USA > California > Riverside County > History of Riverside County, California > Part 11
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HISTORY OF RIVERSIDE COUNTY
trict out of all the territory south of Jurupa avenue, its first trus- tees being A. J. Twogood, M. F. Bixler and T. W. Cover.
In 1883 the Sunnyside district was divided and its name changed to Arlington, while the new district was called Magnolia, and elected as its first trustees C. A. Crosby, D. H. Burnham and N. A. Stiffler. Several years later the growth of the Arlington Heights section compelled a further subdivision, and the building of the beauti- ful Victoria school house on the avenue of that name; but when the new city charter was adopted and all these districts were united again under the control of the city board of education and new names given to the various schools, Magnolia very properly became Arlington in name as well as in fact.
There was for a time a school district down the river called the Sierra, where Mrs. Jose Jensen taught, and where one who in 1912 is the state superintendent of schools, Edward Hyatt, ob- tained his first experience as a teacher. It was in these early years that many teachers came to become permanent citizens, the most prominent of whom were: Miss M. C. Call, Miss Kate Candee, Miss Lulu Chance, Mrs. O. L. Mason, Mrs. J. E. Cutter and Miss M. H. Harris. The regular state and county apportionments were insufficient to antipicate the annual increase of scholars and teach- ers, and every spring the trustees were compelled to ask the voting of a special tax, which request was never denied. But a new prob- lem confronted the board when an increasing number of graduates from the grammar grades needed to be given a higher education at home than had been provided for. The constitution of the state established a state university and primary and grammar schools, but made no provision whatever for the preparatory schools in which to fit the youth for college. The only high schools in the state were those established under special city charters, or those supported by private effort in the populous centers. Only the children of the wealthy could afford to have the advantage of such schools. The only practical solution of the problem confronting the trustees was to add to the teaching force those qualified to teach the higher branches, and provide for the expense by asking the people to vote an annual levy "for additional school facilities," the only section of the school law which made such action legal. Prof. N. C. Twining and his assistants were employed to change the curriculum in this respect, and in 1890 the first high school 7
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class was graduated. But the remarkable growth of the city embar- rassed the officials in charge, and forced them to advise the voting of $50,000 bonds to provide for the erection of a suitable building in which the high school, as well as the lower grades, could be accommodated. The people generously responded, and in 1887 six acres of land was purchased at the corner of Fourteenth and Wal- nut streets, at a cost of $7,500, and in 1889 what is now known as the Grant building was completed at a cost of $64,295. But this splendid building was hardly more than completed when additional buildings had to be built on Thirteenth and Seventh streets, and the old Sixth street house enlarged, to provide for the increased at- tendance.
The first principal of the high school to give exclusive service to that work was Miss Henrietta Bancroft, who was succeeded by Prof. David A. Givens, and he by Miss Eugenie Fuller. The re- maining members of the faculty during these years were Miss M. H. J. Lampe, Miss Sara L. Dole and Mrs. F. G. N. Van Slyck, the latter being still in charge of the English department in 1912.
The increase of the teaching force made necessary an acting superintendent of schools, although such an official had no legal existence in the organization of an ordinary school district. Prof. C. H. Keyes was given this position in 1891, and to his special gifts as an organizer are largely due the systematic methods which have resulted in the success of the school.
But the awkward machinery which the district government afforded was felt to be a handicap not longer to be endured, since the support of such a high school could not safely be dependent upon the action of voters who might, through whim or prejudice, refuse the large necessary annual appropriation. Studying to provide a way of legalizing the action taken, the clerk prepared a bill to present to the legislature which he believed would remedy the conditions. This measure meeting the approval of his colleagues. Dr. Deere and D. L. Wilbur, the board instructed Professor Keyes to submit it to the next state convention of superintendents. It was not enthusiastically approved by that body, but our represen- tative succeeded in having it made the duty of the convention sec- retary to present the bill to the next legislature. Weeks after the session opened no notice of its introduction had been given, and Mr. Holmes went to Sacramento to hasten action. The docu-
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ment was in the secretary's desk, and a vigorous effort of a promi- nent legislator in behalf of a law permitting a county to organize a single high school at the county seat had been given the right of way. The Riverside bill was promptly introduced by Assemblyman Barker and Senator Bowers, representing the district, and the bill so modified in committee as not to antagonize the other proposi- tion, became a law. By its provisions a single district, or any number of districts, may now organize as a Union high school dis- trict, and as a result of the adoption of this law this county alone now has nine high schools, where formerly there were none, and hundreds of such preparatory schools now exist all over the thinly- settled sections of the state. Since this statute was peculiarly a Riverside-made law, and made to serve its own particular needs, this detailed reference in these pages seems justified. The River- side high school district was organized originally, out of the city district alone, in 1893, with Dr. George H. Deere, D. L. Wilbur and E. W. Holmes in charge. The high school grew under the more favoring conditions, and in spite of the use of the large assembly room the Grant building soon became too small and a new building, designed exclusively for high school use, was built for its accom- modation on Ninth street, which in turn is now outgrown.
