USA > California > Riverside County > History of San Bernardino and Riverside counties, Volume I > Part 51
USA > California > San Bernardino County > History of San Bernardino and Riverside counties, Volume I > Part 51
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All honor is due to the memory of those Pioneers whose vision and courage carried them through years of toil and privation. When we recall that there was no line of railway from the East nearer than San Francisco and none to Los Angeles we recognize an heroic quality that believed and labored. All lived to see their vision fulfilled. Judge Brown was fifty years old when he came to begin a new order of life, genial, public spirited, energetic. He would say "if we can grow oranges the railroads will come for them," and so they did.
He died at the age of seventy-three and saw Riverside the largest orange grove in the world-with the "Santa Fe," "Southern Pacific" and "Salt Lake" crossing his own land. Those first families found life a typically pioneer experience, but there was abundant hope and courage and they made it just as pleasant as possible. If we had to ride twelve
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miles in a lumber wagon to buy bread in San Bernardino we regarded it as an "outing" and kept a keen eye for all that was new,-a horned toad, a tarantula, a road-runner and sometimes a coyote trotted along in the track. At night we have heard the cry of a wild cat, it has an almost human sound as if it must be the cry of a small child. A chicken coop had to be brought near the door to save the little ones from the swoop- ing hawks. One day the Indian maid had brought a tiny rabbit in her waist, it hopped about and then disappeared, but next morning it was seen hopping out from under the hen's wing.
We would go over to Spanish town to see the sports on St. John's Day and watch the races. Sometimes we came upon the riders men and girls in their bright and gay trappings, stopping with laughter and evident coquetry to chat as they watered their horses in the broad, shallow river -a vivid picture in a green setting against the background of distant mountains.
A cock would be buried in the ground with only its bobbing head above, then a rider on a keen gallop would sweep down to catch that head which often saved itself by ducking and often was carried off as a prize.
Judge Brown sent for a barrel of Tahiti oranges from San Francisco and Mr. Boyd brought them out from Los Angeles. The seeds were planted and we waited nine and ten years for them to come in, but the splendid specimens of that seedling grove are still in bearing on the Anchorage Estate, yielding in some years 20 boxes to the tree at fifty years of age.
Mr. Warren, a missionary, in making a second visit to us after twelve years said, "When I first came to Riverside it had only a ditch and a future and the future was in the ditch," and so it was, our lands were taken up under the "Desert land act," and "two blades of grass graw where one grew before."
When the land values were considered high at fifty dollars per acre, father would say, "They will go to ($500.00) five hundred dollars per acre." Even that was far below the value they reached, as many have been sold at one, two and even three thousand dollars per acre for par- ticularly choice locations.
CHAPTER XIII A GREAT HIGHWAY
The Riverside Land and Irrigating Company started under new auspices with plenty of capital and new men. Profiting by the experience of the Southern California Colony Association, improvements were made which brightened up the aspect of things.
The water question still remained a bone of contention. Prices of land were put down and also of city lots and blocks. Mr. Rudisill, a man of education and broad ideas, married to a sister of S. C. Evans, was secretary and filled that office for several years. Mr. and Mrs. Rudi- sill, along with A. S. White, a mercantile man from New York, boarded with G. W. Garcelon, a newcomer from the State of Maine here for his health which he recovered, had one of the finest houses on the corner of Seventh and Main streets which house still stands as it was built except for repairs made necessary from damage by fire recently.
While the trio boarder there, their evenings were spent discussing affairs of Riverside and planning what improvements might be made. About one of the first was the improvement of Magnolia Avenue. The idea of an avenue was at first the conception of W. T. Sayward who planned to have one long avenue to be called Bloomingdale Avenue to extend from the base of Temescal Mountains to San Bernardino. This like some other of Mr. Sayward's booming was impossible of accomplish- ment then, although since, improvements in highways have come sug- gested by the introduction of bicycles, motorcycles, but mainly auto- mobiles, aided by State funds.
