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Circa 1954 Circa 1996
74-135 Larrea Street
The residence at 74-135 Larrea Street is significant as the home of Randall Henderson, founder of Desert
Magazine and early pioneer in the city of Palm Desert. It is further significant for its contribution to the
development of the south side of Highway 111.
Randall Henderson was born in Iowa and came to California to attend college at USC where he was
student body president and captain of the basketball team. Following World War I Henderson applied
his writing skills as a reporter for various papers in the southwest. During this time he enjoyed exploring
the desert and eventually decided to found a magazine dedicated to introducing people to the desert he
loved. The first issue of Desert Magazine was released in November 1937, and was published in El
Centro.
Construction on the home began in approximately 1950 and was completed in 1952. Henry Colglazier
from Cathedral City was the contractor on the home and his son Walter also helped. A three foot wall,
which remains today, was built south of the home to protect it from floods. Randall wrote an article
documenting the thought that went in to his home that was published in the July 1954 edition of Desert
Magazine.
Additionally wife Cyria, a sculptress, had her art studio and kiln at the house. It was Cyria that did the
bust of former president Dwight Eisenhower that can be seen outside the Palm Desert Community
Presbyterian Church on Highway 74.
While there were some homes built on the north side of Highway 111 in what was at the time called
Palm Village, the whole area south of Highway 111 was open desert. Prior to the homes in Palm Village
the north area was used for agriculture. The south side never had these types of ranches and remained
open desert until developed by the Henderson brothers. It was in 1951 that the communities of Palm
Village and Palm Desert united as just Palm Desert.
The home Randall designed specifically for desert living was one of the early homes built south of
Highway 111, as much of the earlier construction had been related to the Shadow Mountain Club,
Desert Magazine building, early commercial buildings, and simple motels.
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