USA > California > Riverside County > History of Riverside County, California > Part 4
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The land was surveyed by Goldsworthy and Higbie, including the government section east and south of the company lands. In April, 1871, the name "Riverside" was selected by the association as the name for the new town. Hon. C. N. Felton, or his agent, selected this name. Dr. Shugart suggested "Joppa," doubtless because fine oranges were grown there. It had already been dubbed "New Colony" and "Jurupa"-in fact, "Jurupa" had been men- tioned by the company in its articles of incorporation, as its princi- pal place of business. "But," comments Mr. Roe, "Riverside it was to be, and although a bit prosaic, it has answered very well up to date,"
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The land around Riverside was not all inhabited at that time. Along the borders of the Santa Ana settlers had lived for some years. Cornelius Jensen was one of these. He was a man of intelli- gence and energy, who with his family lived in comfort and affluence within a mile of the new settlement for many years before it came into existence, serving several terms as a supervisor of San Ber- nardino county. Old Louis Rubidoux was another conspicuous citi- zen whose descendants still live among us in the county. Moses Daley was another, who lived in the old adobe ranch house, the ruins
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of which still exist on the north of the county road west of the river. Arthur Parks, William Bensted, Joshua and James Casteel and doubtless others had homes along the banks of the Santa Ana river.
In an address delivered before an "Old Settlers' Meeting" on the 19th of April, 1897, the late/S. C. Evans gave some interesting facts regarding the steps by which the various tracts of ranch and government land in the valley came under the control of the River- side Land and Irrigating Company, of which he was the president, and which subsequently were incorporated as the city of Riverside. He says: "About the year 1842 Bandini and B. D. Wilson, with about twenty families from New Mexico, settled upon the Jurupa grant, and Bandini through Wilson made a gift conveyance to the New Mexicans of all that part of the Jurupa rancho north of the Rubidoux rancho, in consideration of services to be rendered by said New Mexicans in protecting the rancho from the incursions of the Indians. Many of the descendants of these New Mexicans still oc- cupy the tract so set apart, which is known as "Agua Mansa" settle- ment; among them are the Bustamento, Trujillo, Moya, Garcia, Al- varado, Archuletta, Baca, Artensio and other families.
"On the 6th of May, 1843, Juan Bandini conveyed to B. D. Wil- son for the sum of $1,000 about one and a half leagues of land, now known as the Rubidoux rancho. In 1844 Wilson conveyed this to Capt. James Johnson and Col. Isaac Williams, and in 1847 Johnson and Williams sold this to Louis Rubidoux. Mr. Rubidoux occupied and improved the ranch until his death in 1869, and many of his children and grandchildren still reside in and around Riverside.
"At the close of the Mexican war, in 1848, the United States maintained a garrison of soldiers, two hundred in number, at Jurupa, for something like eight years, to protect the early settlers from the incursions of the Utah Indians.
"In 1859 Bandini conveyed the remainder of the Jurupa rancho to Abel Stearns, and some ten years later the latter deeded his por- tion of the rancho to the Los Angeles Land Company, Alfred Robin- son, trustee. The California Silk Centre Association then came into possession of 3169 acres of this land, as well as the Rubidoux rancho and some 1500 acres of the Hartshorn tract adjoining it. All of this territory became the property of the Southern California Colony Association, organized by Judge North and his associates. The first irrigating canal was commenced October 1, 1870, and com-
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pleted so far as to deliver water for domestic and irrigating pur- poses in July, 1871. It cost $60,000. It tapped the Santa Ana river near the Colton bridge, and is known as the upper canal of the River- side Water Company. In 1874 the Colony Association purchased the oldest water right in Warm creek ( a stream rising in the San Bernardino valley, and furnishing the principal supply of water for the Santa Ana river) to obtain water for a new canal to be con- structed through the government land situated east of the company's tract."
In June, 1874, S. C. Evans and Capt. W. T. Sayward became the owners, by purchase, of 8600 acres of land known as the Hart- shorn tract. This is the territory south of Arlington avenue, upon which the now famous Magnolia and Victoria avenues and the beau- tiful section known as Arlington are located. Soon afterwards they commenced the construction of what is now called the lower canal to supply the newly purchased territory with water.