The main obstacle in the way was the difficulty and cost of the neces- sary right-of-way. For instance, Colton Avenue, now officially named La Cadena Drive, which runs on the line of the Jurupa grant was only laid off fifty feet wide, all because one man thought his land was so valu- able that he could not afford to give any more land for road purposes. Had that occurred in later years and before any roads were laid off, and experience gained by travel, there would have been wide and spacious roads laid off, ample for ordinary travel, and for future contingencies of electric cars etc.
Magnolia Avenue was a new idea in road building. Nothing was known like it in the world. About the only thing anyway like it was, so far as the writer remembers and knows, the Long Walk in England which runs from Windsor Castle into the heart of the Great Forest. It is three miles long and was laid out in the time of Charles Second and William Third. It is a wide avenue straight as a line, bordered on each side by immense beech trees and is noted on account of its length and bordering trees. A fine view of its magnificence can be seen from the top of the castle. This was built for royalty and not for the common people. Here in Riverside we have something greater and for every- body that likes to use it. There was an Alameda or road laid out between Santa Clara and San Jose which was but a narrow road, board- ered with willows, planned by the Mission Fathers. It, too, had been noted but in 1870 when the writer saw it, it was in sad decay.
Probably not one in ten of the citizens of Riverside today know the correct history of Magnolia Avenue. To the few, the sketch here pre- sented will be as a story thrice told; but to the many it will prove an interesting and informing recital, emanating as it does, from the pen of that well-known pioneer, H. J. Rudisill :
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"This grand thoroughfare, both the pride and glory of Riverside, and the pioneer of the many beautiful avenues in Southern California, was laid out in 1875, and the Eastern end of it, some three miles in length, graded and planted with shade trees in 1877.
"The name first selected by Mr. W. T. Sayward, at that time Presi- dent of the Company, was Bloomingdale avenue, but, at the suggestion of Mrs. E. E. Rudisill, the name Magnolia was substituted, and so recorded.
"It commences somewhat abruptly upon what was then the northern boundary of the land of the Riverside Land and Irrigating Company, and about three miles distant from the original plot of Riverside, and would have been extended in a direct line to the heart of the city if the right-of- way, which belonged to private parties, could have been obtained at mod- erate cost, and without litigation.
"The avenue is on a straight line running south 43 degrees west through the lands of the Riverside Land Company, and on the same course through the lands of the South Riverside Company to the Coast Range of mountains, a distance of some fifteen miles from the place of beginning. It is 132 feet wide, and is divided into sidewalks on each side of 20 feet in width, a space of 10 feet for the central row of trees, and two roadways of 41 feet each. Streets 80 feet in width across it at right angles every half mile, and are named after the Presidents of the United States, commencing with Washington at the eastern end of the avenue. (The historical succession was not followed strictly, as Madison instead of Jefferson follows Washington, at the request of the lady already named ).
"The improvement of the older portion of the avenue teaches an old but very valuable lesson, viz., that in union and co-operation there is strength and progress, whereas in the reverse there is weakness and dis- aster. The land having nearly all been sold by the land company to private parties for a distance of three miles, they had but little direct interest in the improvement of this avenue, though retaining considerable land on avenues parallel to Magnolia, and west of the portions sold, yet they offered to pay one-third of the expense of grading and the purchase and planting of three rows of trees, and the care of them one year, and to furnish water for irrigation free, provided the landowners on each side would pay one-third in proportion to their ownership of frontage. The proposition was at once accepted with the result so much admired and praised.
"There is no question that if the company had not made the offer, or had decided not to assist in any manner, or had two or three of the promi- nent owners of land along the avenue refused to do their share, the work would not have been done, and we would have had the old style of country improvement, viz., here a patch of planting and there a blank, according to the ownership, without plan or uniformity.
