Wedding License Oops!

Reported in the December 3, 1921 Riverside Daily Press:

Elva Patton and Roy Kock applied for a marriage licence at the  Riverside County Clerk's office. No problem was encountered and they left with license in hand. However, when they presented the licence in Pomona they discovered that a marriage licence can only be used in the county in which it is taken out. They proceeded to round up a minister and two witnesses and headed out to the nearest point in Riverside County they could reach. There, at a place near Winville, they were married on the highway. Problem solved!

What the heck is a hectograph?

According to the local paper, the school board of the West Riverside School purchased and installed a Ditto machine at the school on December 7th. It was taking the place of a hectograph. I know what a ditto machine is, or was, but I had never heard of a hectograph. 

I found information on the hectograph on www.officemuseum.com. That website said that in the hectograph process, introduced around 1876, a master was written or typed with a special ink. The master was then placed face down on a tray containing a layer of gelatin and pressed gently onto the gelatin for a minute or two. This allowed most of the ink to transfer to the gelatin. In order to make a copy, a piece of blank paper was placed on to the gelatin and a roller used to press the paper onto the gelatin, making each copy a bit lighter than the one before. Supposedly up to fifty copies could be made from one master.

 

The spirit duplicator, or Ditto machine, was introduced in 1923. It used a solvent to wet the ink to allow for transfer of ink from the master to blank paper. Thus the addictive smell those of us of a certain age remember from the dittos our teachers handed out to us in our youth. 

A 1919 Wedding

I recently found this description of a wedding that occurred in July 1919 in West Riverside. This description was found in the Riverside Daily Press.

Wedding Bells in West Riverside

Beautifully appointed and witnessed by about 40 intimate friends of the contracting parties, the wedding of Miss Elizabeth Ludy and Mr. William Grebler took place at the home of the bride’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Ludy of West Riverside recently.

The marriage ceremony, which took place under a bower of feathery pepper branches studded with Shasta daisies and white carnations, was read by Rev. Achenbach of the German Lutheran church.

The bride was daintily gowned in white marquisette over white silk and carried a bouquet of sweet peas. The young couple was unattended.

Following the ceremony a dainty collation was served in the dining room. The center of the dining table was adorned with a huge wedding cake, a marvel of snowy white.

Later Mr. and Mrs. Grebler escaped in a waiting automobile and went to Los Angeles for a few days, from which they are planning to go to San Diego and enjoy the pleasures of the exposition for two weeks.  

Mission Boulevard Decorations

Back in the 1960s the Chamber of Commerce or the Rubidoux business owners put up Christmas decorations in the Mission Boulevard median near the intersection of Rubidoux Boulevard. I remember a giant snowman and a little wooden train.

The snowman was quite tall, at least to my childish eyes. It was made out of wire covered in white tinsel and had a black top hat. The thing I remember most about this snowman is how it would dance and sway when the Santa Ana winds blew, as they always do in December.

The train had an engine and several cars. It was brightly painted and if I remember correctly someone in the community built it. It too had to suffer the winds and would sometimes blow over on its side at the same time the snowman danced.

Does anyone else remember these Christmas decorations? Does anyone have any photos of them?

Was it Amnesia?

On February 14, 1930 the Los Angeles Times reported on the strange case of Harry Stone. Stone, proprietor of the Rubidoux auto camp, located just west of the Rubidoux bridge, turned up in Yuma, Arizona suffering from amnesia. Meanwhile, his wife claimed that he had left town with a considerable amount of money and the couple's automobile.

Stone claimed that the last thing he remembered was entering a Riverside bank with $250 dollars he planned to deposit. Four days later he wandered into Yuma with only $10 on him. It was not known what happened to the rest of the money. Yuma police identified Stone based on papers he had on his person because Stone could give them no useful information. It was this lack of information that made authorities conclude he had amnesia.

Stone was held in the Yuma jail while the Riverside County Sheriff decided whether or not to bring him back to face charges in the theft as claimed by his wife. Stone was said to be calling incessently for "Ann," which was thought to be the name of his wife.   

Heading off to School on a Horse

The Morning Mission newspaper reported on August 22, 1909 that the Jurupa School (now called West Riverside School) had just had a new barn built on the school property. The newspaper said the barn "is quite a convenience for the scholars that are compelled to drive a long distance." I had a hard enough time getting my kids off to school. I can't imagine also having to get them on a horse, to have them take proper care of that horse during the school day and then get back on it and get home!

1964 Apartments

You never know what will pop up when looking in old newspapers. I found an article in the January 26, 1964 Los Angeles Times which mentioned the apartments that are located in Limonite Avenue, immediately west of West Riverside Memorial Hall. Built by David P. Crane Associates, the complex had (and still has I presume) 20 units and opened January 1st. The one and two bedroom units rented for $105 to $125 a month.

The article went on to say that the same company planned to build 100 more units on Limonite Avenue, near the Jurupa Hills Country Club. That never got built.    

Pedley Packinghouse

William Pedley, working on behalf of the San Jacinto Land Company, planted hundreds of acres of citrus trees in what we now call the Pedley area. Of course all that fruit needed a way to get to market. Conveniently there was a train route right through Pedley so Mr. Pedley built a packinghouse near the train tracks. This packing house was built with a technique that was very innovative for its time. Many of the walls were made by creating molds on the ground and pouring cement into them. After the cement cured the walls were tilted up into place. This "tilt up" method of construction is very now, but Pedley's packinghouse is thought to be one of the first times that method was used.    

Golden West Avenue

We drive down our streets all the time and never think about where the street name came from. Take Golden West Avenue, for example. I have been on it many times and I thought is was just a name from a 1960s era subdivision. Not so!

I visited the Riverside County Archives last week. Jim Hofer, county archivist, was his usual helpful self. In the process of trying to find some things for my next book, I stumbled across the fact that Golden West Avenue was named by a subdivision of the same name in 1917! The subdivider was the Golden West Fruit Company. That company still exists. Add this to the list of things I need to look into further! 

