Raincross Square

1926
Newly-built Potter Hotel
(Courtesy of Peter Weber)

c.1926
Potter Hotel postcard


2008
White Park Building


2010
Architectural details

Above is a 1926 photo of the then newly-built Potter Hotel located on the southeast corner of Market Street at Ninth Street in downtown Riverside.

The photo comes to us courtesy of Peter Weber, son of Peter J. Weber who was the chief designer for the Riverside architectural firm of G. Stanley Wilson. Both Weber and Wilson played a role in many of Riverside's significant buildings of the early- to mid-1900s, including portions of the Mission Inn. (We have a few other photos graciously supplied to us by Weber that we hope to spotlight in the coming months.)

Built by Sidney E. Potter of Stahlman and Potter Construction Company, the Potter Hotel was one of several similarly-sized hotels built in downtown during the early 1900s. Its architecture appears to be a mixture of Spanish and Italian Renaissance with a hint of Beaux Arts thrown in for good measure. An excerpt from the book "Riverside in Vintage Postcards," states "it is more like a home than a hotel ... every room [has] a bath, fine light, and ventilation." And indeed, as the postcard to the right suggests, "Air Cooled" was a big selling point for the hotel.

Over the years, the building also housed various businesses, beginning with the Citrus Belt Building and Loan Association in 1926 (which may have been an early forerunner to Citrus Belt Savings & Loan). And according to the 1955-56 Criss-Cross directory for Riverside, the building had already been renamed as the White Park Building. Tenants at the time included Watts-Laivell General Insurance and attorneys S. Thomas Bucciarelli, Rex Estudillo (3900 Market), L.B. Mathis Realtor (3910 Market), Fox Beauty Salon (3930 Market), Potter Hotel (3940 Market), David Miller Realtor (3942 Market), First Thrift of California (3944 Market) and Fairman & Company Brokers (3946 Market).

By 1967, the building's southern portion had been replaced with a small parking lot (we're uncertain as to when and unclear as to why). Today, the remaining building is still known as White Park Building with Riverside Mission Florist as its primary (and longtime) tenant.

Sources: Riverside Public Library, "Riverside in Vintage Postcards" (Steve Lech), "Riverside - Then & Now" (Glenn Edward Freeman), 1955-56 Criss-Cross City Directory

2010
3750 Main Street - former Franzen / Westbrook's / Imperial hardware stores

c.1936
Westbrook's Hardware


1966
Pedestrian Mall


2002
Imperial Hardware


2007
Removal of Imperial false-front


2011
Preparing to enter


2011
Level one


2011
Rickety stairs to level two


2011
Level two


2011
Damaged ceilings


2011
Ladies' lounge wallpaper


2011
"Westbrook's"


2011
Basement


2011
Freight elevator

What does one find upon entering a building that's been out of public use for much of the past 40 years? A few weeks back, we were lucky enough to find out as we ventured along with fellow Old Riverside Foundation members into the long-shuttered Franzen / Westbrook's / Imperial hardware building at 3750 Main Street. Allowing us access and helping lead the tour were several officials with the city of Riverside, including Carl Carey, Emilio Ramirez, Robert Wise, Erin Gettis and councilmen Mike Gardner and Andy Melendrez.

The structure itself dates back to at least 1900 when Franzen Hardware opened its doors. Owned by Henry and Chris Franzen, the store was later sold in 1921 to R.H. Westbrook, whose family had become partners with the Franzen's in 1908. Following a 1935 fire that wiped out most of the stock, the building was refurbished, restocked and renamed Westbrook's Hardware. Part of the post-fire remodeling included the Art Deco façade visible today.

In September 1959, Westbrook's was sold to El Centro-based Imperial Hardware Co., a small chain of 14 hardware and housewares stores in Southern California, this according to an article in the Riverside Press. City permits indicate Imperial covered up the Westbrook's façade in 1964 with a modern false-front -- a common practice at the time. Imperial remained until 1972 before relocating to the then relatively new Tyler Mall (where it lasted for a short period).

