USA > California > Riverside County > History of San Bernardino and Riverside counties, Volume I > Part 72
USA > California > San Bernardino County > History of San Bernardino and Riverside counties, Volume I > Part 72
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The following by Mr. Webber, in charge of the building operations, director and dean, will give a slight insight into the future at the time it was written and published in May, 1916, and incidentally to say that the promise at this writing has been fully carried out, more recently under the direction of Dr. James T. Barrett, acting dean and director of University of California Citrus Experiment Station.
"While the construction work is in progress plans are being perfected as rapidly as possible for the experimental work. About 125 acres has been prepared and planted in grain this spring to test the uniformity of the soil and get it in condition. About ten acres has already been planted in apricots and pears as a part of a series of experiments on the princi- ples of pruning. This experiment is intended to include also oranges, lemons, walnuts and avocados," as well as other fruits that may from time to time be brought under observation.
"Efficient agriculture requires forethought, planning for next year and the year after and the year after that ; putting a great deal of care- ful, painstaking work today, with no prospect of seeing a tangible result for years to come; looking after an interminable number of details day by day, week by week, month by month, year by year, in expectation of returns so distant in the future as to be beyond the vision of lesser minds. Only the men or races which possess this kind of capacity are capable of efficient industry of any kind."
It will be seen from the above outline that Riverside has made a good start in farm record work and having a greater variety of soils, climate and other conditions for experimental farm work together with a great many of the necessary buildings, would be the logical place to locate a farm school where everything relating to farm and orchard work can be carried on in conjunction and it would only be a waste of money and effort to do otherwise.
CHAPTER XXX RIVERSIDE COUNTY
The history of Riverside County previous to its formation in 1893 is embraced to a great extent in the history of San Bernardino County (prior to the formation), but with some distinctive features that are note- worthy by themselves.
The founding of Riverside marked a distinctive feature in colony set- tlement in California, and was the first effort to induce people to come from their eastern homes and found a new settlement on the Pacific Coast in which not alone the new feature of fruit growing settlements might be inaugurated, but that people whose term of life would be cut short by further residence in the severe and inclement climate of the East, might come here and prolong their lives for a great many years longer than they otherwise would, and not merely prolong their lives, but lead active lives helping lay the foundations of the mighty empire that looms up on the Pacific Coast. Therefore, the statement of the writer that the founding of Riverside was the dividing line between the old and new in California cannot be questioned or successfully controverted. Under the old pastoral idea and rule, under Spanish and Mexican domination, California with its isolated position and lack of means of intercommuni- cation other than by horseback or the Mexican Carita, the long and dangerous trip of months overland, or a half year's trip "round the Horn" California could hardly be other than cut off from the outside world.
The acquisition of California by the United States, the discovery of gold and building of the Panama railroad, were means of calling the attention of the outside world to California and its healthy, mild climate and rich soil, but California was still in a great measure isolated by dis- tance and difficulty of access. We had a treasure as it were lying at our doors without the means of gathering it. And so California remained to a great extent a pastoral country. But wheat, it was found, was a success and a cutting off a great part of the livestock of the country by an extreme drouth, about 1863, turned the attention of land owners to the cultivation of the soil, and about the time of the founding of River- side, there were 1,000 ships engaged in carrying wheat to Europe and eastern seaports every year, and California came to be known as a great wheat growing State. This applied more especially to what is now known as Northen California. Southern California by reason of its greater isolation was in a measure cut off from sharing in this great flow of wheat from the Pacific Coast to eastern and foreign ports. Strange as it may seem so much has the change from grain to fruit taken place, that the California of today with its ten times the population does not now produce grain enough to feed its own population.
Southern California was known during the gold era for its exports of grapes to San Francisco to supply the miners with a craving for fresh fruit, and Southern California benefitted in a degree from the great gold discovery in the North. Southern California wines also helped call the attention of the hardy miners to its wealth, and adaptability to the grow- ing of fruit. The orange was not grown to an extent enough at that time to make much impression on the market, butt enough was known to justify the belief that it could be grown successfully.