Getting Carried Away

On March 9, 1907 the Los Angeles Times reported the following marriage in a column about Riverside happenings. Some journalist was getting a little carried away with the reporting on this one:

"The romance of a black-eyed Indian maiden of West Riverside and a stalwart pale-face of Los Angeles culminated in a marriage in the Chambers of Judge Densmore in the Courthouse yesterday afternoon. The bride was Miss. Nora Martines, a Native Californian of twenty summers, and the groom was George E. Thompson, a Los Angeles dairyman, six years her senior. Though married the judge's office with an ordinary serge suit for her bridal gown, the bride was as happy as though the wedding had had all the accompaniments of soft music, orange blossoms, and a troop of bridesmaids."

Wineville Chicken Coop Murders

I have to admit that I do not have the same fascination that some do concerning the Wineville Chicken Coop Murders. I do have a working knowledge of this infamous case because it is part of Jurupa Valley history and everyone asks about it. For those of you interested, a book on the murders is available that takes a unique angle on the case. Titled "The Road Out of Hell," it is the story of not only Gordon Northcott and his grisly crimes, but of his nephew Sanford Clark, how he was brutalized by his uncle, forced to participated in the murders while just a teen, and ultimately how he overcame his horrible experiences to become a loving husband and father.  

 

I have to admit that I have not read this book yet but I thought it was worth mentioning to you Jurupa history buffs out there. It has received an average of 4 1/2 out of 5 stars from over 30 Amazon reviewers. It is available in both hardback and Kindle versions. If you think you might be interested please check out the Amazon reviews for yourself to see if it looks like something you would like to read. Let me know if you have read this book and what you think of it! 

Texas Fever

On April 4, 1907, the Los Angeles Times reported that County veterinarian Dr. W.C. Rayen was busy stamping out the Texas fever infection on the pasture lands along the Santa Ana River. No new outbreaks had been reported in the month prior to the report. Wallace Ables was spraying the cattle on his ranch in the West Riverside area with oil at frequent intervals in order to avoid this disease. This made me wonder what was Texas Fever?

Texas Fever was caused by a parasitic protozoa that entered cattle through the bite of the cattle tick. Infection with the protozoa caused the cattle to become very ill and eventually die. The disease first appeared just before the Civil War and continued to be a big problem in the cattle industry until World War I. The first effective method of controlling this terrible disease was dipping or spraying the cattle with oil, regular old crude oil, to kill the ticks that carried the disease.

By the 1920s Texas Fever was no longer the problem it once was and the federal government declared it eradicated in 1943.  However, it began to reappear again in the late 20th century. There is now an immunization to prevent this disease.

 

Riverside Cement Company

Located on Rubidoux Boulevard, just before you get to the county line, the cement company you see there dates to 1906. It was founded by Ira Judson Cole and William G. Heshaw. Operations began at the site in 1909. This company was one of the first constuction material providers in the region. A problem with cement manufacture is severe dust pollution. Residents in the area complained and even sued to recoop losses due to the dust pollution harming their crops and groves. In 1913 the company hired Dr. Fredrick G. Cottell to try and fix the problem. He came up with an electrostatic precipitator that captured most of the dust before it left the stacks. A new type of kiln was installed a few years later which reduced dust pollution even more, firmly "cementing" the reputation of the Riverside Cement Company as an early innovator in the industry.      

Most of this information came from "Guide to the Historic Landmarks of Riverside County California, published in 1993 by the Riverside County Historical Commission.

Jurupa Book Festival is this Saturday

The Glen Avon Library is having the Jurupa Book Festival this Saturday, October 15th, 10-2. I will be there and will have my Jurupa  book with me for sale if any one would like one. Or, if you have one you already purchased and would like me to sign it please bring it by. Definitely stop and say hi if you come to the book festival. Hope to see you there!  

The Sunny Slope of West Riverside

On January 21, 1888 an ad appeared in the Riverside Press and Horticulturalist  advertising the new Sunny Slope subdivision in West Riverside. It said "Choice Mesa Orange Land with First-Class water right---One inch to five acres." This dates the name of the Sunnyslope community (now one word instead of two) to 124 years ago this coming January.

The developer, R.F. Cunningham, bought the land in 1887, developed a water supply, and then began to market it in 1888.  I think we should have a 125th birthday party for Sunnyslope in 2013!  

Watch Out For The Naked Guy!

Once again I am stuck by what turns up in old newspapers! The May 12, 1924 Los Angeles Times had a small article about Frank O. Crogor. Pedley residents reported him to the Sheriff's office because he was strolling down the road wearing, well, what the newspaper called "Nature's Own Garb." Isn't that a great way of saying the man was buck naked? When two sheriff's deputies arrived at the scene, Crogor was redressed in everything but his shoes. The sixty-three year old man admitted he had been strolling in the buff, but said is was necessary because it helped his heart disease! Crogor had been camping out in the Pedley area for about two weeks. The deputies took him to jail for fear he would disrobe once again. Now, any of you out there with heart disease, I don't want you to get any ideas from Mr. Crogor!

1929 Sheriff''s Department Uniform

An article in the Los Angeles Times on November 16, 1929 announced that the Riverside Sheriff's Department would be adopting a standardized uniform. They were the first county law enforcement agency in the state to adopt a uniform. It seems so surprising that something we take for granted, such as a sheriff's deputy wearing a uniform, was not actually a standard practice in the not so distant past.

According to the article, the uniform they planned would consist of a a civilian suit in steel gray, tan shirt, black four-in-hand tie, black shoes, and a hat similar to a forest ranger's. A Sam Brown belt would be worn over the shoulder with a gun holster attached.

One reason the uniform was adopted by Sheriff Sweeters and his men was cost: each deputy was  responsible for buying his own uniform but it was believed that buying in bulk would reduce the cost. The men also felt it would improve their appearance considerably. I should think so! It sounds like those deputies looked pretty spiffy once they got their new uniforms!   

American Legion Post 500 Accepts New Member

The following news article appeared in the Los Angeles Times on November 11, 1945:

Newest member of American Legion Post 500 here today is Tramp, who received his discharge from the Army recently after serving sixteen months overseas in the K-9 Corps.

He belongs to Morton E. Taylor, Troth St. and Jurupa Ave., a veteran of World War I. Comdr. Carl Allen received special permission  from the Legion's department and national headquarters to accept Tramp as a member.

Doesn't that just want to make you say "Ahhh!"  Here is to Tramp, his owner, and all those veterans at our own Mira Loma Post back in 1945 who brought Tramp in as a member.

