Jan 18, 200603:44 PMThe Life

Section 14

...is at the heart of Palm Springs.

It is the source of the mineral hot springs for which this town was named.

It is also one square mile of the ancestral lands of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.

During the 1800s, the odd-numbered square-mile parcels were given as incentives to Southern Pacific Railroad, while the Cahuilla got the even-numbered parcels.

Section 14 was also unofficially used as a post-WWII African-American and Latino squatters' reservation until the city bulldozed it in 1966.

It is bordered by Alejo Road on the north, Ramon on the south, Indian Canyon on the west and Sunrise Way on the east.

Understanding the dynamics of this mysterious resort town may hinge on solving the puzzle of Section 14's use (and non-use).

Don't worry. I'm on the case.