For whatever reason, a replacement tenant for the old building never materialized. As such, Imperial's sleek metal front remained intact until June 2007, when its removal re-exposed the impressive 1930s Art Deco façade.

Upon signing waivers, grabbing flashlights and donning hard hats, it was time for us to explore the dark and mysterious interior. What would we find? How bad was its condition? Was anything salvageable?

On level one, we immediately noticed lots of dust and debris and what appeared to be various amounts of stored items (more on this later). As we lumbered around, we saw that the 2-level plus basement structure was comprised of two buildings unified into a single store. A large central wall separated the two nearly-equal parts, with cutouts allowing passage between the northern and southern sections.

Along the main wall in the middle of the northern section was an L-shaped stairway to the basement. Nearby, a small passenger elevator waited patiently, call buttons still intact. Tucked in the corner at the back was a freight elevator. Another stairway, this one heading up to level two, stood crumbling close by. Its heavily soiled carpet indeed had seen better days.

The building contained two more stairways: a third in the northern section just inside the building's main entrance, which headed directly to the basement; and a fourth -- the only stairway in the southern section -- leading up to a small mezzanine level in the back. Decorative metal railing lined it and the mezzanine's balcony.

After our initial surprise of actually being inside the building wore off and our eyes gained traction in the dark, realization that the interior had suffered serious neglect over the past 40-plus years was quite evident.

Throughout, the floor was covered in dust and debris -- and yes, a fair amount of bird excrement. Hanging down in several spots was water damaged ceiling tiles. Front window casements on level two looked old and tired. A room on the same level had large holes in the roof exposing the sky above. And while some lighting fixtures were present, none appeared ready to illuminate our tour.

In general, both the basement and level two were free of large items. Support poles and crumbling debris -- particularly on level two -- provided much of the scenery. However, the ground level contained fair amounts of stored items. Everything from old office equipment, furniture and décor to aging bankers boxes stuffed with business records, some of which had escaped and now littered the floor.

An unexpected discovery was various items for Woodhaven Development (one | two), a once mighty Riverside home builder. (It's believed the building at one time had been owned by David Miller of Miller's Outpost fame and Woodhaven.)

Probably one of the most curious finds was a 12-inch, encircled "W" inlaid on the floor immediately in front of the passenger elevator on level two. No doubt this logo stood for Westbrook's.

Elsewhere, a few other surprises greeted us. On level two was what appeared to be the former "Appliance" section, with decorative mid-century lattice. Also on level two was the ladies lounge / restroom, which looked probably as it did 40 years earlier, with most fixtures and décor still in place including sinks, toilets and Victorian style wallpaper (one | two). (On a related note, remnants for at least seven styles of wallpaper were present in the building, including one | two | three.)

In the basement, we noticed blackened bricks along the southern wall, likely from the 1935 fire that destroyed much of what was then Franzen's Hardware. Next, we stumbled upon a Lamson pneumatic tube system likely dating from the 1930s. Attached to a support pole were two tubes that emptied into a metal basket. The tubes followed a ceiling beam toward the rear, possibly ending up in the southern section's mezzanine level.

Affixed to the same support pole next to the tube system, we found a typed phone listing with extensions for the once vibrant departments: Hardware, Appliances, Furniture, Carpet, Drapery, Housewares, China, Sporting Goods, Credit and Delivery. Scribbled nearby were a few old Riverside "OVerland" exchange phone numbers as well as the address for Lindgren's Hardware (which is still doing business on Brockton Ave.). Lastly, our flashlights spotted a near-mint price tag for Imperial Hardware Co. hanging from a nail, adding context to our other finds.

Overall, it seems the tour left most of us scratching our heads wondering why the building had been left to essentially rot for 40 years. Undoubtedly, lots of cleanup was needed. But was there anything worth grabbing? Yes indeed. And was the interior itself salvageable? Probably not.