Those Little History Connections

I heard a great story when I was doing research at the Riverside Metropolitan Museum last week, courtesy of Kevin Hallaran, archivist extraordinaire at the museum. He was part of a small group of people who were interviewing Judge John Gabbert for the oral history portion of the Harada Family Historic District project in the City of Riverside. It seems that Judge Gabbert (who is over 100, by the way) was a young judge, recently married and beginning his family during World War II, when he was approached by a man who wanted to borrow $500. Jukichi Harada, a Japanese man who owned a restaurant in Riverside, was preparing to be sent to an internment camp along with his family. He was trying to sell the kitchen equipment from his restaurant for the bargain basement price of $1000. The man and his partner had $500, but they needed to borrow the other $500. Judge Gabbert just didn't feel he could loan them that much money. The fellow and his partner went on to borrow the money somewhere else. They began a Mexican restaurant over on Jackson Street in Riverside. They later moved it over to a spot on Mission Boulevard, where we all got to enjoy Gay and Larry's for another 50 years or so. To learn more about the Harada family, a facinating story I think, that impacted history in this country on a national level, go to     http://www.riversideca.gov/museum/haradahouse/

Breaking News - Come see me!

The Jurupa Valley Chamber of Commerce is putting on a Harvest Festival at the Jurupa Mountains Discovery Center October 22nd, 9 - 3. Firemen will be cooking, pancakes in the morning and hot dogs, hamburgers, and the like for lunch. Who doesn't like firemen cooking????? But, for all of you history buffs out there, I just wanted you to know that the plan is for me and fellow local history writer Steve Lech to be at a booth were we will sell and sign our books and chat with anyone who comes by, and we will each give a 30 minute or so history talk, free for the taking. Steve will be talking about his new book and I will be talking about something to to do with Jurupa history, I just haven't quite decided what yet. More details will be coming. Hope to see you there!

New Book by Steve Lech

I told you a few weeks ago that local history writer and researcher Steve Lech has a new book out which details the history of each park in the Riverside County park system. Four of the parks in his book are in our fair city and I thought I would give you a little taste of what is in Steve's book. The following excerpt concerns the property that now is home to the Louis Robidoux Nature Center:

Charles and Alice Judson had purchased the property in the late 1920s hoping to start a pecan nursery. However, in the early years of the Great Depression, few if any people purchased the trees, so Judson planted them and made a grove of about 40 acres.

Alice Judson particularly enjoyed the tranquility of the area and of their pecan grove. She spent much time there enjoying the views and aquainting herself with the property. Almost every evening at sundown she took a walk through the more easterly grove and enjoyed not only the scenery but also the wildlife living there. When she died in April 1971, her ashes were scattered in that eastern grove, near the house, so that she would be there forever.        

Riverdale Acres to Riverside

I had an interesting email from Loren Meissner this past week about how his family got to Riverside from Riverdale Acres back in the 1930s before Limonite Avenue was built from Van Buren through to Riverview Drive. Here is what he said:

 I seem to remember that Limonite was extended east of Van Buren (at Pedley) and up over the hill toward Mission Blvd by WPA labor, mostly shovels and wheelbarrows – nobody wanted to bring in big earth moving machinery, cuz the whole point was to make jobs.

Before that, to go from Riverdale Acres to Riverside (vicinity of Mt Rubidoux) we would go N on Etiwanda to Jurupa (part way to Bellegrave), then E all the way to Mission Blvd at Sunnyslope. But now we could take Limonite all the way from Etiwanda to Mission Blvd.

So Many Limonites, So Little time....

Did you know that there are four streets with the word Limonite in their names right here in Jurupa Valley? Yes, I think our fair city has single handedly cornered the market on naming streets after this obscure mineral! First of all, what is limonite? Well, according to Mindat.org it is an earthy looking light brown to brown or yellowish brown mineral that is created from the decomposition of many iron minerals, most commonly pyrite. Click on the following link to see a photo of limonite:http://www.mindat.org/min-2402.html

So, once there was a street called Limonite Avenue. It was just a two lane road that wandered and curved and followed the landscape. Then someone decided it should be a four lane road that didn't wander but went as straight as could be accomplished with road graders and dynamite. One small problem was the big gas pipe that went right down the middle of where they wanted to put the road. No problem! They would just create a nice wide median. Two more small problems: two short pieces of Limonite Avenue which already had houses and such on them would be left out when Limonite Avenue was straightened. And so the County, in its infinite wisdom, created Limonite Frontage Road, which is east of Avenue Juan Bautista in the Jurupa Hills area and Old Limonite Avenue in the Mira Loma area between Dodd and Marlatt Streets.

The County had boatloads of infinite wisdom, however, and so they were not done. They decided to put an underpass under the railroad tracks at Limonite and Van Buren. Remember that gas pipe? It was still there! So to avoid digging under and around and through that big gas pipe, they just left it and Limonite where they were and dug to the north of where the right of way was. The existing portion of Limonite, west of Morton Road, became a cul de sac and new Limonite curved slightly and went under the railroad tracks and Van Buren Boulevard. That little bit of old Limonite became Limonite Court.

I did what I admit was a limited search on Google Maps but could find no other streets named Limonite in the United States. But we have four! Whoo Whoo!
  

Wicked Jurupa Valley is Coming!!!!!

I am happy to report that the History Press accepted my book proposal! Just found out this week! I haven't seen the contract yet, but my plan is for the book to appear on bookshelves everywhere in May or June of 2012. I am so happy to finally be doing another book on Jurupa history! So, it looks like I will be deep into murder, scandal, and the like for the foreseeable future!

The Day Mira Loma Got its Name

I love going through the historic archive of the Los Angeles Times. Because the Press Enterprise is not on line the Times is the next best substitute. Last night I was looking for articles about bootlegging in Wineville by looking for any articles about Wineville between 1920 and 1933. I admit I could do this stuff 24 hours a day, it is so fun! Who knows what you might find? Well, last night I was rewarded with one of those random things I never expected. An article popped up which said that as of November 1, 1930 Wineville would cease to exist and the town would be known as Mira Loma. Because the area was unincorporated, changing the name required a name change for the post office and for the Union Pacific railroad station. So, there you go folks. November 1, 1930 is officially the day Mira Loma came to be!  I hope someone out there is as excited by this piece of information as I am! Whooo whooo!!!!