"The selection of the avenue trees was something of a task, to which A. S. White and the writer gave considerable time. A number of parties were corresponded with in Central and Northern California, in reference to the best trees for the purpose.
"The Lombardy poplar was in use at Anaheim, but no extensive planting of street trees had been done in Southern California. The advice from the North was to plant deciduous trees, for the reason that ever- green trees shaded the roadways too much during the rainy season, pre- venting evaporation, and keeping the roadways muddy. Everything indi- cated that we had so little rainfall at Riverside that we concluded to adopt the evergreens, the pepper for the center, and the blue gum for
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the sides. It was the plan to plant the magnolia largely, but it was found that the climate was not favorable for the rapid growth desired, and they were only planted (except in a few instances) at the intersection of the Presidential streets with the avenues, where the location of the irrigation ditches gave them a greater supply of water. Subsequently the blue gum was found not to be satisfactory, whereupon many were removed, and palms and grevillas substituted. The palm as an avenue tree had not been used in California until it was adopted by Mr. White and others.
"The avenue trees were planted 16 feet apart for the purpose of securing the cheering effect of vegetations as soon as possible, for it must not to be forgotten that they were planted in the midst of a treeless waste, intending that every alternate tree should be removed as soon as the branches interlocked. This should have been done several years ago, and we note with regret that the people are hesitating to do this now (as we fear) to the permanent injury of the trees and the beauty of the avenue.
"We saw recently a pepper tree at Wilmington in a favorable location, with a trunk 4 feet in diameter, and 18 feet to the first branches, and with a spread of top fully 60 feet in diameter. We can readily see what a magnificent improvement it would be to the avenue if such trees could be placed 64 feet apart instead of the dwarf specimens only 16 feet."
The writer, James Boyd, wishes to say that he had the contract for grading the streets and sidewalks, furnishing the trees, planting and care of them for one year, and although the terms of the contract called for a bond for the faithful performance of the work, none was ever required and at the end of the term every tree was alive. The peppers and gums cost 5 cents each in Los Angeles and the magnolias $2 each.
The water question was still an unsettled one and was the cause of considerable friction between the settlers on the Government lands and the company. No matter how willing some of them may have been, and some of them were willing enough to settle, under the law they could not pledge, bond, or encumber their lands, and therefore could not settle. Mr. and Mrs. Rudisill and Mr. White in their evening deliberations finally hit upon a plan which settled the question for all time and set an example which has been followed in all cases since. This was that the water and the land were inseparable and that every purchaser of land was to be given his proportionate share of stock in the company and that when the land was all sold so would the water and it would be in the hands of the users to manage as they saw fit. Under the management of the Southern California Colony Association the water would always remain in its hands the same as a corporation in a large city and would be a source of revenue for all time.
HENRY J. RUDISILL. H. J. Rudisill is one of the few early settlers who by reason of removing from Riverside after a few years of active and useful life has been in a great measure forgotten by the present gen- eration and because most of his contemporaries have, like himself, passed from earthly scenes. It is, however, pleasant to know and remember that Mr. Rudisill always looked on Riverside with pleasing recollections and the knowledge that his wisdom and judgment had been instrumental in solving some of the problems that arose from time to time in a new experiment in community settlement in a far-away and isolated land where nature provided riches in the form of climate, soil and water that only wanted the hand of man to form a terrestial paradise. Mr. Rudisill in after life fully realized that such conditions on the material were also
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favorable to the moral and spiritual growth of those who were privileged to enjoy them.
In all previous histories the part that woman has taken in the founda- tion and development of Riverside has been almost wholly overlooked. As the writer was selected to write this history largely from the part he has taken almost from the foundation when the long weary months of waiting for water was being passed through and certainly from the time when the first few trees, vines, flowers and ornamental shade trees and plants were started, he feels that in the lack of mention of the efforts of women in laying the foundations of the better things that have become a part of Riverside itself, there has been an omission made that is almost inexcusable.
