I think one of the most unique names we have in Jurupa Valley (other than the word "Jurupa" itself) is the name of our local airport - Flabob. This is how that name came to be.
The first Riverside Airport was actually established on this side of the river in West Riverside. It was almost wiped out in the 1936 flood and really was barely an airport after that. However, the little airstrip was still know as the Riverside Airport. In the early 1940s it was purchased by Falvio Madariaga and his partner Bob Bogen. They continued to use the Riverside Airport name. Meanwhile, the city of Riverside purchased the old Arlington Airport on Arlington Avenue and renamed it the Riverside Municipal Airport.
One day someone working around the planes at the airport in West Riverside was injured by a rotating plane propeller. An ambulance was called to come to the Riverside Airport. It sped to the Riverside Airport on Arlington Avenue. That was when the owners of the airport in West Riverside realized that THEIR airport needed a new name. So, by combining Flavio and Bob's first names, Flabob Airport was born! IT has been pronounced in almost as many ways as "Jurupa" but the common pronunciation today is "flay-bob" with the emphasis on the first syllable.
As far as I know he was fine, in spite of he ambulance mix up!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a students at student at Rubidoux High School--many, many years ago--someone explained that the name was derived from two of the owners. I had forgotten that story. Brings back memories!
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