The other gentlemen who have served most acceptably upon the school board until the reorganization of the city government placed its school affairs in charge of a regular board of education have been A. H. Naftzger, W. A. Correll, Samuel C. Evans, Lyman Evans and W. A. Purrington. Their reward for the uniformly excellent service .they have rendered has been in seeing, year after year, the graduation of a class, from among whose ranks have come many whose success in life has brought honor to the city that educated them. They have had in their employ for years a most efficient superintendent of schools in the person of Prof. A. N. Wheelock, whose splendid service is continued under the new city government.
SCHOOLS UNDER CITY GOVERNMENT
When the charter was adopted by the city in 1907 the four school districts-Riverside, Palm avenue, Arlington and Victoria- were incorporated as the Riverside city school district, and the Riv- erside high school district was made identical with the Riverside city school district. The following table shows the school build-
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ings, teaching force and enrollment of the schools at the close of the school year in 1907.
School-
Teaching Force
Enroll-
ment
High
10
371
Grant
11
450
Lincoln
8
366
Longfellow
9
382
Irving
6
228
Washington
2
91
Brockton
1
30
Palm Avenue (two buildings)
6
218
Arlington
4
166
Alvord
1
22
Victoria
1
30
Kindergarten
2
76
Special teachers
4
...
65
2,430
The need of additional schoolrooms and a suitable building for manual training and domestic science led the board of educa- tion early in 1908, to call a bond election for $40,000. The bonds were voted with practically no opposition, and with the funds obtained, extensive repairs were made and two rooms added to the Arlington school; four rooms added to the Longfellow school; a fine modern school building of four rooms and auditorium was erected on Fourth street, to be called the Bryant school. The city also built a large and commodious manual training building on Twelfth street. The latter building, with its complete equipment for wood-working, cooking and sewing, gave great impetus to the manual training idea in the schools. While primarily not a voca- tional school it does give a technical skill in the lines of work offered that make an excellent equipment for earning a livelihood.
But there was another call for more room and a larger field of educational effort. The high school had quite outgrown its quarters. The numbers enrolled had steadily climbed up until in 1909 the enrollment was nearly 500, too many for effective work in the Ninth street building. The board of education met the prob- lem by calling a bond election for $250,000. The election was held
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in July, 1910, and the bonds carried by a handsome majority. A site of sixteen acres of mesa and arroyo land on the south side of Turquisquite arroyo was purchased, and a group of build- ings erected in 1911 at a cost of site and buildings, aside from the furnishing and equipment, of $200,000. The buildings consist of the hall of classics, containing the offices, teachers' room, audi- torium, study rooms and fourteen classrooms; the science hall, containing laboratories for agriculture, botany, biology, chemistry, physics, with lecture rooms, offices and recitation rooms; the mechanics' building, containing shops for wood-working, forging, foundry, machine work and mechanical drawing. The school was planned and equipped as a boys' school, the board being of the opinion that better conditions for school work would obtain by the segregation of the boys and girls. As the buildings were not completed at the opening of the school year, ending in 1912, the boys were cared for in the Ninth street building in the morn- ings, while the girls had possession in the afternoons, this arrange- ment continuing through the year.
J. E. Mckown of the Lincoln high school of Seattle, Wash., was made principal of the boys' school, and Miss Eugenie Fuller the principal of the girls' school. Miss Fuller, however, closed her relations with the school at the end of the year, the nineteenth of her service as principal. Three hundred and twenty-one men and three hundred and fifty-three women had graduated from the school, up to and including the class of 1911, and the apprecia- tion which the body of the alumni has given Miss Fuller is the best evidence of the worth of her work and management. The courses of study and the instruction in these two high schools are designed to be practical enough to fit men and women to gain a livelihood and scholastic enough to prepare for the universities those to whom such a course is open. Courses are offered in agriculture, manual training, science, commerce, history, Latin, modern lan- guages, domestic science, art.
