This sign carries the iconic name of Holly sugar, which many Imperial Valley residents will also recognize under the name ‘Spreckle’s sugar’. This is because the Holly sugar corporation merged with the Spreckle sugar company in 1996, nearly 50 years after the construction of the Brawley factory in 1947. It was made to process the Sugar Beets that had been grown and harvested primarily in the Imperial valley since 1932, since the arid desert weather made it possible to plant the crop as early as September and harvest all the way through to July.
This allowed Imperial Valley to rank #1 in California for the crop’s production, with these sweet beets alone ranking as the 8th most valuable crop in California. Holly sugar remains an integral piece of Valley history, with many like the Sons of the Golden West recognizing the factory’s contributions to Imperial history, officially dedicating the Imperial factory as a building of significant Historical value in 2020. 1