Eastvale and Riverdale Acres History with Loren

One of the most delightful things about researching and writing about local history are the people I get to meet along the way. Some I have known a long time and some I have met more recently, but they are always generous people who share their time, their memories, and their talents with me. One of my more recent  local history acquaintances is Loren Meissner. Loren grew up in Riverdale Acres which was in the Eastvale School District, now part of the Corona/Norco School District. As such, Loren has an interest in the history of the Eastvale School and, by extension, Eastvale. I think, maybe just maybe, he feels I have the research into the history of Jurupa Valley somewhat under control, but he wants to get his generation's memories of Eastvale and Eastvale School recorded before they are all gone.  Loren has a website where he has put some of his memories as well as a few pictures. Keep in mind, Loren actually grew up in what is now Jurupa Valley. He just went to school in what is now Eastvale. Unfortunately, Loren doesn't live around here, he lives up north, but we go through spurts when we email each other ALOT! That is happening right now, as a matter of fact. Loren kindly made the rancho lines map that was in my last post. Below is his website, because, if you are looking at my website I know you will want to look at his!!!  

http://meiszen.net/eastvale/river_walks.htm

The Jurupa Rancho and Our Fair City

This great map was done by Loren Meissner who grew up in Riverdale Acres back in the day. It shows an outline of the Jurupa Rancho superimposed on a map of the cities of Jurupa Valley and Eastvale.  The diagonal line that is the northern boundry of the rancho is today's Bellegrave Avenue. So, if you live south of Bellegrave you live in the Jurupa Rancho and if you live north of Bellegrave you live in an area that was homesteaded, at least to some extent. Thanks to Loren for his mad mapping skills! 

There May be a New Book in the Works!

I just submitted a proposal to a publisher of local history books for a new book on Jurupa history. Yeah! This one will look at famous and infamous crimes over the years. Yes, yes, I will include the Wineville Chicken Coop Murders! We couldn't forget those! If anyone out there has any ideas for me on crimes that have occurred in the Jurupa area, I would be happy to consider them for the book, assuming the publisher accepts my proposal. I am looking for crimes other than murder ( I have enough of those, unfortunately). Something like a swindle, or a crime with a funny or ironic twist, would be great!

I have removed the requirement that you sign up for a Google service of some sort in order to comment on this blog. I didn't realize that that box was checked! So please feel free to comment on my blog postings. I would love to hear your stories, too!  

But then, what would we be called?

Our neighbor to the southeast, Riverside, is, as we all know, a Johnny come lately compared to our fair area. Juan Bandini was granted the Jurupa Rancho in 1838 and built a house by the Santa Ana River near the Hamner bridge.  Another house was built by Benjamin Wilson in today's Rubidoux sometime around 1843. The colony of Riverside didn't began seeing families move in until October 1870.  Riverside is situated on what was called "bench land" that was originally part of the Robidoux Rancho. Since it sat above the river it was difficult to irrigate, given the available knowledge of the day, and so it was considered worthless, except perhaps for cattle grazing. As a matter of fact, when Louis Robidoux's holdings were assessed in 1854 for tax purposes by San Bernardino County, he was only assessed for 3000 acres, since the other 3000 or so acres he owned on the other side of the river were  considered without any value for tax purposes. Wow! If the tax man thinks something is worthless, it must really be bad! Well, obviously someone thought it had potential since it was the site John North et al picked out and purchased for a new town.  When trying to decide on a name for this new place, they did float the name Jurupa, but Riverside won out. A little uninspired, perhaps, but much easier to spell! Now, over 100 years later, I guess those of us in Jurupa Valley have to admit that Riverside has done pretty well for itself! 

Childhood Summer in Jurupa Hills

I have just one brother who is much older than me so I was, in many ways, an only child. When we lived on Moraga Way in Jurupa Hills the late 1960s there weren't a lot of kids around, either, so I had plenty of time to myself, creating my own fun. At that time there were still lots of undeveloped lots in the area and the houses on Pico hadn't been built yet. So, I had lots of open fields to range around in. My little dog Patches and I would sometimes be gone for hours while I made up stories along the way of the adventures I was pretending we were having!  There were lots of great big rocks to climb on, and if I went really far I could check out the rail road tracks. One time I found a dead baby rabbit. I felt so sorry for it not having a proper burial that I took it home in a box and hid it under my bed until I could have a proper ceremony the next time my friend Myra came over. Well, Myra didn't come over as soon as I had hoped and one day I looked under the bed to check on the rabbit and caught a whiff of something unpleasant. Somehow I knew that I better get that rabbit buried soon. I enlisted the help of David who lived down the street, even though he was a yucky boy (it wasn't that he personally was yucky, but at that time of my life I though all boys were yucky!!). We buried the rabbit. David, of course, slammed a big old rock down on top of the grave. Note I said "slammed," not "placed." I was annoyed but knew that it was better that the rabbit be out from under my bed, rock or not.   

New Book on County Parks

Local historian and author Steve Lech has come out with his latest book. Its title is “More Than a Place to Pitch a Tent: The Stories Behind Riverside County’s Regional Parks.” Steve works for Riverside County Regional Park and Open Space District and though that connection he became interested in the stories behind the thirteen parks, six interpretive centers, and the park district headquarters.

After several years of research his new book is ready for reading! It is 150 pages and includes both historic and contemporary photos.  It is a hardback book and will retail for $28.

This book includes the stories behind the Louis Robidoux Nature Center, Rancho Jurupa Park, and Jensen-Alvarado Historic Ranch and Museum. Here is hoping that one of our local libraries will arrange a book signing for Steve in our local area.

If you are interested in purchasing a book directly from Steve (for less than the retail price) or having him come to talk to your group or do a book signing, you can reach him at rivcokid@gmail.com or at (951)990-0269.

Do You Remember A&W Root Beer?

At the corner of Mission Boulevard and Opal Street is a little fast food place called "Joyce Burger." When my kids were in high school they loved to go with their friends to Joyce Burger when school got out early. In fifty years, they will be saying "Remember Joyce Burger?" That little building has an older history, however. When I was a kid it was A&W Root Beer! We didn't eat out a lot but occasionally my mother would get a break from the kitchen and we would pick up dinner from the A&W. I always got a kick out of the fact that it had Papa burgers, Mama burgers, Teen burgers, and Baby burgers. Usually my Dad got a Papa burger, my mother got a Mama burger and I got a Baby burger. I don't remember what my brother got, but since he was a teen age boy I doubt he got the Teen burger, he probably wanted the Papa burger like my dad! I will have to ask him....