And though we understand various redevelopment plans have been floated in recent years, we're hopeful the city -- which now owns the building -- will find a compatible re-use for it. Certainly, incorporating the building's shell into any new pedestrian mall friendly development seems plausible, and in fact, even warranted considering it's probably the best Art Deco façade remaining in Riverside.

Related

• Old Riverside Foundation


• City of Riverside - Development Department - Historic Resources

Previous

• RaincrossSquare.com - Peeling back time (June 2007) | Then & Now - Main at Mission Inn (March 2007) | Out & About - 09/16/2006 (Sept. 2006)

Sources: City of Riverside, The Press-Enterprise, Riverside Public Library, "Riverside in Postcards" (Steve Lech), "Riverside - Then & Now" (Glenn Edward Freeman)

Holiday Traffic by :KayEllen

Flickr - Raincross Square photo pool

Got a great photo of downtown Riverside or the city in general? Add it to the Raincross Square photo pool. Or view what others have uploaded.

2011
Hunter Hobby Park

2011
New station


2011
Arriving passengers


2011
Riding the rails


2011
New playground

Saturday morning marked the public reopening of Riverside's Hunter Hobby Park following nearly $7 million in renovations for one of the city's most unique parks. The reopening also means the public is once again invited to "ride the rails" with the Riverside Live Steamers.

Along with a new (and relocated) train station, the completely refurbished park includes two new lighted ballfields, basketball courts, children's playground, grassy knolls and walking paths, restroom facilities and expanded parking. We especially liked the train station fencing and the installation of two refurbished neon signs that were saved from the Magnolia Avenue railroad underpass project.

Located in northeast Riverside, the 40-acre park began life in the late 1950s as an adjunct "backyard" of sorts to local engineer -- and steam train enthusiast -- Joseph L. Hunter, who laid track down for a personal, small gauge steam engine. The track, which was initially 4,300 feet in length, soon began attracting other train enthusiasts.

Joseph and his brother Edwin started Hunter Engineering. The company was a pioneer of several key, industry-leading patents in the manufacturing of aluminum products (and is now part of worldwide Hunter-Douglas).

Following Joseph's death in 1965, the the park was donated to the city of Riverside, which set up a partnership with local train enthusiasts. Formed in 1966, this all-volunteer group -- Riverside Live Steamers -- immediately began operating, maintaining and expanding the facilities.

Today, with over 10,000 feet of track with several switchable configurations, the club includes both private- and city-owned, 7 1/2 gauge (1/8-sized) engines, with the overriding requirement being "steam-only." The club provides free rides on the 2nd and 4th Sundays each month.

Previous

• RaincrossSquare.com - Riding the rails at Hunter Hobby Park (Jan. 2009)

Related

• Riverside Live Steamers

Sources: Riverside Live Steamers, The Press-Enterprise, City of Riverside

2011
University of California at Riverside

A short visit to UC Riverside on Friday afforded us some time to take a few photos.

Initially established at the base of Mount Rubidoux in downtown Riverside in 1907, the seeds for present-day UCR began when the Citrus Experiment Station -- forerunner to UCR -- relocated a few miles east to the base of Box Springs Mountain in 1918.

In 1948, the University of California Regents voted to fund planning and designs for the formation of a liberal arts college in Riverside. In 1954, the new campus -- dubbed the "Swarthmore of the West" -- began accepting students. In 1959, its mission was expanded and UCR was declared a general campus of the UC system. In 1960, the University's Graduate Division was established.

In October 1966, UCR's signature "bell tower" was dedicated*. The 161-foot tower -- one of only five true carillons in California -- was designed by the noted architectural firm of A. Quincy Jones and Frederick E. Emmons (one* | two*). The tower's 48 chromatically-tuned bells* located at the top were cast by Paccard Foundry of France.

Today, UCR hosts nearly 20,000 students in a park-like setting spread over 1,200 acres in northeastern Riverside.

