This Date in History - September 7, 1917

The following ad appeared in the West Riverside Daily Press:

For Exchange - 9 acres, 5 acres in alfalfa, large garden with berries, asparagus, grapes, etc., chicken yards and houses for 1000 chickens, balance for garden truck. Pumping plant  with abundance of water: fine soft soil. Six room house wth hot and cold water. West Riverside on Fourth Street between B and C sts., near car line. Want a 6 or 7 room cottage, large lot, good location. Telephone Mission 836 R1.  

Fourth Street is now 24th Street, B Street is now Rubidoux Boulvard, and C street is now Hall Avenue, placing this property in what we now think of as the community of Belltown.

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.