Mr. Rudisill was ably seconded and prompted in some of the best and most desirable features that have become a part of our beautiful city by his wife, E. E. Rudisill, who was a sister of S. C. Evans, and it would seem that the spirit of betterment and improvement of the sur- roundings pertained to the Evans family.
Mr. Evans gives a highly deserved tribute to Mr. Rudisill in a public speech delivered in Riverside, March, 1882, wherein he says:
"The company had been very much indebted to Mr. Rudisill, who had the management from the beginning to July, 1876 (when Mr. Evans himself came in). He started on a broad gauge and liberal scale and with his knowledge of horticulture and peculiar suavity of manner and clever way of pleasing everybody has done much to place Riverside where it is today."
From the time of his residence in Riverside Mr. Rudisill had been active in every enterprise of a public nature. He owned fifty acres at the head of Magnolia Avenue as laid out by the Riverside Land & Irrigating Company, which he improved by planting to oranges and establishing his residence thereon. His position as secretary of the com- pany, which he held for years, gave him excellent opportunity for taking part in public enterprises. Together with others he got up the first citrus fair ever held in Riverside or the world. This fair was held at the residence of G. W. Garcelon in the spring of 1878. This was but a small affair as compared with later fairs, but it was a success and a good advertisement to the rest of the world. To his efforts the spacious pavilion corner Main and Seventh streets, that was afterward erected for fair purposes, was largely due. The pavilion was afterward destroyed by fire. This enabled Riverside to establish citrus fairs, and exhibits of other products that for years formed a leading feature of the effort of Southern California to become better known the world over. In 1885 he in connection with Mr. Bettner constituted the commission from River- side at the World's Fair at New Orleans. San Diego and Riverside were really the only places in California that were able to make any exhibit on a large and competitive scale. This was a complete victory for California and Riverside in particular. Mr. Rudisill was also one of the active incorporators of the Riverside Improvement company and also secretary, which resulted in the introduction of piped artesian water from the eastern side of the San Bernardino Valley to Riverside. He was also the leading spirit in securing the right of way for the Riverside and Santa Ana and Los Angeles Railway Company from the main line of the Santa Fe Railway at Highgrove, running from San Bernardino to San Diego. Pending this union with the Santa Fe, Mr. Rudisill had a plan to build a spur connection between the Santa Fe and Riverside by private enterprise. In all probability this agitation gave us quicker connection with the Santa Fe than we otherwise would have had. This
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railway after its completion was in reality from the start built with Santa Fe capital and by Santa Fe officials, and some time after its completion was merged into and made a part of the Santa Fe system.
Some of the best features introduced into Riverside were the result of the evening deliberations of Mr. and Mrs. Rudisill and A. S. White while spending the winter evenings at Mr. Garcelon's residence.
Mr. Rudisill was a native of Ohio, but spent most of his life in Indiana, where he was educated and filled public office as surveyor, auditor, etc., with credit to himself and advantage to the public. He sold out his home on Magnolia Avenue in 1881 and moved to Los Angeles, where he died some years later.
Mrs. Rudisill at this writing is still living at an advanced age.
CHAPTER XIV
THE WATER SYSTEM
The water system of Riverside is of such an important nature that it deserves a chapter by itself, and in order that the facts may be set before the reader in an intelligible way, the writer has been at considerable trouble and research to get them.
When California was ceded to the United States at the conclusion of the war with Mexico, it was formally agreed that Mexican law should prevail until such time as American laws could be adopted and put in operation where they were in conflict with those of the United States. Irrigation and the use of water was entirely new to the people of the United States, the law of appropriation prevailed, derived from custom through the Moors largely.
The mission fathers introduced irrigation into California, although it was known and practiced in Peru by the native inhabitants on a large scale and also on the North American continent.
The missions were always established in Southern California with a view to irrigation, but there was no attempt at irrigation on a large scale or with the expenditure of large sums of money or labor. In mining, water was largely used for the separation of gold from the sand and gravel and in hydraulic mining water was brought in, at large expense, but as these operations were altogether distinct from irrigation, nothing gained by their experience would be of much use to the irrigator.