At this stage of development Mr. Evans organized the Riverside Land and Irrigating Company, and purchased the lands and water rights of the Southern California Colony Association. They also purchased the Hartshorn tract and the land belonging to the Tin Company, thus consolidating under one corporation the whole of the land and water interests of the Riverside valley. They then under- took the perfecting of the grand water system which has been the foundation of the valley's prosperity, and immediately put their lands on the market.
The business portion of the settlement was originally laid out in a square, one mile across, and contained one hundred and sixty- nine blocks of two and one-half acres each. These blocks were divided into lots. and the whole blocks first put upon the market at $300 each, but owing to the slow sale were finally offered at $200 each. Even in 1874, during a dull time, they were sold as low as $250. In the address from which we have quoted the above Mr. Evans says, in regard to the acreage property adjoining the vil- lage, that it was placed upon the market in 1871 at $20 and $25 an acre for the choicest locations, and that the same lands, with water facilities and improvements in the way of orchards and vineyards, were selling in 1897 at from $1,000 to $3,000 per acre; while the village blocks which sold in 1871 at from $200 to $400 each were being sold twenty-five years later at from $10,000 to $20,000, according to
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location. To-day, it is proper to add, single lots in these city blocks are considered a good investment at prices equal to the average amount paid fifteen years ago for an entire city block.
The prophecy of Judge North in his original circular that lands in his colony would sell for $1,000 an acre have thus been more than realized, but not in five years, as he so confidently anticipated. It took fifteen to reach that figure, but in recent years the results have far exceeded his most sanguine hopes. The block bounded by Main and Market and Seventh and Eighth streets was originally laid out as a "plaza" or park, after the Mexican fashion, but this was finally sold for business purposes and the land where White park is now located was given to the public in exchange This change was made when B. D. Burt refused to locate and build the first brick store building unless he should be allowed to erect it upon the plaza, at the corner of Eighth and Main streets.
It was in October, 1870, that Thomas W. Cover (whose mysteri- ous disappearance fifteen years later, when in search of a reputed gold mine upon the desert, excited so much speculation and sympa- thy) began the construction of the first canals which were to provide water in generous quantity to insure the development of the great valley. After many vexatious delays this work was completed. In the meantime Messrs. Shugart, Waite, North, D. C. and A. J. Two- good and others had planted orange and other trees in the spring, and had to haul water from the river, a mile away, for several months, to keep them alive. A. R. Smith divided his time during this season between furnishing the people with meat and hauling that still more necessary article, water, for which he received twenty- five cents a barrel. On the arrival of the water in the canal a little jubilee was held by the settlers. The first water used was upon the block where the Santa Fe station stands. It reached that point late in the afternoon, and two young men who later became prominent citizens, J. G. North and W. P. Russell, rolled up their trousers and spent the entire night barefooted in flooding the block.
The first canal ran along on about the easterly limit of the com- pany's land, where the Santa Fe railroad tracks were afterwards located. For years there were but three or four houses above or east of this canal. On the south the border of the colony was at Jurupa avenue. South of that were three sections of government land, one of which was within the lines of the Southern Pacific rail-
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road grant. Palm avenue, one mile in length, marks the width of this government tract. Settlers soon settled upon this land, and, since it had not been surveyed, occupied it as "squatters." It was, however, carefully surveyed by the company's engineers, and the canal continued to its easterly border. Upon the construction of their own ditches by the government settlers, and connection being' made with the main canal, the company furnished the settlers with water at first upon the same terms as were given those who pur- chased the company's lands. This liberality ultimately led to seri- ous contention and expensive litigation between the settlers and the Land and Irrigation Company, which, some five years later, pur- chased all the unsold lands and water rights, of the original colony. It was natural that the men who had furnished the capital with which to build canals and maintain them should feel that they had a right to require higher rates for water delivered to those who had not purchased land nor water stock than of those who had. The fact, however, that the government settlers had been allowed to use the water for years, aided by legislation secured in their behalf, strengthened their position. But the bitter contest over this matter proved a serious bar to the valley's growth, and an amicable adjust- ment of the differences was finally reached. Many of the settlers ultimately purchased water stock, and from that time on the devel- opment and growth of the valley was assured.