Making Jurupa History, Part II

Yeah, we officially became a city as of 12:01 a.m., July 1st! What a great feeling knowing Jurupa Valley controls its own destiny now! All kinds of activities have been happening, the most important being the swearing in of our city council at their very first official city council meeting which was held on July 1st in the Patriot High School auditorium. Laura Roughton, Verne Lauritzen, Mike Goodland, Frank Johnston, and Brad Hancock will go down in history as our very first city council. They are all very nice people and I look forward to good things with them at the helm!

Yesterday my husband and I braved the heat and enjoyed the parade. I always get a lump in my throat when I see something so typical of small town America happening right before my very eyes! I really enjoyed the cheer leaders, the band, the horses, the cars, and even the dump truck and the sewer pumper! It has been a great weekend to begin this new chapter in the history of Jurupa Valley.
 

Crestmore Heights

I like to try to keep my blog posts well rounded - I want to include every community in the Jurupa area in this Jurupa History blog. So, without further adieu, I present Crestmore Heights! This small community is located right on the county line with San Bernardino. The community of Crestmore is located just across the county line and was named after the 1907 Crestmore subdivision. In 1926 Irvine and May Keith Biggar filed  a subdivision map in the hills above Crestmore and called it Biggar's Crestmore Heights. (Irvine and May Keith? I think I better go back and make sure those names are correct!)

To reach Crestmore Heights, just go all the way out Rubidoux Boulevard and, there on the left, just before you reach the county line, is Crestmore Heights. Some of the houses in that area are quite old and I have some pictures of them in my Rubidoux book.

Jurupa Voting District

Because of the recent cityhood election I looked at portions of the voter registration rolls. One of the most puzzling things I saw was that the voting precinct in the area of Clay Park is called "Jurupa." I assumed that it was a recent name used because they ran out of place names in that area - Pedley and Indian Hills having been used for adjacent voting precincts. However, I just found out that my assumption is not correct. According to an article in the October 2, 1932 Los Angeles Times, the West Riverside district had five voting precincts at that time:  Mira Loma, Glen Avon, Crestmore, West Riverside, and Jurupa. Crestmore was actually called Crestmore Heights and part of the Pedley area was known as Jurupa Heights. There was a Jurupa Heights water company and Pedley School was originally named Jurupa Heights. The Jurupa voting precinct was probably named after Jurupa Heights but the Registrar of Voters shortened the name for convenience sake.  Another mystery of history at least partially solved! 

If it weren't for Ida....

Local history is recorded by amateurs. I will fully admit that I am a local history amateur myself. All it takes is a love of history and a desire to write it down. It is a fact of life that cities generate more people who record local history than unincorporated areas. Our area, Jurupa Valley, suffered from that problem. One notable exception is a slim volume in a navy blue cover, "Jurupa: Peace and Friendship." Written by Ida Parks Condit, it was self published in 1984 when Ida was 73 years old. Ida worked very hard on this book and I am sure spent many many hours doing research in the days before the Internet. She was so sure of her research that she put the following statement at the bottom of her dedication page: "All the material in this book has been researched and is factual."  Oh, if only I could feel so sure of the research and writing that I do!

However, as with all local history wrting, you have to read Ida's book with a bit of skeptisim in your heart. Any given piece of local history information is factual until you find a new fact that puts it in doubt! The title of Ida's book is a fine example. Someone wrote back in the day that "Jurupa" was the greeting that an Indian chief used to greet Juan Bautista DeAnza which meant "peace and friendship." If only it were so! Ida thought it was true and used it for her book title. I discussed the meaning of Jurupa in a previous blog post so I won't repeat it here, but it does not mean peace and friendship!!!

So, keeping in mind that new nuggets of history have been discovered since 1984, Ida's book is full of old stories, names and dates that we would not have if she had not written them down. Her hard work is the starting point for so much that I do in my own research and writing.  It was through her book that I received my first introduction to Arthur and Mary Ann Parks. Their story is just as facinating as that of Louis Robidoux and Cornelius and Mercedes Jensen, but no one knows about it because they don't have a place named after them or a park devoted to their history. I have written about the Parks' for The Record. I will post more about them here in the future.

Meanwhile, I want to give a tip of the hat to Ida Parks Condit. Absolute perfection, while preferable,  is not required in local history. Someone who will write history down is.   

Exploring History when I was a Kid

When I was in 2^nd through 5^th grades at Pacific Avenue Elementary School my best friend in the whole world was Myra Ratlief. I visited Myra at her house on Ave. Juan Bautista many times over the years. Behind her house were rolling fields and we would sometimes go wandering over hill and dale with her brother Jimmy and her sister Jeannie. There was a wooden structure that really intrigued us. We made up all kinds of stories about it, most having to do with Indians and sacrificing cattle. Kids, got to love their imaginations! I realize now that it was a ramp/chute that was designed to get cows up into a truck, a relic from Tom Clay’s 1001 Ranch. One of the joys of childhood is discovering the past, even if you don’t know until years later what it is you are discovering!

The 1001 Ranch covered many, many acres of land, including present-day Indian Hills, Jurupa Hills, and parts of Pedley. Tom Clay, a lawyer, bought the land from one of his clients in 1929 and then almost lost it himself during the Great Depression. He made other land purchases and by the 1950s owned over 2400 acres. Clay became well known for, among other things, the Appaloosa horses he raised on his ranch.   

Glen Avon School

The first school in what is now known as Glen Avon was on Tyrolite Street. School was held in a little building that was more a shed than a school. When that was deemed inadequate, a man by the name of John R. Johnston donated two acres on Pyrite Street for a new school, the same site where Glen Avon School is located today. A one room schoolhouse was built on the site in 1895. It was a wooden building that faced Pyrite Street. By 1909 the student population at the school was a respectable 57 students in grades first through eighth.  The school was not originally called Glen Avon. The entire area at that time was called West Riverside and so the new school was called by that name. Today's West Riverside School was called Jurupa School. Confused yet? In the 1908-09 school year the community around the West Riverside School decided to rename itself Glen Avon and the following school year the school and school district changed its name to Glen Avon as well.        