Related

• UC Riverside


• UCR - Carillon Tower

2011
Carillon Tower
and Rivera Library

2011
Pierce Hall and
Science Labs

2011
Psychology

2011
Sproul Hall

2011
The "HUB"

2011
Carillon Tower

* Courtesy of UC Riverside

Sources: UC Riverside

2011
Final preparations for the
Mission Inn (top) and the ice rink


2009
Main Street near the Mission Inn

The 19th Annual Festival of Lights is set to begin Friday afternoon (Nov. 25) in downtown Riverside, with the official "switch-on" ceremony & fireworks taking place just after 5:00 p.m. in front of the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa. (Be sure to arrive early for the opening night ceremony!)

Each year, thousands of visitors gather in and around the Mission Inn and along the downtown pedestrian mall for the daily festivities, which includes 3.6 million holiday lights, 400 animated figures -- one of the country's largest holiday displays.

Roving carolers, carriage rides, an ice rink, live entertainment, shopping, dining and -- of course -- photos with Santa round out the festivities.

This year's Festival runs daily from November 25 through January 8, 2012 (excepting Christmas).

As usual, free parking (street and garage) is available after 5 p.m. on weekdays and all day on the weekends and holidays. Your best bet is within five parking garages:

• Two identical Orange Street garages: near Mission Inn | near University
• Two Ninth Street garages: at Orange | at Market
• One Market Street garage: between University and Mission Inn

You can also check out activity via two city webcams: Mission Inn | Skating Rink

Related

• City of Riverside - Festival of Lights | Parking info
• Mission Inn - Festival of Lights

Hurkey Creek, Crestmore Manor, Lake Skinner, Idyllwild Park, Box Springs Mountain and Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Preserve -- six of the 20 varied parks, museums, recreational and nature centers of Riverside County covered in a new book by local historian Steve Lech.

More Than a Place to Pitch a Tent
(Steve Lech)

The 150-page, hardcover book -- "More Than a Place to Pitch a Tent" -- tells the stories behind Riverside County's major regional parks, with background information on how they came to be and how they were named. Numerous color and B&W photos from the past and present help illustrate the histories. Steve also delves into the insights and backgrounds for the six directors of the county's Parks Department following its creation in 1960 (it was previously administered as part of the county's Road Department).

In the book are several Riverside-area parks, including Box Springs Mountain Preserve, Hidden Valley Wildlife & Nature Center and Martha McLean - Anza Narrows Park. Steve points out that all three had been threatened by development pressures before becoming incorporated into the county's parks system.

Of particular interest to us is the background of Hidden Valley. The park, which straddles the Santa Ana River in northwestern Riverside near Norco, had been an upscale gun/hunt club from about 1957 until the early 1970s. Members included Clark Gable, Ernie Kovacs, Roy Rogers, Lawrence Welk, Les Richter and Jimmy Doolittle. Today, the old clubhouse serves as the park's nature center.

We also found intriguing the stories behind Lake Skinner near Temecula, Bogart Park in Beaumont, Lawler Lodge near Idyllwild and Crestmore Manor in Jurupa Valley. Crestmore, with its stately home,* was built for Los Angeles restauranteur and thoroughbred horse breeder Tiny Naylor (yes, of Googie coffee shop** fame). Unknown to us prior to reading the book was that noted Riverside architect Herman O. Ruhnau (Riverside City Hall) was the designer of Crestmore.

Steve is the president of the Riverside Historical Society and author of several local history books, including "Riverside: 1870-1940" and "Riverside in Vintage Postcards," both from Arcadia Publishing. Most impressive is "Along the Old Roads," Steve's in-depth book on early Riverside County history and the factors behind its formation. The book is a must-have reference for local historians.

Most of Steve's books can be found at local museums and some bookstores. You can also visit his history blog for contact info on purchasing the books.