The plans of the original company included three main canals, of which the one actually built was to be the lowest. The second was completed for some miles by Mr. Cover, and the evidences of his work were visible for many years on the mesa where are now the groves and business centre of Highgrove. There was no need of this canal at that time, and in fact no water then available with which to fill it; and when the effort to obtain water was found to involve excessive cost the work was abandoned.
A list of the pioneer settlers and a recital of their experiences in home building in a locality which has since become famous, although necessarily incomplete, seems a proper part of this his- tory, even though much of the matter is personal and comparatively unimportant. The first building erected in Riverside was the Com- pany's temporary office, built in September, 1870, a board and batten affair. It stood within a few feet of where, in January, 1871, Judge North built himself what in time became a cosy, vine-covered home,
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where the settlers often gathered for social enjoyment. These buildings occupied the land between the present Santa Fe and Salt Lake railroad stations.
T. J. Wood's house, which is still to be seen on the north side of Seventh street, near the corner of Vine, was probably the second building erected in the colony. David Meacham immediately after built a dwelling on the spot where the Salt Lake grounds are now located. Rev. I. W. Atherton, the first minister who settled here, and who for some time had charge of the church which later organ- ized as the First Congregational, built himself a dwelling on Four- teenth street, at the end of Main. This building was burned in January, 1873. Mr. Roe is authority for the statement that the citizens generously contributed $800 to enable him to rebuild. Con- sidering the small number of colonists at that time such liberal action was remarkable. Later he traded his new house for the one built by Mr. Meacham on Seventh street, and this was known as the "Atherton house" years after the pioneer clergyman had left Riverside.
During this first year A. R. Smith erected a meat market and restaurant, with living rooms adjoining, on or near the site of the Dickson Block on Main street, and his family occupied it in Decem- ber. On the 31st of March, 1871, there was born to this family a daughter, Jessie Riverside Smith, the first white child born within the limits of the original colony. There was, however, a previous birth in the valley. Capt. John Brodhurst occupied a government claim on the dry land above the canal, which in recent years has been known as the Keyes tract, and on December 6, 1870, his wife gave birth to a daughter. The Brodhurst house and the D. C. Twogood house-also first located on the "dry side"-were among the earliest buildings constructed. In 1871, finding that there was no prospect of getting irrigating water from the second canal, the Brodhursts moved to town, building upon the block where the Salt Lake freight depot now stands. For the same reason Mr. Twogood, in 1872, moved his house and nurseries to the corner of Prospect and Olivewood avenues. In recent years Mr. Twogood sold this place and built himself another house on the opposite corner, where he now resides.
Dr. K. D. Shugart finished his house on the corner of Ninth and Mulberry streets in January, 1871. This is the property now
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owned by Mrs. Maynard. When the new home was ready for occu- pancy he brought his family down from San Bernardino, where they had been staying for a few months. L. C. Waite came with the Shugarts, taking up a government claim at the corner of Centre street and South Brockton avenue, which he subsequently sold to Edwin Hart.
A little cabin was built by a man named Crow, who squatted upon the government land which later came into the possession of E. G. Brown. In this rough shelter Mr. and Mrs. D. C. Twogood lived while their own house was being built. Mrs. Twogood, the first woman resident of Riverside, in later times told many inter- esting stories of the hardships of those first years, but often declared that she was never happier than when pioneering in this makeshift hut, being full of hope and the inspiration of beginning a new enterprise under such strange surroundings.
E. G. Brown built his first house on Colton avenue, on the site of the popular resort known as The Anchorage. Here, when time and labor had transformed the barren looking land into a very bower of flower and foliage the spot was made the center of attrac- tion for the increasing tide of winter visitors. Mr. Brown's family `joined him in the summer of 1872.