The building of the Central and Union Pacific railroad across the continent produced changes that could hardly have been foreseen by the
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most sanguine lover of Southern California. Early in 1870 an excursion was planned for (notwithstanding its greater isolation) Southern California was the favorite on account of its reputed greater salubrity of climate, and also because it was supposed to be better adapted for the growth of the orange and other semi-tropical fruits which began to have attractions for the eastern mind. This excursion was planned to found a colony of fruit growers who settle down and cultivate the soil in small tracts to some of the choicer fruits that were not adapted to the more vigorous climate of the East. How that choice was made, and the founding of Riverside, are told in other columns of this history, and need not be repeated here, but what needs to be empha- sized here is that the founding of Riverside had a marked effect on the development of San Bernardino County. Previous to that time San Bernardino County was in the main an agricultural county first as set- tled by the Mormons and after that by outsiders who came in later. There was enough, however, to show at Old San Bernardino that orange grow- ing was a success, but her great isolation from the outside world pre- cluded any extensive plantings of that variety of fruit. Wine grapes were grown at Cucamonga and Cucamonga wine had a good reputation in the market. In 1871 Congress made a reservation and grant of lands twenty miles on each side of the track of every odd section of land, for what has since been termed the Southern Pacific Railroad. This gave the people of Southern California hope that a railroad would ultimately be built, and it was this hope that encouraged the people of Riverside to settle in what was deemed an out of the way place. This settlement of Riverside gradually changed San Bernardino County from an agricul- tural settlement to a horticultural one, but not until after Riverside had shown that fruit growing settlement could be successful, and prosperous and attract enough money from the outside to make a small tract of land, say from ten to twenty acres of fruit, as valuable as a one hundred and sixty acres devoted to general farming. Under this system Riverside attracted so much population that it was only a question of time when she would almost overshadow and outvote the old county. The building of the Santa Fe in the early eighties, and the completion of the South- ern Pacific, sometime after together with the line of the Southern Pacific from San Francisco to Los Angeles put Riverside within easy communi- cation with the outside world and gave an eastern market for her fruit as soon as she had a surplus. All these things had their influence, giving Riverside an increasing preponderance in county affairs, and but for the fact that other parts of San Bernardino County-Redlands, Ontario, Pomona and other places following the example and success of River- side were also producing fruit. San Bernardino would have had to accept the domination of Riverside in county affairs. Riverside, how- ever, was the great magnet in settlement affairs that began to draw. peo- ple to Southern California. First raisins, and following the raisin closely, the navel orange were drawing attention from the eastern States and Canada to California. Considerable rivalry existed between Riverside and San Bernardino, which finally culminated in the formation of River- side County in 1893. The City of Riverside was incorporated in 1883. Riverside had then local self-government. Almost the first official act in the City of Riverside was the regulation of the saloon and the imposi- tion of a high license, which was very early a very great attraction for people with families who wanted residence in a saloonless city.
Riverside County soon took a first place in Southern California as a progressive county and community, and for public improvements. The city itself was always noted for the high character of her public schools
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as she always had control of them, and from the very start voted extra money voluntarily, and was one of the first places where her High School graduates were admitted to the State University without any further examination. This liberality had a good effect on country schools as well. Roads also received a great deal of attention before the automobile became such a factor, for the betterment of the highways, and today except in one or two isolated instances concrete or macadam oiled roads give easy access to all important parts of the county. There are also mountain resorts away up among the pines that are also provided with good roads, making camping places favorites in the hot weather.
Riverside County has as great a diversity of soil, climate and produc- tions as any county in Southern California. Anywhere from two hun- dred feet below the sea level to the top of San Jacinto, about 11,000 feet above sea level can be chosen for residence purposes and all the fruits of the temperature zone up to a soil and climate in which the date thrives are all grown within the limits of our county, and all of them are grown in sufficient quantity to make them important in the localities in which they are grown. Riverside County apples hold their own with those grown in the most favored places and the Banning almonds and prunes are of the very best. Cherries in the mountains at the proper altitude are equal to those grown further north, while the canneries proclaim the excellence of everything that is canned. Dates are reported to be superior to those grown in Arabia or Northern Africa, and were it not for the difficulty in propagating the best varieties, Riverside County dates would be filling a large place in the markets of the United States.
Riverside County was formed of portions of San Diego and San Ber- nardino counties, and comprises nearly 5,000,000 acres more than half of which is mountainous and desert, much of the desert susceptible of reclamation by water.
The eastern part of the county extends to the Colorado River, a por- tion of it being part of the bed of the Gulf of California lying below the sea level and all of the eastern portion begin known formerly as part of the Colorado desert almost impassable in the heat of summer from lack of water and extreme heat. There are also some very rich lands on the Colorado River lying between San Bernardino and Imperial counties, which in some places are subject to overflow in high water in the Colo- rado River, but which will be remedied when the waters of the river are impounded higher up for reservoir and power purposes. These over- flowed lands are well adapted to cotton, various varieties of corn, melons, early vegetables and fruit, and will carry a very dense population when fully occupied. Their distance from market has heretofore been a drawback through lack of facilities for transportation, but there is no reason why, when the flow of the Colorado River is regulated at certain seasons of the year, the Colorado River may not be used for conveyance of crops and produce by way of the Panama Canal. although Congress has pronounced the Colorado River more useful for irrigation than for navigation. The production of the various localities of Riverside County will be given in greatest detail when each locality is given due notice.
