A.W Patton, or Wesley Patton, was a bachelor with a degree in Engineering who was one among the first half dozen or so residents of the 1901 pioneer and developer camping party looking to fertilize and invigorate the Colorado desert. The camp was a collection of tents and hammocks located around twenty eight miles South of the Flowing Well Railroad Station, midway between the Alamo and New River water courses.
This camp was filled with enterprising individuals with dreams of growing their small camp into a proper desert claim to use as a base of operation while they went about the irrigation process, eventually granting the growing campsite the moniker, Imperial. Patton, for his part, purchased property and began constructing vital infrastructure such as a freight station, a wagon repair shop, horse corrals, his own home, and of course, the Blacksmiths shop. Wesley eventually found himself in the office of Constable and was potentially the first peace officer in the Imperial valley. Eventually, the Blacksmith shop was sold to a blacksmith from Julian by the name of Joe Treshil. 1
- Past Perfect – [A2004.16.91] ↩︎