Besides the boys' high school buildings above described, there was also built in the same year a substantial brick building on Victoria avenue, having four rooms and an auditorium, at a cost of $28,000, and also a three-room building on the Bryant school grounds.
The following table shows the school system in October, 1912,
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and a comparison with the preceding table will indicate the growth since 1907:
Valuation, Enroll- Bldgs. and
School-
Teaching Force
ment
Site
Boys' High
15
328
$200,000
Girls' High
15
307
50,000
Grant
13
437
65,000
Washington
2
72
5,000
Manual Training
5
23,000
Bryant
6
187
30,000
Bryant Kindergarten
2
25
Lincoln
9
233
32,000
Lincoln Kindergarten
2
37
Longfellow
13
416
29,000
Irving
6
178
10,000
Lowell
4
94
28,000
Brockton
1
34
1,500
Palm Avenue
6
204
10,000
Arlington
7
208
7,000
Victoria
3
69
6,000
Special teachers
3
112
2,829
496,500
Furniture and equipment ...
30,000
$526,500
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HISTORY OF RIVERSIDE COUNTY
CHAPTER X. THE CHURCHES OF RIVERSIDE By E. W. Holmes
An outline of the church history of Riverside demands record- ing, although those looking for details may need to seek them in the records of the different organizations. There were representa- tives of different denominations among the pioneers, but these subordinated their denominational prejudices to secure the build- ing of a place for worship, and the first religious body in the col- ony was organized as the First Church of Christ of Riverside. Its actual members were, however, of the Congregational faith. Recognizing the commercial value of churches and schools as an inducement to the more desirable class who might be seeking a new home, the original colony managers gave the land at the corner of Sixth and Mulberry streets upon which to erect the first little white church, with its tiny spire, and also contributed toward the fund for its construction. For years this Union church provided for the religious needs of the settlers, and only when the growth of the settlement gave strength to the various denominations did the work of segregation commence, which in recent years has given the city thirty or forty branches of the Christian church. Of the seven original members of this first church, organized in 1872, only one, Miss Nancy M. Burt, has remained a permanent resident of Riverside. In 1886 the church was reorganized and incorporated as the First Congregational Church of Riverside. In the same year the original church building and lot were traded to the Christian Church people in exchange for the lots at the corner of Seventh and Lemon streets, where was built in 1887 the larger wooden Congre- gational church building which they occupied for twenty-five years. This contained the first pipe organ used in the city. This structure was torn down in 1912 to give place to a large and magnificent cathedral-like structure of the Spanish renaissance style of archi- tecture. This building, with its adjacent parsonage, grounds and equipment, will have a value of fully $125,000.
The pastors who have had charge are: Rev. I. W. Atherton,
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three years; Rev. F. H. Wales, one year; Rev. W. H. Cross, six years; Rev. George L. Smith, one year; Rev. T. C. Hunt, eleven years; Rev. Edward F. Goff, eleven years; Rev. J. H. McLaren, two years; Rev. Horace Porter, three years. Revs. Ralph B. Larkin, Z. B. Burr, C. J. Hutchins and George Lyman have supplied the pulpit in times of vacancy.
First Methodist Episcopal Church. A small class of Method- ists was formed in Riverside as early as 1872, which held occasional services thereafter in the school house, Rev. W. A. Knighten preach- ing a monthly sermon before it during the summer. In 1873 the conference made Riverside a missionary station and appropriated $300 for its support. A regular church organization was effected January 10, 1874, largely through the efforts of Rev. M. M. Bovard. In 1875 lots were purchased on the corner of Sixth and Orange streets, where successive building operations have marked the steady growth of the church in numbers and wealth, from the time when seven members represented the entire strength of the denomi- nation to the present day, when the First church alone has a mem- bership of some 900, and sister churches are required to shelter those who cannot be accommodated here. The first building erected was a little 24x36 brick chapel, the material and labor required for its construction being practically all given by the enthusiastic mem- bers and friends. The large and beautiful church, with all its mod- ern conveniences, which by successive enlargements has become one of the most attractive in the city, has so incorporated this original building that its identity is almost lost. The pastors who have occu- pied the pulpit since the organization of the church by Dr. Bovard are: Rev. W. J. White, Rev. J. L. Mann, Rev. F. D. Bovard, Rev. William Dixon, Rev. C. H. Lawton, Rev. M. F. Colburn, Rev. A. W. Bunker, Rev. C. F. Shelling, Rev. Selah W. Brown, Rev. D. H. Gillan, Rev. William Sterling, Rev. Dr. W. A. Wright, Rev. Dr. A. (. Williams, Rev. B. C. Cory, Rev. B. S. Haywood, Rev. F. J. In- wood, Rev. Robert S. Fisher, Rev. Dr. A. W. Adkinson and Rev. L. D. Van Arnam.