Riverside as a county of itself was never contemplated or thought of by the early settlers or by its founders. The apparent scarcity of water at that time being only gauged by what was seen running in what few streams there were to be seen, the Santa Ana River being the aggre- gate of the flow from all the mountain canyons did not justify any great anticipations or expectations from that source. Experience in Los Angeles did not justify any great expectations where a few of the lead-
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ing irrigators claimed that there was not more water in the Los Angeles River than was required by them.
Artesian water was found in the basin of the San Bernardino Valley but not at that time in sufficient quantity to justify expectations that it would be an imporant auxiliary in irrigation, not to speak of a supply of piped water under pressure to supply a large rural city with domestic water. Spring Brook was always looked as a reserve when the time would come in which it would be needed. Pumping water for irrigation in the absence of cheap fuel and lack of improved pumping machinery was not to be thought of, neither was the building of storage reservoirs in the mountains thought of.
Matthew Gage first showed the reserves underground in artesian water in wells that at first flowed 200 or more inches and with force enough to bring boulders weighing several pounds to the surface. F. E. Brown, of the firm of Judson & Brown, built Redlands on the strength of the Bear Valley reservoir. Repeated tapping of the underground res- ervoir lessened the force of the current and in some cases dried up on higher ground, but again the Water Conservation Association replenished the underground supplies by running the surplus winter run of water on to the great gravel beds at the mouth of the Santa Ana River and by impounding dans and checks of various kinds, the destructive floods arising from our mountain stream's will be entirely prevented and the water stored for use in time of need.
No one could have anticipated that Los Angeles would go for hun- dreds of miles and get thousands of inches of water from the Sierra Nevada Mountains with incidentally light and power enough for a great manufacturing city, use it all and look for more. But that is a part from Riverside County.
Practically all of the Riverside water came from the Santa Ana River and the Santa Ana Valley. Politically there was more or less fric- tion between San Bernardino democrats and Riverside republicans almost from the start which, as Riverside increased in population, helped by newcomers in San Bernardino, to a great extent changed the politics of the old county. As fruit trees came to bear, Riverside began to be rich and to be a fruitful field for taxation when a ten or twenty-acre fruit ranch was about as valuable for taxation as a good big farm. Under the law, San Bernardino, through its Board of Supervisors, had the fix- ing of the water rates. Riverside had one supervisor to San Bernardino's four and the rates were fixed against the corporation as against the "poor man" at a rate that was not equitable as viewed from modern experience. Again San Bernardino favored saloons, while Riverside opposed them. Every saloon paid revenue to San Bernardino and any- one could get a license to sell liquor who was willing to pay the tax, which was low. Under that system Riverside had at one time four saloons. This was in the olden time before the state authorities enacted some regulation by which the people could help themselves.
Again Riverside was a rich field for taxation and from this arose the first idea of county division. There were, however, some differences arising from the fact that the water for Riverside came from the San Bernardino Valley, although these difficulties were more prospective than real, increasing more and more as time went on and until the state passed laws which prevented discrimination.
San Bernardino wanted a new courthouse, at least some of those in authority did, although the sentiment of the county was opposed to it at that time, but the authorities went ahead nevertheless. At the same time the valuation of property was increased in Riverside and diminished in San
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Bernardino and in a measure San Bernardino asked Riverside what she was going to do about it. Riverside citizens did not like this highhanded way of being treated and a public meeting was called at which the idea of county division was advocated and a committee of leading citizens was appointed to go to the State Legislature, asking for county division on certain lines that would take part of San Bernardino and part of San Diego counties and form a new county to be called Riverside County. At the session of the Legislature of 1891 for lack of time and on account of the active opposition of San Bernardino County the measure failed to pass. San Diego did not oppose the measure as the part proposed to be taken lav so far from San Diego that residents going to San Diego had to come through Riverside in order to get to San Diego, the county seat. San Bernardino fought county division bitterly to the end but the Legis- lature of 1893 passed the measure, many of those opposing in 1891 favoring the measure in 1893.
The reasons given for the division in favor of Riverside were stated briefly as follows: In June, 1891, the Board of Supervisors of San Ber- nardino County called an election to vote $350,000 in bonds with which to build a new court house. Although this proposition was voted down, the Board of Supervisors defied public sentiment and expended nearly $100,000 for a new court house, increasing the annual rate of taxation to obtain this sum from $1.60 to $2.00 on the $100. This so incensed the voters outside of San Bernardino's influence that the Board of Supervisors again called an election in June, 1892, to vote $250,000 in twenty-year bonds for the completion of the court house, which was also defeated by an immense majority. But the supervisors (three of the five) continued their defiance of public sentiment by pushing forward the work on the court house. Not only so, but they furthermore reduced the assessed valuation of the county seat from $4,487,585 in 1889 to $4,008,- 453 in 1892, while increasing the valuation of the rest of the county $3,500,000. An increase was made in the assessment of nearly every section of the county that had voted against the bonds, Riverside being marked for especial retaliation in an increased assessment of 50 per cent. This discrimination was so apparent and marked that it could only have happened by premeditated design. The obvious justice of Riverside's case was so apparent that it won friends not only in Sacramento, but in the section of San Diego County which it was proposed to incorporate in the new county.