George Fish built a house on Vine street about this time, and a Mr. Ross built on Seventh street the little cottage which, later, when it had become so absolutely covered with a luxuriant growth of roses as to attract the admiring notice of the picture makers, became the property of Rev. Dr. George H. Deere, who made it his home in the first years of his life in Riverside. Dr. Sanford Eastman's family came in 1872, but he did not build his home on Dewey avenue until the beginning of 1873.
A. J. Twogood, after helping to locate the colony, returned to Iowa and brought out his family in June, 1871, and resided with D. C. Twogood for a year or two. It was not until the spring of '73 that he built a house for himself, under the shadow of old Pachappa. He had bought the forty acres from M. F. Bixler for $400, and upon this erected one of the most comfortable homes on the "lower plain." This place he made the first of the highly pro- ductive groves of the valley, ultimately selling at a handsome figure to James Hewitson, and afterward making his home in town. William P. Russell came up from San Diego in February, 1871,
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"footing it" with a companion all the way. His uncle, P. S. Rus- sell, who was "Uncle Prior" to many of that name who were among the earlier settlers, did not come until the following year. It was the latter gentleman who started one of the first nurseries in the colony, the other being that of G. D. Carlton. These were located in the neighborhood of what is now Russell street, and it was from these that the larger part of the seedling orange trees were obtained in the boom years of 1876-7. Charles E. Packard built a house on Brockton avenue, about where Homewood place is now located. It was subsequently owned and occupied by Capt. B. B. Handy, and later still by C. A. Tinker. Early in 1871 the small dwelling long known as the Pink house was built by Mrs. Estudillo on the site of the present electric light plant. She was a daughter of Louis Rubidoux and mother of Senator Miguel Estu- dillo. She does not appear to have lived in the house herself, but stimulated by the company's offer of a free lot to any one building within a certain time, she built it as a speculation. Soon after Mrs. Rogers, a widow with two children, opened the first school in River- side in this house, and taught for three months. The building was afterwards temporarily occupied by G. W. Garcelon, Edwin Cald- well, John Thomas and others.
In the summer of 1871 Riverside's first school-house was put up. It was located on the site of the present Sixth street school, and was about 16x24 feet in dimensions. It was not lathed and plas- tered until the fall of 1874, and cost when completed about $1300 The first school trustees were T. J. Wood, Dr. William Craig and Dr. Montgomery. The latter soon moved to San Bernardino and Dr. Shugart was appointed to fill the vacancy. A tax of $800 had been voted to pay for the building, but $200 had been spent in main- taining a three months' school and there were available only $600 with which to make payment. Trustee Wood called a meeting to try to raise the balance required. There was strong opposition, but the company pledged $100 and those present $50 more, and a per- sonal appeal to every property owner in the valley resulted in obtaining a sum sufficient to clear off the debt. This precedent of a liberal provision for schools has always characterized the people of the valley. C. W. Brown, who afterwards went to San Bernar- dino and became a physician, was the first teacher employed. The attendance ranged from ten to twenty pupils during the first year
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of Riverside's life. At the end of the first term L. C. Waite was engaged as teacher, which position he held until the close of 1873. Mr. Waite was at this time the only practicing lawyer in the place, and was for a time justice of the peace. He was succeeded in the management of the school by James H. Roe, the attendance having increased to upwards of forty.
Some time in 1871 a store building was erected on or near the site where S. A. White's Central Block now stands. Here for a time Ben Burchard had a general store, and later Dr. Burke used it as a drug store. In 1875 R. F. Cunningham occupied the build- ing, he in turn giving place to Dr. S. S. Patton, who put in a stock of hardware. A year or two later a larger store building was erected on the site of the Evans building by Charles F. Roe and I. R. Brunn of San Bernardino. It was merely a board and hatten affair, but was for several years the most prominent building on Main street. In it was located the postoffice, Dr. James T. Greves acting as postmaster on a salary of $5 per annum. Here Lyon & Rosenthal kept a large stock of merchandise until, in 1875, the growth of the business led them to build for their own use the brick building on the opposite corner which, after the death of these pioneer merchants, was long occupied by the Hardman Drug Co. and later by the Riverside National Bank.
