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!