The bill passed the Legislature by a large majority and was signed by Governor Markham March 11, 1893.
The act required the approval of the people concerned and under the direction of a special committee named by the governor to carry out the diction for a new county, the measure was adopted by a vote of 2.277 for and 681 against the new county, the county seat being fixed at Riverside by a vote of 2,140 for Riverside and 459 for Menifee, with 70 votes scattering. The new county started out with an assessed val- uation of $12.309,250 and a tax rate of $1.85. The total valuation in 1921 was $50,837,731, showing a healthy growth.
The county got along for several years in rented quarters, but after a time bought the two and a half acre block between Main and Orange streets and between Tenth and Eleventh streets where the present court house and jail now stand. In point of beauty and convenience it is not excelled by any county building in the State.
Among the first acts of the Board of Supervisors was an ordinance prohibiting the liquor traffic within the limits of the County of Riverside. This policy has always been maintained and in spite of affirmations of
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opponents of the National Volstead Act no support of any consequence could be got for any repeal or modification of the act in Riverside County.
Under the provisions of the act creating the county, San Bernardino County had to make a settlement with Riverside County on all public buildings and works.
The bitterness arising out of the creation of the County of Riverside was kept up for several years, gradually dying out until now the two counties are co-operating in the conservation and distribution of water and in the annual fairs held by each, Riverside with its Southern Cali- fornia General Fair and San Bernardino with its annual Citrus Fair, co-operate and support each other in every way that is helpful and find that it is much more profitable to work together than to qurrel.
No settlement has ever been able to build itself up by pulling another down.
Vol. 1-35
HEMET VALLEY EAST FROM PARK HILL
CHAPTER XXXI
COMMUNITIES
HEMET. Hemet is almost one of the show places of Southern Cali- fornia, not on account of being the residence of millionaires, but because she chose to settle down on the dry and arid plains east of Riverside, and near the base of the San Jacinto Mountains and make a garden of Eden studded with homes of workers-of those who make their living by the toil of their hands from the fruits of the earth.
There is a very pretty legend in connection with the name Hemet, which is given here because in our prosy everyday life we are very apt to forget that life ought to be a paean of joy and will be when we fully realize what perfect climate and perfect health are able to do for us.
Hemet was named after Hemica, an Indian maiden who turned her back upon her contentious lover at the foot of the North Fork Falls. The legend does not say further about Hemica, but it is safe to say that a maiden who was so bold as to turn her back on her recalcitrant lover would be able to get what she wanted.
Hemet was fortunate in having a clean field to build her foundation on, for she had nothing to sweep away. Under the American occupation, the Hemet plains made excellent sheep pasture in the winter and early summer months, for the Basque shepherds who followed their flocks there and in the early years of settlement of Riverside County, hauling the wool to Los Angeles was a source of revenue to some who were waiting patiently for returns from their orchards and vineyards.
Part of the Hemet tract comes within the range of artesian water, but most of it lies high and dry, much of which is in the warmer belt suitable for orange groves. The settlement of Hemet with a present population of 5,000 lies high and dry above the reach of overflow in rainy seasons and has the rich, sandy loam which makes the ideal fruitland of Southern California. This also insures clean roads at all times, and until greater traffic requires the modern macadam or concrete with a dressing of oil. An altitude of 1,600 feet makes almost an ideal sum- mer climate and gives a milder winter climate.
The Hemet people say "Hemet is a farmer's town and has no ambi- tions beyond that." But that ambition does not do it full justice, for it is utterly unlike the average unattractive "farmer's town" of the Mid- West. It is difficult in Hemet to tell just where the town leaves off and the country begins, for the two are very much alike. For instance, Hemet is surrounded by fruit orchards merely a continuation of the groves in town. The town has no monopoly on paved streets, electric light and power, water or gas-these are all available on farms through- out the valley. Likewise the valley is laid out in a uniform system of blocks of 10 acres and more, with streets marked and named at inter- sections.
And the Hemet farmer fruitgrower or stockraiser takes a keen interest in community affairs-there is an absolute spirit of co-operation between town and country that is of itself one of the most striking and unique examples of what may be accomplished, that is known in California. As a result of this tolerant and progressive spirit, the Hemet Valley Cham- ber of Commerce today has the largest active membership of any town of its size in America. And unlike many similar worthy organizations its work deals largely with practical everyday affairs that have to do with
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