First School in Mira Loma

In 1888 A.J. Stalder donated land for the first school in what is known today as Mira Loma. Lumber and labor were donated by local families to build the school in 1892. It was known as the Pleasant Valley school. Just a year later the County of Riverside was formed from portions of San Diego and San Bernardino. A school in the Winchester area was also known as Pleasant Valley so our Mira Loma school changed its name to Union, which was the name of the election district for that area. The school was located where Etiwanda intersects the 60 freeway today. This little school served the children of the area until a new school was built in 1915.   

The Most Amazing Bridge You Never See!

Someone stopped me in Trader Joe's the other day to talk about the railroad bridge that crosses the Santa Ana River into Jurupa from Riverside. It is located east of Van Buren Boulevard. This gentleman wanted to know why no one ever mentioned this bridge. Well, it is really simple - the bridge is almost impossible to see from any public road! It is most visible from Martha McLean-Anza Narrows Park in Riverside or if you go hiking in the riverbottom. A bit of the bridge can be seen from the very end of Riverview Drive or if you follow Pedley Road, south of Limonite, down and around towards Van Buren. The bridge is really one of the great historic wonders of both Jurupa and Riverside, since it lies in both of our fair cities.

Building began in 1903 on what was then the longest concrete bridge in the world. It is over 300 yards long with eight graceful arches over the river and smaller arches at either end. Many postcards were published over the years showing this lovely bridge.

As for it being forgotten or ignored, I will agree that it does not get the attention it deserves. However, the last issue of the Journal of the Riverside Historical Society Journal did have a nice article by Glen Wenzel about the construction of the bridge. Copies of the Journal are still available from the Riverside Historical Society.      

Floods of 1938

The flooding problems in the midwest and south right now are pretty mind boggling! It made me think of our own river, running right along of the edge of our fair city. The Santa Ana River looks pretty tame most of the time but when it gets angry it can get REALLY angry. The flood of 1938 was the big one. I have a chapter in my book, Rubidoux, that is devoted to the Santa Ana River. In it I include photos of various floods through the years, including the 1938 monster. Every bridge on the Santa Ana River except the one crossing from Rubidoux to downtown Riverside was damaged or destroyed by that flood. Much of Rubidoux (then called West Riverside) was flooded and the Riverside Airport was put out of business. Why the Riverside Airport was in West Riverside will have to be a story for another day!   

How the Santa Ana River Got its Name

I have a book in my collection called California Place Names by Erwin G. Gudde (4th edition).  According to this book, the Santa Ana River is named for St. Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary. It was named on July 28, 1769 by the Portola expedition when it camped by the river. The soldiers named it Santa Ana and this appears to be the only time on this expedition that the soldiers (as opposed to the padres) gave a place a holy name. Potola did not camp beside the river in our area, but the Santa Ana stretches all the way to the Pacific Ocean, leaving him and his expedition plenty of places to camp!

West Riverside Fire Station

You drive passed it all the time, so much so that you never even notice it any more. But you should! The West Riverside Fire Station No. 18 is a great piece of Jurupa history! Built in 1934 as a WPA project, the station is built from large pieces of granite which are thought to have been quarried from nearby Rattlesnake Mountain. The walls are said to be 18 inces thick(!) but I haven't measured them. It was built on land donated by the Harvest Festival Association, which once owned a huge piece of property that stretched from Mission Boulevard up to the hills to the north. To see a great old photo of this fire station, go to the link below.

http://www.rvcfire.org/opencms/facilities/FireStations/NorthWestDiv/WestRiversideStation18.html

1908 Train Wreck in Pedley

The big happening in February 1908 was a train wreck near the Pedley train station. The Pedley train station was located where the Metro Link station is located today. The Los Angeles limited was going approximately 40 miles an hour when it left the tracks at about 9:15 P.M. The accident occurred 200 yards east of the Pedley station. It looked like the cause of the wreck was a broken wheel flange. This caused the engine and tender and all of the cars except the mail car and observation card to leave the tracks and go pounding over the ties. None of the cars overturned but the dining car was tilted at a 45-degree angle. Inside that car was the eight-man car crew. We can assume they were bounced around a bit. 

The eighty passengers on the train were thrown around and one woman, Mrs. Murray of Los Angeles, broke her collarbone. A wrecking train was sent out from Los Angeles and arrived at 3 AM. They immediately began laying a “shoofly” track around the wreck. Overland Train No.2 was trapped at Ontario and was sent back to LA and then over the Santa Fe tracks via San Bernardino so it could get on to its destination. The emergency tract was competed at 6:30 AM and the local and overland trains could get through at their scheduled times

Why West Riverside?

One of the most common questions I get asked about Jurupa history is why our area became known as West Riverside? It is more north of Riverside than west and it was here before Riverside. First, lets deal with the "west" part. If you look at a map of the area and consider where downtown Riverside is, the Rubidoux area across the river is more towards the west than the north, due to the course of the Santa Ana River through that area.

A subdivision map called the "Map of West Riverside" was created in the late 1880s. It consisted of lots of 5 to 20 acres in size. Using today’s landmarks, this area stretched from approximately the intersection of Rubidoux Boulevard and 20^th Street southwest to the southern terminus of Opal Avenue (later Opal Street).  Both Opal Avenue and Pacific Avenue, which exist today, are named on the map.

Riverside was the "big city" in the area at that point in time while the other side of the river, our side, was rural. All developers worth their salt will try to attach their subdivision to the most well known place in the area, and so we got West Riverside.  

A few things have changed since 1942!

In July 1942, a telephone and business directory was published for the West Riverside Township by our local newspaper, the Times-Democrat, whose office was located  on Mission Boulevard in West Riverside (now Rubidoux). I managed to buy a copy of this directory off of ebay a few years ago.

On page two of the directory is a discussion of the West Riverside Township (not to be confused with the community of West Riverside). A township was a local governmental entity that was usually used in rural areas. The directory says that the West Riverside Township included all the Jurupa area except the area south of Limonite Street in Mira Loma, in other words that portion of Mira Loma that was par tof the Eastvale School District and is now located in the Corona-Norco School District. The directory said that the area had over 100 places of business, over 3000 registered voters, and a population of nearly 7000 people.

