico to stop every few miles on their pilgrimage to the Catholic Missions of San Gabriel, Riverside and San Bernardino. The present location happened to be fifth on the list of stops and consequently the name La Quinta which translated into Spanish as the fifth.
Located on the floor of the Coachella Valley and surrounded by the Santa Rosa Mountains most residents at the time were the Cahuilla Indians, a tribe indigenous to the area and who remain in the valley and are quite active and prominent in the local community. Following Mexico's independence from Spain, settlements in the area grew rapidly and records of such began to be collected in the early 1800's.
Agriculture expanded in the valley in the early 1900's and La Quinta was the first to have a golf course. The La Quinta Resort, home of Frank Capra who wrote the screen play for "Lost Horizons" at his home there, became the first of its kind and was a popular watering hole and destination for Hollywood celebrities.
