The William L. Paul papers contain correspondence, photographs, clippings, and other material regarding William L. Paul, a pioneer date grower in Coachella Valley, California from 1909-1935. Topics include the Coachella Valley Date Growers Association, Paul's personal date business, and the exhibition and promotion of Coachella Valley, California dates. Records document the administration and industry activities of the Coachella Valley Date Growers Association, Paul's professional work and involvement with the Southern California date growing community, and aspects of the commercial date industry in the United States, primarily Southern California.

William L. Paul was born in Andover, Massachusetts in 1866. He purchased 160 acres of land in Coachella Valley, California in 1902 and moved his family there in 1909. Paul built a ranch on his land with the goal of starting a business growing date palm trees and harvesting the dates as a commercial crop. The first date trees in the Coachella Valley were planted in the late 1890s, but did not thrive. In 1904, the United States Department of Agriculture set up a date experiment station in Mecca, California to study dates as a commercial crop, invigorating the date growing industry.

1.27 linear feet (3 boxes, 1 flat file folder)

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