The word Descanso is a Spanish word that means peace or tranquility. Applied to a place it means "Place of rest." According to the book Descanso a Place of Rest, published by the Friends of the Descanso Library, the word Descanso first appeared on a county map around 1879. Long before that, it was the home of Kwaaymii (a sub-band of the Kumeyaay) Indians.
The old Indian trail to the Colorado traveled right through what is now Descanso Valley. It was used by the Spanish in the lates 1700s. This well used trail continued to be the main thoroughfare all the way until Interstate 8 was built.
As the area was starting to grow in 1898, a group of area residents built a school and, within a year, they built the Town Hall. Around Christmas of 1899, the Hall was dedicated to the general public for religious, political, literary, and social purposes. The same group of area residents then formed the Town Hall Association.
The Town Hall has served its mission well. It was the starting place for both the Catholic and Methodist worshiping communities before each was big enough to build its own house of worship. There are records of many other community groups using the hall for meetings, special events, and community gatherings. In the 1920s there were dances every Sunday night, and some of the more rambuctious parties included firing guns through the ceiling and roof.
The Town Hall has over its history had times of trouble. In the early 1940s and again between the end of WWII and the 1960s, the Town Hall fell into disrepair. In 1967, the Descanso Boosters Club was formed to help save the Town Hall. Not only did the Hall need repair but 20 years of debris had to be cleaned out of the building. The floors were refinished and the Town Hall was restored to much the way it looks today.
In 1970, an annual July fair was started to help raise money. A few years later, a parade was added to honor the citizens who have helped make Descanso and the Town Hall great. Both the parade and fair have continued to be the highlight event of each year.
The primary purpose of the Association is the restoration, protection, and maintenance of the Descanso Town Hall property and to make it financially self-sufficient. The Association seeks to create and promote activities to benefit the Descanso Town Hall and the community. The Association may establish scholarship programs in the name of the outstanding members of the community.
The old Indian trail to the Colorado traveled right through what is now Descanso Valley. It was used by the Spanish in the lates 1700s. This well used trail continued to be the main thoroughfare all the way until Interstate 8 was built.
As the area was starting to grow in 1898, a group of area residents built a school and, within a year, they built the Town Hall. Around Christmas of 1899, the Hall was dedicated to the general public for religious, political, literary, and social purposes. The same group of area residents then formed the Town Hall Association.
The Town Hall has served its mission well. It was the starting place for both the Catholic and Methodist worshiping communities before each was big enough to build its own house of worship. There are records of many other community groups using the hall for meetings, special events, and community gatherings. In the 1920s there were dances every Sunday night, and some of the more rambuctious parties included firing guns through the ceiling and roof.
The Town Hall has over its history had times of trouble. In the early 1940s and again between the end of WWII and the 1960s, the Town Hall fell into disrepair. In 1967, the Descanso Boosters Club was formed to help save the Town Hall. Not only did the Hall need repair but 20 years of debris had to be cleaned out of the building. The floors were refinished and the Town Hall was restored to much the way it looks today.
In 1970, an annual July fair was started to help raise money. A few years later, a parade was added to honor the citizens who have helped make Descanso and the Town Hall great. Both the parade and fair have continued to be the highlight event of each year.
The primary purpose of the Association is the restoration, protection, and maintenance of the Descanso Town Hall property and to make it financially self-sufficient. The Association seeks to create and promote activities to benefit the Descanso Town Hall and the community. The Association may establish scholarship programs in the name of the outstanding members of the community.
The information on this page came primarily from the book Descanso Place of Rest Published by The Friends of the Descanso Library, © 1988.