Notable people from El Centro, California

El Centro California

Overview
El Centro is a city in and county seat of Imperial County, the largest city in the Imperial Valley and the east anchor of the Southern California Border Region, and the core urban area and principal city of the El Centro metropolitan area which encompasses all of Imperial County. El Centro is also the largest American city to lie entirely below sea level (- 50 feet).

History
Spanish explorer Melchior Díaz was one of the first Europeans to visit the area around El Centro and Imperial Valley in 1540. The explorer Juan Bautista de Anza also explored the area in 1776. Years later, after the Mexican-American War, the northern half of the valley was annexed by the U.S., while the southern half remained under Mexican rule. Small scale settlement in natural aquifer areas occurred in the early 19th century (the present-day site of Mexicali), but most permanent settlement (Anglo Americans in the U.S. side, Mexicans in the other side) was after 1900.

A

 * Glenn Allen (1935-2004) - actor, child performer best remembered for the role of Toby in the film, "Song of the South" (1946).
 * Pauline Allen (1922-1980) -
 * Julia M Ashford (1860-1936) - m. Arthur Burns
 * Ira Aten (1862-1953) - Texas Ranger, law enforcement

B

 * Lloyd Rogers Bristow (1918 - 1985) -
 * Albert H Burns (1880-1938) -
 * Alfred F Burns (1930-1957) -
 * Arthur Burns (1855-1933) -
 * Austin Burns (1905-1989) -
 * Charles L Burns (1890-1968) -
 * Edna M Burns (1891-1931) -
 * Henry Emile Burns (1866-1942) -
 * James Edward Burns (1887-1964) -
 * Josephine Burns (1958-1970) -
 * Lilian Baetrice Burns (1969-1977) -
 * Nellie May Burns (1908-1984) -
 * Norman L Burns (1902-1933)
 * Oma Pearl Burns (1899-1946) -


 * Renda Burns (1922-2009) - m. Lloyd Bristow

C

 * Cherilyn Sarkisian (1946-) - AKA: Cher - Very famous singer, songwriter and actress was born under name of Cherilyn Sarkisian in El Centro, California, on May 20, 1946

D

 * Melchor Diaz (1500-1541) - Early Spanish Explorer to first traverse the Imperial Valley

T

 * Joseph Treshil (1848-1929) - early gold-miner, expert blacksmith and horse veterinarian.