I don't know how many businesses Jurupa Valley has but I do know that we now have over 30,000 registered voters and a population of just over 100,000. Just a wee bit of growth in 69 years! 

Making History!

Last night was incredible! Over 150 people gatherd at Indian Hills Country Club to watch the election results come in for the big cityhood election. WOW! While I usually write about things in this blog that happened more than 24 hours ago, Jurupa Valley becoming a city is certainly a historic moment which deserves a post on a blog about Jurupa history!

The atmosphere in the room was fantastic! A great cross section of the citizens of our fair city were represented. We were thrilled to find out the results of the election: Measure A passed; our city council will be choosen "at large"; and our new city council will consist of Laura Roughton, Verne Lauritzen, Mike Goodland, Frank Johnston, and Brad Hancock. Laura, as the top vote getter, will also serve as the very first mayor of Jurupa Valley.

After all the work that the Yes on Measure A Committe put into this election, I think we were all thrilled and a little numb! I say "we" because I was a member of that committee. As someone who loves Jurupa history, it was a bit surreal to realize I not only was witnessing a historic moment, but played a small part in making that historic moment happen.

We were joined last night by two of the proponents of the last incorporation try, almost twenty years ago. Barbara Veitch and Ed Hawkins were there to see cityhood finally arrive in Jurupa.

As I said in my last post, I spent another momentous election night in that same room when my dad, Don Jarrell, was elected to the Jurupa Unified School District board. Last night I was so happy that Emma Jane Kuma, a dear dear friend of my parents, joined us to celebrate the successful cityhood election. Two elections, 32 years apart!

This morning when I ventured out to work I have to say, seeing my new city for the first time in the light of a new day, it looked brighter somehow. The colors were richer, everthing glowed just a little bit. I know, it sounds crazy! But when I came back home tonight, I found the same thing happening! I think the election victory is affecting my vision, in a good way!

I promise that the next post will be about something other than cityhood.

Election Night Parties

The historic cityhood election is coming up March 8th and the Yes on Measure A Committee has planned a  party at Indian Hills Country Club to watch the results come in. This reminded me of another election night many years ago. My Dad, Don Jarrell, was a real estate agent here in Jurupa and he got tired of people telling him they did not want to move to this area because the schools weren't good. He decided to do something about it and ran for the school board. Bill Hughes, who owned the Rubidoux Mortuary, was his treasurer. I remember that the election occurred in November 1979 and I couldn't vote because I was just shy of 18. The night of the election a number of people went up to Indian Hills Country Club to wait for the results. Since we didn't have computors like today, someone had to get on the phone and try to get through to the Registrar of Voters to get the results. I remember the room seemed dark (or maybe it was just my nerves) and the first results were posted on a piece of paper, once they managed to get through on the phone. My Dad won the election, against the incumbant, and I never forgot that night, that room, and that election.  This election party will include a few of the same people as that long ago election party. I will update this post later to include who was there both nights.

Visit Jensen-Alvarado Historic Ranch and Museum!

One of the crown jewels of the Jurupa area is the Jensen-Alvarado Historic Ranch and Museum. Owned and run by the Riverside County Regional Parks and Open-Space District, its entrance is located in a residential area, off the beaten path, at 4307 Briggs Street in Rubidoux. It is not open to the public during the week. Instead, it is overrun by elementary school students learning about local and state history. It is open to the public on Saturdays 10 am to 4 pm. If you have not been to this great piece of Jurupa history make plans to go!

The Jensen house, located on the 30 acre site, was built in 1868-1870 by Cornelius Jensen and his wife Mercedes Alvarado Jensen. Cornelius was a Danish sea captain who decided to stay in California. Mercedes was from a prominent Californio family. Together they had 10 children who lived to adulthood, many of whom stayed in the area, built homes and raised their own families. Also located on the property is the home of their son Henry Jensen. It was moved to the park from a nearby property and is now the home of the onsite caretaker.      

A staff member (usually dressed in period appropriate clothes) is on hand to answer questions and give a tour of the Jensen home. The house was the first building  built with kiln fired brick in what is now Riverside County. The rebuilt winery features a small museum with items from the Jensen family. You and your family can enjoy a picnic at the tables under big shade trees near the parking lot. There are even a few farm animals, typical of a ranch from the 1880s. There is a small entrance fee, payable to the staff member (I think $2 a person) .  You won’t have to fight off a crowd to enjoy this great property on a Saturday. Below is the link for the county parks website which has a few photos of Jensen Ranch.  Rumor has it that County Parks is working on a new website, so hopefully it will have more information than their current website about this great living history museum.

  http://www.riversidecountyparks.org/locations/nature-historic-centers/jensen-alvarado/

Jurupa Incorporation circa 1948

In January 1948 the Riverside Enterprise  reported that the West Riverside Township Chamber of Commerce held their regular meeting. At that meeting a committee was formed consisting of J.M. Dorr, Archie Parks, R.E. Wright, Charles While, Jonny Allan, B. Ramek, Carl Peterson, and Louis Maretti. The purpose of that committee? To investigate the steps needed to incorporate as a city.

This is one of those "what if?" moments in Jurupa history. What if we had become a city by, say, 1950? What would have been different in our area now if we had decided to take the bull by the horns and control our own destiny? I am going to make some wild guesses but here goes!

I think Mira Loma would have a library. Back in the day, before the internet, access to information was through local libraries. I think a city would have made sure that its entire population had resonable access to a library.   

There would be no such thing as the Jurupa Parks District because the City would have dealt with parks services. No parks district, no nasty lawsuit with the JCSD!  

I think we would have more horse trails because horses have long been an important part of this community and as things were developed I think horse trails would have been developed with them.

I think Flabob Airport would have developed into more of an economic hub as the city recognized its worth and developed the property around it with complementary uses.

Last but not least, my husband thinks that, instead of warehouses, Mira Loma would be home to the LA area NFL team and stadium. Hey, a man can dream, can't he?    

So, fellow Jurupians, what do you think would be different in our fair community if we had become a city in 1950? No city of Bell comparisons!  Just a fun excercise in "what if." Leave your comments, I would like to see them! 

