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A HISTORY OF IMPERIAL VALLEY 41
For Three Years all Freight Arrived Prom Flowing Well in this ManneI'
"The man camp:.:d on Hall Hanlon's ranch for two
weeks," Heffernan writes, "And finally persuaded him
to agree to sell the ranch for $20,000 with a payment
of $2,000 in gold and the balance within one
or two years. I entered into the business as the
banker, agreeing to advance the $2000 necessary. I
recall considerable amusement at the remark of Hall
Hanlon when I arrived and laid on the table a sack
containing one hundred twenty dollar gold pieces.
Hanlon remarked, 'Why, hell, Dr. Heffernan, have
you something to do with this? Why didn't you tell
me? I would have given you an option without any
money: After signing the option he handed over
the sack containing $2000 to me and said: 'Take
this up to Yuma and put it in your safe and when I
want any money I'll come and ask you for it: I offered
him a receipt but he spurned that and added,
'If you get away with the money you won't live very
long to enjoy it: "
In order to keep a legal claim on the waters of
the Colorado it was necessary to post notices along
the stream every ninety days. Dr. Heffernan renewed
these notices, tacking them on the willows and cottonwoods
every three months for a number of years.
At one period in the struggle for finances the
doctor's appearance at the New York offices of the
California Development Company was in the nature
of a relief expedition. He found S. W. Ferguson,
A. H. Heber and Mr. Rockwood actually hungry
and when he staked them to a square meal they broke
out with three cheers.
In 1898, Dr. Heffernan decided thr..t $40,000 was
enough to drop in Rockwood's project and so notified
the officers of the company, advising them to abandon
the project and into other lines of business.
The doctor still relates with a sincere note of admira·
tion the fact that C. R. Rockwood firmly, if sorrowfully,
refused to quit.
When the Chaffeys took hold of the project, Dr.
Heffernan again took a hand in the vast enterprise
and became supply agent for the teams and men engaged
in the work. He superintended the movement
of freight by wagon from Flowing Well through the
Valley to Cameron Lake. He established the first
general merchandise store in Imperial and Joseph
Estudillo was the first man to sell any goods over
the counter in the Valley. He had charge of Dr.
Heffernan's store in Imperial. This store was sold in
1901 to Leroy and W. F. Holt, who also established
the first bank in the Valley in that building. Dr.
Heffernan also opened a store at Cameron Lake
where the only drinking water in the Valley was to
be had. Water had to be hauled from this place to
teams and camps and it did not take long to diminish
the supply. Pelicans became so obnoxious that Estudillo,
an expert marksman, was engaged to rid the
lake of the pests. He did it quickly with his little
rifle.
When water was brought through the present site
of Calexico in a small ditch, camp at Cameron Lake
was abandoned and moved to the end of the ditch.
That was the way Calexico was started. Dr. Heffernarl
put up the adobe store building at the corner ot
Second and Imperial Avenue, later occupied by Varney
Bros. The doctor was host at the first big party
held in the Valley, when this adobe was finished.
Dr. Heffernan also brought the first stock of drugs
to the Valley, establishing a drug store at Imperial,
later moving it to Calexico, where he sold it to young
Estudillo.
Dr. Heffernan was treasurer of the California
Development Company from 1902 to 1905 and was
secretary from 1905 to 1907. He lost his entire investment
along with the other old stockholders, when
the Hoods of 1906 and 1907 caused the failure of
the C. D. Company. He is still practicing in Calexico.
In placing the credit for the existence of Imperial
Valley, a very large share must go to Dr. Heffernan.
He kept alive the project for several years by furnishing
money for the Hanlon options, supplies for
the surveyors and even looked after the posting of
water right notices on the river. Without this
timely help there is little doubt that the project
would have been abandoned.