The First Baptist Church was organized in February, 1874, the charter members being Mr. and Mrs. D. C. Twogood, Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Roe, T. J. Wood, D. A. Coddington, and Rev. and Mrs. M. V. Wright. Messrs. Twogood and Roe were chosen the first deacons, and the former continued to hold the position continuously for some
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thirty-eight years. Two of the charter members, Mrs. Roe and Mrs. Wright, are still active members. For several years they had no minister, and united with the Congregationalists in the Sunday ser- vice. From an original membership of nine the church has grown until in 1912 it has 552 members. The church finally purchased de- sirable lots on the corner of Eighth and Lemon streets and in 1882 built upon these a church of their own at a cost of $6000, in which they worshipped for some eighteen years. This property was finally sold for business purposes and the building moved to the corner of Ninth and Lemon streets, upon which corner in 1909 the old build- ing was replaced by a beautiful new church, equipped with every- thing required by a large and growing organization. The property is valued at about $50,000. The following is a list of the pastors, with date of installation: Rev. M. V. Wright, 1874; Rev. M. Fobes, 1878; Rev. Charles Button, 1880; Rev. Charles Winbigler, 1889; Rev. George A. Cleveland, 1894; Rev. Dr. W. F. Taylor, 1899; Rev. W. L. Tucker, 1906; Rev. G. F. Holt, 1907.
Magnolia Presbyterian Church. The first Presbyterian church was organized November 9, 1879, with the following charter mem- bers: Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Crosby, Mrs. James H. Benedict, Alice Benedict, Mrs. E. Rudisill, Mr. and Mrs. D. W. McLeod, Mrs. M. A. Evans and Mrs. M. C. Evans. The first trustees were: S. C. Evans, J. H. Benedict, A. S. White, C. A. Crosby and H. J. Rudisill.
Land was purchased at the head of Magnolia avenue and a church erected upon it in 1880, at a cost of $6,000. The first minis- terial supplies were Rev. A. G. Lane, Rev. J. H. Clark, Rev. Ira M. Condit. Regular pastors: Rev. J. A. Merrill, Rev. H. B. Gage (1886-1900), and Rev. D. L. Macquarrie (incumbent).
All Souls' Universalist Church was founded by Rev. Dr. George H. Deere, in July, 1881. Its services were first held in the Citrus Fair pavilion, and afterward in a little church extemporized from a discarded school building located on Market street near Seventh. In 1891 land was bought at the corner of Seventh and Lemon streets, where the society built the elegant little stone church and parsonage which it has since occupied. The more conspicuous of the lay members who aided in the completion of these buildings were Albert S. White, William Finch, Seneca LaRue, Dr. John Hall, Aberdien Keith, K. D. Shugart and William P. Russell. There was an original membership of fifteen, which had grown to 162 in 1912.
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HISTORY OF RIVERSIDE COUNTY
The pastors who have served are: Rev. Dr. Deere (thirteen years), Rev. Charles A. Garst, Rev. Elmer C. Andrus, Rev. Andrew W. Cross, Rev. Herbert E. Benton and Rev. F. L. Carrier.
All Saints' Protestant Episcopal Church. Among the earliest of the religious services held in Riverside was that at which Rev. Charles F. Loup officiated in June, 1871. In the fall of the year following Bishop Kip visited Riverside and held a service. From this time services were occasionally held by the Rev. Mr. Loup and Rev. Mr. Wilson. These meetings were sometimes held in the Con- gregational church and for a time in the Sixth street school house. During these years Riverside was a part of the San Bernardino mission.
