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| Landmark #939-10 | Imperial County | Visited: Sept. 16, 2013 | Plaque? YES! 🙂 |
| What is it? | A majestic stone tower built high on a hill and overlooking the Imperial Valley! |
| What makes it historical? | THE GUIDE SAYS: Bert Vaughn of Jacumba built the stone tower in 1922-23 to commemorate the pioneers and road and railroad builders who opened the area. In the 1930s, W.T. Ratcliffe carved the stone animal figures which lurk in the rocks surrounding the tower, creating a fantasy world of surprise and strange beauty. This remarkable sculptural assemblage is one of California’s exceptional folk art environments.
OTHER TIDBITS: The plaque doesn’t mention that W.T. Ratcliffe was an engineer, who was unemployed during the Great Depression and used his skills to create his fantasy land, largely to keep his mind sharp! During World War II, this wayside tower served as a lookout post to ensure that no Nazi forces decided to enter the USA via Mexico! This landmark is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places! |
| How can I Help the Helpers? | HERE’S HOW:
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| Where is this place? | LISTED DIRECTIONS: In-Ko-Pah Rd Jacumba, CA 91934 ANNOTATIONS: From Los Angeles: ~190mi (306km) — 3.2hrs |
| When should I go? | The Desert View Tower is open daily from 8:30 AM until 5:00 PM! |
