About this landmark

Plaque text:

Site of Rancho El Tecolote
Prolific author Harold Bell Wright purchased 160 acres here in 1907. While living in a tent he built Rancho El Tocolote,constructing a woven arrow weed studio in 1908 and a ranch house in 1909. From 1907 to 1916 he wrote three best sellers including the historical novel "The Winning of Barbara Worth" a chronicle of desert reclamation and the Colorado River flood of 1905. As Wright's most successful and important book, it brought the Imperial Valley and its agricultural wealth to the attention of the nation. The book's heroine Barbara Worth became an icon for the region.