Alvah Hicks started out as a carpenter, but the hard-working, astute and opportunistic man ultimately left a legacy—not only of development and commitment to the village of Palm Springs, but also sons and grandchildren who continued the family’s prominence.
Alvah Hicks was a master carpenter, born in 1884, who relocated from New York to Los Angeles in 1912. The following year, he came out to Palm Springs—not for health reasons, like so many did in that decade, but because there was work for him here.
With his wife and two small sons, Hicks established a homestead north of town, and soon found plenty of building and contracting work. He started buying Palm Springs-area land and became a general contractor. Known for doing quality work, he quickly found many new settlers wanting the finest desert residences. With the assistance of developer Prescott T. Stevens, he bought 20 acres of land in town, subdivided it, built quality homes—and promptly sold them.
His work was increasingly in demand. In 1921, he began construction on a lavish Moroccan-style home for Lois Kellogg, the wealthy and beautiful socialite daughter of an ambassador who had relocated to the desert from Chicago. Harold Cody was architect of that elaborate project. It would earn the nickname Fools Folly, because when Cody died in 1924, work stopped, and the home was never finished.
Hicks and Stevens formed the company in 1926 that built the sprawling, luxurious El Mirador Hotel, just north of downtown Palm Springs. It became the “in” spot for celebrities visiting the valley for decades.
In the 1920s and 1930s, Hicks built some of the finest desert homes, including the Ingleside Inn (which is still in operation) and “The Cloisters,” which became Liberace’s opulent home. He is responsible for building 20 of the finest homes in the Merito Vista and Las Palmas areas, which he had subdivided. He constructed many of The Desert Inn buildings, as well as oil magnate Tom O’Donnell’s house above what is now the O’Donnell Golf Course.
Among all of his real estate dealings, one stands out: In 1934, Hicks sold 53 acres to actor Charlie Farrell so he could build his Racquet Club. Farrell paid Hicks $66 an acre for the parcel, which sounds pretty inexpensive—until you consider that Hicks had bought the land, in the windy north end of town, for $5 an acre. Not a bad profit.
Realizing water is the most valuable commodity in the desert, Hicks acquired numerous water rights, including the Whitewater Mutual Water Company. In the mid-1920s, he bought control of the Palm Valley Land and Water Company, started decades earlier by village pioneer John G. McCallum. He later founded the Palm Springs Water Company, into which he invested vast amounts of time and effort to ensure that the water flowed freely. The company was worth $6 million when, in 1968, it was sold to the Desert Water Agency.
In 1926, Hicks also established Palm Springs Builders Supply, on Sunny Dunes Road. The hardware store eventually became the oldest continuously operated business in Palm Springs, and is still going strong. Builders Supply Company opened a second store in Desert Hot Springs. In 1960, the Hicks family sold their interest in the stores, and in 2010, Builders Supply Company was purchased by the Parker Company.
In 1937, Alvah Hicks became president of the 46th Agricultural District and helped plan the desert’s original date festival and horse show. Alvah and his wife, Teresa (Tess) Hicks, were both prominent civic leaders. Alva Hicks served on the first Palm Springs City Council and helped with the city’s incorporation. He served on numerous boards and was a founding member of the Desert Riders and the Polo Club.
Teresa died in 1942, and Alvah Hicks died in 1944; both are buried in the Welwood Murray Cemetery in the Old Las Palmas area.
Their son Milton (Milt) Hicks (1914-1966) took over the Builders Supply Company and became known in the desert as Mr. Golf, a title he acquired not only because of his intense love of the game, but his enthusiastic sharing of that passion. He was the chairman of the famous Bob Hope Desert Classic.
Son Harold Hicks (1909-1997) was involved in insurance and real estate, selling numerous properties in the Las Palmas area. He became chairman of the committee to incorporate the city of Palm Springs, and was a member of the Committee of 25 that oversees the O’Donnell Golf Course. He was president of the water company from 1942 until it was sold in 1968. Harold then moved to Santa Barbara, where he spent his remaining years.
One of Harold’s children, Jim, continued to serve the village of Palm Springs. Jim Hicks took over his father’s real estate business and eventually became president of the large Eadie Adams Real Estate Company. The leadership role was nothing new for him. After becoming student body president at Palm Springs High School, Jim went on to become president of the Palm Springs Jaycees, the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce, the Desert Water Agency board of directors, the Downtown Development Advisory Commission, and the O’Donnell Golf Club. He was also a member of the city’s Planning Commission.
He passed away in 2017; his wife, Carole, died in 2018.
Sources for this article include Desert Memories, The Desert Sun (2002); assorted The Desert Sun articles; Palm Springs: First 100 Years by Mayor Frank M. Bogert (Palm Springs Heritage Associates, 1987); Palm Springs Legends by Greg Niemann, Sunbelt Publications, 2006); Community Connection (May 10, 2005).
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