Previous

• RaincrossSquare.com - Bookshelf: Riverside's Invisible Past (Dec. 2010) | A look at local history books (Dec. 2009)

Related

• Riverside County History and More


• Riverside Historical Society

* Courtesy of Riverside County Regional Park and Open Space District
** Courtesy of Yesteryear Remembered

Sources: "More Than a Place to Pitch a Tent" (Steve Lech)

2011
Forever 21 - Galleria at Tyler, Riverside
Photo Gallery: The Broadway / Macy's / Forever 21

Following 5 years of vacancy -- and several months of renovation work -- the former Broadway / Macy's department store at Riverside's Galleria at Tyler mall is once again occupied.

Last weekend, the doors to the distinctive building reopened as Forever 21 relocated its smaller inline mall store into the much larger pad located at the north end of the enclosed center.

October 1970
The Broadway
(Courtesy of Jim Van Schaak)


2006
Macy's


2011
Mall entrance


2011
First level


2011
Second level


2011
North entrance

We're glad to see the building back in use. As we've previously stated, the building's cantilevered (one | two)* style of architecture showcases department store design from a now bygone era. Designed by Los Angeles-based architectural firm of Charles Luckman & Associates, the 164,000 sq. ft. store originally opened as The Broadway in 1970 as part of the then newly-built Tyler Mall.

For 26 years, The Broadway nameplate remained atop the iconic 3-story building. It was replaced by Macy's in 1996 after Federated Department Stores acquired Carter Hawley Hale Stores (parent company of The Broadway). In 2006, Federated again acquired a competing chain, this time May Department Stores. The acquisition resulted in Macy's relocating into the Galleria's freeway-friendly Robinson's-May building, leaving the former Broadway pad vacant -- until last Saturday.

This past July, Los Angeles-based Forever 21 began remodeling the vacant building. After seeing a similar move two years earlier by F21 into the former Harris' / Gottschalks department store at Riverside Plaza, we were a bit unsure what to expect. That particular "remodel" appeared to be not much more than carpet cleaning, a few splashes of paint and some signage. Passable, but certainly not a full makeover.

However, results at the Galleria remodel are remarkably different. On the outside, the building looks as good as ever. All three exterior entrances were remade, including a sleek makeover of the north entrance, which essentially turned the space into a large window display (something sorely missing in today's retail environment).

The interior remodel includes a clean and crisp design with touches of old-school department store flair. Though somewhat sparse in the middle sales floor areas, the makeover retained much of the former Broadway's "department store" partitions, particularly on the second floor.

Overall, we're pleasantly surprised with the makeover. The most jarring aspect was the remodeling of the escalator bank. The new look completely opened up the space by removing interior walls that had partially enclosed the escalators. Gone is the overhead lighting and interesting 1970s tiling that once lined the escalator walls. But more interesting is the disappearance of the escalators to the third floor. Published reports indicate F21 is occupying 106,000 of the building's 164,000 square feet, which begs the question -- what's going on up on level three?

Also unclear is how space for the former California Room restaurant that was part of the original Broadway store (and for which exterior windows are still visible) is being used. It's possible it may have been gutted under Macy's reign, but we're not sure.

In addition to the "missing" third floor, one other missing aspect left us scratching our heads. As part of its grand opening in 1970, The Broadway had placed a time capsule just outside the north entrance. For years, shoppers walked atop a metal plaque exclaiming that it was to be opened in 100 years (2070). However, as part of the remodeling of the north entrance, the time capsule is now gone. Where did it go? And what was in it?

Finally, yet to be answered is what will become of the Forever 21 currently at the Riverside Plaza. Speculation has F21 not renewing their lease for the former Harris' / Gottschalks building across town, which is said to expire in September 2012. And based upon the much more permanent makeover given to the Galleria store, that outcome seems likely.

And if so, what would happen to the Plaza building? Relocating Riverside's stand-alone Sears could be one option (though that could then leave the Charles Luckman & Associates designed Sears building in peril). But with fewer traditional department stores around these days, other options -- including demolition -- are possible.

