The original inhabitants of Moreno Valley were Native Americans, the Cahuilla and Shoshone. Rock drawings and granite metate bowls used to grind acorns can still be found in this area. This was the setting found by the early Spanish explorers. The first small town to appear in the valley was Alessandro, built in 1888 along old Highway 395, a mile or so south of Alessandro Boulevard and extending a short distance east to what later became Alessandro Flying Field. As agriculture in the area increased water demands, severe drought caused a decrease in the water supply, and a few years later, the...