In October, 1884, the mission was formally organized into a parish having the name of All Saints' Protestant Episcopal Church of Riverside. The first vestry elected included: Messrs. E. G. Brown, J. D. Brownlee, E. J. Davis, W. A. Hayt, John Jarvis, W. P. Lett and O. Papineau. Other active members whose names appear at this period were Dr. A. H. Woodill, B. B. Wright, L. M. Holt and Dr. Jenkins. The services were evidently irregularly held owing to the difficulty of securing a permanent pastor.
In January, 1887, the Rev. B. W. R. Taylor accepted the rector- ship and in the June following the cornerstone of a church was laid on the church lot at Tenth street, between Orange and Lemon. Soon afterward a rectory was built on the same property, and in recent years a parish house for the use of the Sunday-school and other parochial organizations has been added. The clergymen who served the parish after Mr. Wilson were: Rev. S. Gregory Lines, Rev. C. S. Frankenthall and Rev. J. D. H. Brown. Rev. Mr. Taylor resigned charge of the parish in August, 1891, and in the following January was succeeded by the present rector, Rev. M. C. Dotten. The membership at the present time is 250.
The New Jerusalem (Swedenborgian) Church of Riverside was organized May 17, 1885, with thirty members. Rev. Berry Edmis- ton was its only pastor during the twenty-seven years of its history, resigning but a short time before his death, which occurred August 6, 1912. He was a man respected and loved by all who knew him, and the record of a town for whose moral upbuilding he so faith- fully worked would be incomplete which did not refer to his char- acter as a citizen as well as to his service as a Christian minister.
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HISTORY OF RIVERSIDE COUNTY
This church first held its services in a building on Central avenue, which had formerly been used for school purposes by the Sunnyside school district. In 1903 a new church edifice was built for their use in a more convenient location, on Locust street, between Sixth and Seventh. The present membership of the church is forty.
The First Christian Church of Riverside was organized Octo- ber 7, 1885, with thirty charter members. They first purchased land upon the southwest corner of Seventh and Lemon streets, but later traded this for the old Congregational building at Sixth and Vine streets, where they worshipped until 1904. They then secured land for a new church at the corner of Seventh and Lime streets, and moving their old building, incorporated it in the fine large edifice in which they now worship, having a capacity of nearly 800. The church membership has grown until it numbers 617, and the Sun- day school, of which M. D. Haskell is the superintendent, has an enrollment of 540. The pastors have been: Rev. Irwin West, Rev. Hiram Conwell, Rev. Cal. Ogborn, Rev. William Sumpter, Rev. M. J. Ferguson, Rev. A. B. House, Rev. George Ringo and Rev. G. M. Anderson.
Calvary Presbyterian Church. The inconvenience of attending service at the Magnolia Avenue Church, three or four miles away, led the increasing number of Presbyterians located in the "mile square" to organize in June, 1887, the Calvary Presbyterian Church. Its charter members were: Mrs. Gage (senior), Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Gage, Miss Margaret Gage, Mrs. Campbell, Mrs. Mary C. Mann, Mrs. I. S. Murray, Mr. and Mrs. H. J. Craft, Miss Margaret Spooner, Robert Gage, Mrs. Mattie Sears, Mr. and Mrs. D. J. McLeod, Mrs. Kate Hunter, W. J. Wallace, Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Wilbur, Mrs. A. D. Place, John Shiels, Charles Shiels, Miss Isabelle Ross, Miss Jennie Wright and Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Spence.
The little congregation at first worshipped in what is now a storeroom in the Odd Fellows' Building; then for a time in a build- ing north of where the Loring Block now stands; then in the Citrus Fair pavilion, and finally, while their church was being built, in the original Y. M. C. A. building in the Glenwood Block. Rev. Dr. J. B. Stewart supplied the pulpit at this time. The first elders were Robert Gage and W. J. Wallace.
Land had meanwhile been purchased at the corner of Ninth and
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Lime streets, and here was at last erected the convenient and beau- tiful building in which they have since worshipped. The church has now a membership of 590 and is in a flourishing condition, but at the time when a church alone was being provided success would have been long deferred had not the effort had the most generous support of members and friends. Among those whose liberal assistance deserves especial remembrance are Matthew Gage and Mrs. Gage, the latter presenting the pipe organ as her share, while W. John Gage lent most valuable aid for years as leader in the department of music.
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