G. W. Dickson was among those who assisted in building the first canal, but remained but a short time. He, however, returned in 1876 and located permanently in 1877, marrying a Mrs. New- comb, widow of a pioneer of that name. He built a livery barn and corral on the east side of Main street, between Seventh and Eighth, and was conspicuous among those who, a few years later, organized a sort of vigilance committee to put a stop to the depre- dation of the Mexican horse thieves, whose activities made such effort necessary. He recently moved to Los Angeles, but retains property interests here. E. R. Pierce and John Tobias came in '71, the former building where the National Ice Company's plant now stands, and the latter on the corner of Eleventh and Almond streets now occupied by Dr. H. A. Atwood. Frank Petchner was the camp blacksmith when the canal was being built, and soon after its com- pletion put up a shop on Market street about where the Southern Pacific station stands. When Samuel Alder became his partner in 1874 they moved to the present site of the Loring block. The fol-
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lowing year they built a larger shop on the site of the present West- brook block, and it was in this building that the settlers held their first Christmas gathering in 1875, an affair long remembered with pleasure by the participants. The subsequent rapid growth of the settlement made a similar gathering of all the people of the valley for Christmas jollification impracticable.
A. J. Myers, who came in '71, and was for many years the head zanjero of the water company, was a "gun man" from the mining regions, and "toted" a gun regularly on his rounds, much to the annoyance of that numerous and lawless Mexican element having a penchant for horse-borrowing. John Meyer, a Civil war veteran from Indiana, who located in this first year, started a saloon where something stronger than ditch water was dispensed. Some years later he married a native Indian woman named Felicite who was much esteemed by those whom she had faithfully served. From this marriage several children were born who have grown up respected citizens of their native city. One of these, "Jack" Meyer, is the leading catcher of the champion New York National Baseball Club, and has won by his sobriety and ability as an athlete a promi- nence and an income greater than many of our alleged national statesmen have enjoyed. E. J. Southworth built a house in the river bottom north of town, where is now located the popular Elliotta Springs. J. W. Linville built upon a claim north of town, selling in 1872 to Dwight S. Strong, who has resided there ever since, Linville moving to San Bernardino.
Among those who first settled on the mesa south of the arroyo were James D. Clapp, who bought and improved twenty acres between Brockton and Cypress avenues. He finally sold to Samuel A. Ames, who several years later sold and built the fine residence owned in recent years by Dr. Wood. Mr. Clapp built a second resi- dence on the corner of Ninth and Mulberry streets, where he lived for the remainder of his life. The ranch long known as the Rice place, on the edge of the arroyo, was first built upon by a man named Kimball, who died suddenly of hemorrhage of the lungs in 1874. A Mr. Cranz was the next owner, and there lived with him a popular young man named Sherrill, the pair being conspicuous in social circles. A Dr. Emmons built upon the site of the Koethan residence, and Dr. Emory located upon the twenty acres on Cypress (now Magnolia) avenue which has long been the property of J. S. -
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Castleman. Dr. Emory was one of the pioneers who experimented with poppy planting and opium making, as a source of income, but the dry atmosphere proved the unfitness of the climate for profit- able poppy growing. He also started one of the earliest seedling orange tree nurseries, and it was from this that the writer ob- tained, in 1875, some of the best trees planted in Brockton Square.
Beside those already mentioned as having settled upon the "lower plain," as the government tract was then called, were Oscar Traver (whose widow still resides upon the original claim), L. C. Tibbetts, M. F. Bixler, S. D. Stephenson, W. F. Pettit, Dr. Elihu H. Smith, John Thomas, Charles Rouse, Mr. Baker, William Morton, Mrs. Seibold, Dr. William Craig and his son Scipio, Prof. Charles R. Paine, Fred Rowe, J. H. Stewart, and Dudley Pine. Many of these were not permanent residents. Baker and Morton sold their claim to Tibbetts. Thomas soon came to the village. Mrs. Seibold, who was a sister of Professor Denton and Mrs. Cridge, sold to Thomas.
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