Louis Robidoux's House

As you drive down Mission Boulevard through downtown Rubidoux, you may see a sign out on the street in front of Stater Bros which says that there, where that shopping center sits, is the site of Louis Robidoux's house. Is it really? Up until at least the 1920s there were still reminants of the Robidoux Rancho buildings on that property. An aerial photo that dates from 1945 or 1946 (and is on page 82 of my Rubidoux book) shows the corner of Mission and Rubidoux Boulevards. Up at the very top of the photo you can see a grove of trees and some buildings, at the site of Louis Robidoux's home and rancho buildings. A friend recently looked at a modern aerial photo overlayed with a historic photo and found that Stater Bros sits right on top of where the Robidoux home was. However, the Robidoux home faced the river where Stater's faces Mission Boulevard. So, the next time you visit Stater's in Rubidoux, while picking out some fruit or cereal, you may be standing where Senor Rubidoux slept or entertained guests!

Let it Snow!

The big snow and sleet storm sweeping across two thirds of the country made me thankful once again that I do not live in a place where snow is a common occurrence! I have no memory of it snowing here in Jurupa, but that doesn't mean it never did! When I was collecting photos for both of my books (Jurupa and Rubidoux) people shared with me several photos of a big snow storm that struck in either 1948 or 1949 (I heard both dates). I was given three photos, two from the Rubidoux area and one taken in Mira Loma. Snow absolutely covered the ground! One photo showed a group of children standing in the snow, waiting for the bus from Union Joint School to pick them up. They look so cold! All the girls are in dresses and bobby socks! I am surprised they didn't have a snow day. I am sure the snow melted in just a day or so, and that is the best kind of snow to have!  

Jurupa Valley: Oldest New City in Riverside County?

If the citizens of Jurupa vote to become a city on March 8th, the new city of Jurupa Valley will be brand new, but will have a long and interesting history. Long before Riverside existed, before Norco, Corona, and Moreno Valley, there was the Rubidoux Rancho. All the roads and trails of what we now call the Inland Empire converged on the Robidoux Rancho, making Louis Robidoux a very well informed and important man. As I told the Local Agency Formation Commission when they were considering allowing Jurupa Valley cityhood to go to a vote, "The residents of Jurupa were here to greet the founders of Riverside. We were hear to greet the founders of Corona. We were here to greet the founders of Norco, and we were here to greet the the first people to move in to the subdivisions of Eastvale."   Jurupa's long history will only serve to make  our potential city stronger, with a vivid past and identity that so many new cities do not have. I hope we vote to become a city. But whatever happens, I will still be here, researching Jurupa's history.

My Mom Worked at AeroJet

Around the time my mother brought me into this world (1961) she worked at AeroJet. It was located in the Glen Avon area of Jurupa and made munitions. That's right, like in "KABOOM!" AreoJet still exists but has been long gone from Glen Avon. I called the company headquarters up in the nothern part of our state and they had no record of ever having had a plant in the Glen Avon area.

My mother's friend Lila worked there as well and I asked her one time about it. This was back in the days before OSHA and the ladies who worked there filling shells with explosive powder (or what ever they used) woked in a little booth so if a shell exploded it wouldn't take out everyone around them. They especially feared the days when the Santa Ana condition rolled in because it got so dry and static electricty could cause an explosion. Lila said they would drape wet paper towels around their work stations to reduce the chance of static electricity.

At my mother's memorial service her best friend Emma Jane spoke about first meeting my mother on a Santa Ana day. My mom popped across the street to meet the new neighbors, breezely telling Emma Jane that she wasn't at work that day because of the wind and the danger it posed. Lila said that one of the reasons the plant was shut down and moved (or maybe it was combined with an existing plant, I don't recall) was because of danger on windy days.

My mom eventually quit AreoJet due to the danger posed by working with explosives. I do remember going to visit some ladies my mom used to work with at AreoJet.  At least one was missing part of a finger due to her employment there. Obviously this made a very vivid impression on me!

Considering the fact that my mom worked in a munitions factory the whole time she was pregnant with me, I am grateful I wasn't born with two heads or extra arms.

I would love to hear from others who worked at AreoJet or who had a family member who worked there.

The Santa Ana Wind Returns

Last night as we watched TV the Santa Ana wind came roaring in with a big "whoosh!" I don't like the wind now because it it makes my allergies worse and gives me a headache. But, when I was a little girl living in Jurupa I delighted in the wind! I remember being on the playground at Pacific Avenue School, where I went for 2nd -5th grades,  and windy days were very exciting! Back then school playgrounds were not covered in grass. We had a dirt playground that was topped with gravel. Dirt playgrounds were much more condusive to creative play than a grass playground could ever be. My friend Myra and I loved to play house and we would dig the heels of our leather shoes (mine were purchased at Junior Shoetown) into the dirt and carefully back up, dragging our heel in a straight line to create the walls of our "house." My husband was always Bobby Sherman and Myra's was David Cassidy. But, when the wind came, that was a special day! We would grab the bottom of our jacket and pull it up behind us above our head and lean over into the wind. The jacket would catch the wind and we could lean way over! Back in the 1960s little girls wore dresses to school every day and if our moms forgot to have us wear tights the wind would blow that gravel from the playground and it would hit our legs and sting our skin and we would squeal and scream as only little girls can!   Every time the wind blows I remember the sting of that gravel.

Where "Jurupa" Came From

The name "Jurupa" is derived from the languages of two of the Native American groups who called Jurupa home. The Jurupa area lies at the intersection of the territories of four different tribes: the Gabrielino, the Cahuilla, the Serrano, and the Luiseno. Research indicates that the root of the word (Juru) is Gabrielino and is their name for what we now know as "California Sagebrush.". The "pa" ending is Serrano. They used that ending to indicate a place name.   Of course, the first people to record this word were the exploers and settlers from Mexico so there has been some Spanish influence as well. However, it appears Jurupa means "Place of the California Sagebrush."   So, if Jurupa becomes a city in the near future, it should adopt the California Sagebrush as the official city symbol!

And so it begins...

Jurupa is located in the north west corner of Riverside County, California, north and west of the Santa Ana River and south of the Riverside/San Bernardino County line. It is home to over 100,000 people. It is an area whose known history stretches back about as far as can be expected in inland Southern California. I have written two books on the Jurupa area and I write a regular history column for our local weekly paper, The Record.    This blog about Jurupa's history is just an obvious continuation of my ongoing research into Jurupa's past. I hope you will join me on this journey. I think it will be fun.