Meloland, California

32°48′11″N 115°26′51″W

Meloland
Unincorporated community
Meloland Location in California Show map of California Meloland Meloland (the United States) Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 32°48′11″N 115°26′51″W
Country	United States
State	California
County	Imperial County
Elevation [1]	−52 ft (−16 m)

Meloland is an unincorporated rural community in Imperial County, California.^[1] It is located on the Holton Interurban Railroad east of El Centro and 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Holtville.^[2] Prior to settlement, the location was known as Gleason^[3] or Gleason Switch.^[4]

Agricultural development of the area began on October 1, 1907, when R. P. Shepherd established the 280 acre "Rancho Meloland". The developers envisioned subdividing the surrounding lands, with Meloland to serve as a hub after obtaining a railway switch and station, general store, telegraph service, and packing facilities.^[5][6] A post office, store, and packing warehouse were in fact established in 1908,^[7][8] although the latter two buildings burned down soon after construction, with two workmen narrowly escaping the blaze.^[9] A month later, Shepherd sold the land holdings to J. R. Loftus.^[10]

Earlier in 1908, Shepherd had sold 40 acres to writer Harold Bell Wright,^[11] who built a house and artist's retreat on the property, which he called "Tecolote Rancho".^[12] Here he wrote The Calling of Dan Matthews, The Winning of Barbara Worth, and The Eyes of the World. In the accounts of some area pioneers, it was Wright himself who gave the settlement its name, when a local observed him sift the soil and remark, "this is mellow land".^[12]

In 1909, a daughter was born to J. R. Loftus and his wife, the first baby to be born in Meloland.^[4] The post office closed in 1911.^[2] The population was listed as 10 in 1910, 20 in 1920 and 1930, 15 in 1940, and 50 in 1965.^[4]

Agriculture near Meloland, 1939. Photo by Dorothea Lange.

The University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources's Desert Research and Extension Center is located at Meloland, and has been operating there since 1912.^[13]

References

1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Meloland, California
2. Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Clovis, Calif.: Word Dancer Press. p. 1442. ISBN 1-884995-14-4.
3. ""Meloland" Newest Town". The Los Angeles Times. May 7, 1908. p. 25. Archived from the original on January 14, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
4. Vollmann, William T. (2008). Imperial. Viking. pp. 251, 347–348. ISBN 978-0-670-02061-4.
5. "Youngest Settlement of Reclaimed Desert". Imperial Valley Press. May 2, 1908. p. 2. Archived from the original on January 14, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
6. "Meloland Ranch". The Desert Farmer. 3 (May 1909): 180–181. Archived from the original on January 14, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
7. "Postoffice at Meloland". Imperial Valley Press. July 11, 1908. p. 3. Archived from the original on January 14, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
8. "Store at Meloland". Imperial Valley Press. May 9, 1908. p. 8. Archived from the original on January 14, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
9. "Drags youth out of flames". The Los Angeles Times. June 12, 1908. p. 21. Archived from the original on January 14, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
10. "Meloland Sold". Imperial Valley Press. July 11, 1908. p. 9. Archived from the original on January 14, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
11. "Author Will Make a Valley Home". Imperial Valley Press. May 16, 1908. p. 5. Archived from the original on January 14, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
12. Tagg, Lawrence V. (1986). Harold Bell Wright, storyteller to America. Tucson, Ariz.: Westernlore Press. pp. 119–120. ISBN 978-0-87026-062-9.
13. "About Us". University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on January 14, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2024.