Under American law, which carried with it the laws of riparian rights, the appropriation of water from a running stream became in its strictest application an absurdity, especially when we consider that in the Sierra Nevada Mountains on the east side there is no river that empties into the sea or into any river that flows into the ocean. In Southern Cali- fornia on the west side of the Sierras or in the Sierra Madre Mountains, which embrace the Counties of Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange and San Diego, none of the rivers flow into the ocean except in the rainy season. In summer they are all dry and the distance they flow varies according to the time of the year. Still the doctrines of riparian rights is the law and it has been the cause of much inconvenience and expense and the right to water had to be settled in various other ways.
When Riverside was founded the founders appropriated water from the Santa Ana River in the first place, but afterwards, by buying up the Matthews mill at the point where Wann Creek flows into the Santa Ana River, a better water right was obtained subject to some other rights. Agua Mansa was allowed 900 inches and West Riverside 300 before Riverside could get any water according to decisions of the courts at the time that the settlement was made and afterwards by the courts when the ditches and water rights were turned over to the Riverside Water Company.
As intimated in previous chapters, there was always some conflict between the incorporators of the Southern California Colony Association, its successor, the Riverside Land & Irrigating Company, later on the Riverside Canal Company, and the users of water, mainly the settlers on the government lands, which became more pronounced as time went on. until it became almost a personal conflict between Mr. Evans and a con- siderably large faction of the water users, both those on the government and others who had bought lands from the company. Until towards the
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end of the warfare there was great progress made and people came in large numbers and made homes, attracted by the healthfulness and beauty of the climate and the success that was being made in the cultivation of fruit. Raisins especially were extensively made from the many vineyards that had been set out, from the muscat or Alexandria grape. The Navel orange had not attained the prominence that it has since attained, but enough was known from exhibits at the citrus fairs to convince fruit growers that in the Navel we had an orange that in point of beauty of appearance and excellence of quality could not be surpassed, and so it was felt by the people that the success of the colony was an assured fact. With these things in mind, the water question being far from settled, the main point was to have an assurance that a definite quantity of water would be available for all needs.
The organization of the Southern California Colony Association embraced several townships and there were no guarantees that the com- pany would not spread the water over a greater tract of land than was justified by the quantity of water that was available. It was not even known how much water was necessary to irrigate an acre of land in full bearing orange trees, which being evergreen required more water than grape vines or deciduous trees that were leafless and dormant for several months in the year. The struggle was carried into the State Leg- islature and men were sent there whose interests were inimical to those of the Water Company. Measures were introduced which if they could have been passed would have deprived the Riverside Land & Irrigating Company of all their water rights and in a measure confiscated the canals, etc. Fortunately these measures were defeated.
Many of the settlers in the meantime on the government lands having got title to their lands, had made arrangements with the company whereby they agreed to take stock in the company and to pay therefor twenty dollars per acre and consequently they took no active part in the conflict that was going on.
There was, however, the other leading question that finally became the great bone of contention. The water company owned a large tract of land that was to their interest to have irrigated and the problem was where was the water to come from to irrigate those lands-the contention being made that all water if not at the time used would in the course of a few years be required for the lands then planted? The company had spent a large sum of money. In July, 1879, at the time the Riverside Canal Company was formed, it was stated to be for canals and all expenditures in connection therewith $244,885.67. On May 5, 1883, the expenses of running the canals up to that time had, including new work, been $61,874.81, and the total receipts $43,516.61, showing a deficit of $18,126.56, with an additional debt for unpaid water bills of $5,109.11, making a total deficit of $23,235.67.
Laws had been passed in the legislature, a new constitution having been formed in 1879, making the fixing of water rates by boards of supervisors of the various counties using water or in the case of cities by the city authorities compulsory.
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