However, we suppose the building's 204,000 square feet could entice a large, non-department store retailer the likes of Ikea, which could be a good fit. The Swedish retailer has no Inland locations and has previously refurbished a former 3-story department store at a Carson mall in Los Angeles County. So maybe doing the same at Riverside Plaza is indeed plausible?

Photo Gallery: The Broadway / Macy's / Forever 21

Previous

• RaincrossSquare.com - Then & Now - Galleria at Tyler: Part One (Aug. 2007) | Then & Now - Galleria at Tyler: Part Two (Aug. 2007) | 'North Village' opens at Galleria (Dec. 2007) | Then & Now - Sears (May 2009) | (Harris') Gottschalks gone (July 2009) | Forever 21 at Riverside Plaza (Aug. 2009) | Postcard: Harvest House at the Tyler Mall (April 2010) | Riverside's Galleria at Tyler mall turns 40 (Oct. 2010) | Work begins on vacant Broadway at Galleria at Tyler (July 2011)


• Flash: The Broadway (1970) to Macy's (vacant/2006)


• Photo Gallery: Galleria at Tyler

Related

• Galleria at Tyler


• Riverside Plaza


• Forever 21

* Courtesy of Jim Van Schaak

Sources: Riverside Public Library, The Press-Enterprise, Los Angeles Times, General Growth Properties, WikiPedia

Mission Inn Restaurant by isayx3

Flickr - Raincross Square photo pool

Got a great photo of downtown Riverside or the city in general? Add it to the Raincross Square photo pool. Or view what others have uploaded.

@1975
3333 Arlington Avenue
(Courtesy of Daniel Balboa / Riverside Fire Dept.)

@1970
Gemco advertisement
(Courtesy of Gemco-Memco)


A typical late 1960s / early 1970s
Gemco storefront
(Courtesy of Gemco-Memco)


@2010
3333 Arlington Avenue
(Google Maps)


Sept. 2011
3333 Arlington Avenue


Nov. 2011
3333 Arlington Avenue

Currently undergoing an extensive remodel, 3333 Arlington Avenue is one of three Riverside locations for retail giant Target.

City permits indicate the building was originally built in 1970 for Gemco membership department stores. The value for the original 99,200 square-foot building was listed as $950,000. The architect was listed as Maxwell & Starkman Associates and the contractor as Ernest W. Hahn (who also built Riverside's original Tyler Mall).

A 4,365 square-foot gas station valued at $40,000 was also permitted in 1970. Located at the western edge of the property next to McMahon Street, the address for the station was listed as 3335/7 Arlington Avenue. A city permit was issued in 1995 to demolish the station. (The site is now used for parking.)

City permits indicate the adjacent retail strip -- Arlington Square -- on the eastern edge of the Arlington Avenue property was built in 1977.

Established in Anaheim in 1959, Gemco was acquired by Lucky (grocery) Stores in 1962, which expanded the chain throughout California, Nevada, Arizona and into Houston, Texas. The company also opened stores under the Memco banner in the Washington D.C. and Chicago areas.

In October 1986, Lucky Stores closed its Gemco division, selling 54 of the chain's 80 stores to Dayton-Hudson (Target Corp.). In 1987, Dayton-Hudson used the acquisition of the former Gemco stores -- including the Arlington Avenue building -- to expand its Target chain.

The Arlington Avenue Target was the second Riverside location for the Minneapolis-based chain. The first, located at 3520 Tyler Street, opened in 1983 (along with its then sister store, Mervyn's) in the former Treasury discount store building. The third location -- a newly constructed building located at 2755 Canyon Springs Parkway -- opened in 2003.

In 1979, a second Gemco location in Riverside opened at 10471 Magnolia Avenue near Tyler Street. A smaller attached building housed various other businesses, including a Nautilus Health Club and an Army-Navy-Air Force recruitment office.

After Gemco closed the Magnolia Avenue store, the main building was divided up for use as a Lucky's grocery store and Kids R Us clothing store. More recently, it had remained mostly vacant. A demolition permit was issued in 2008 and, excepting the parking lot and a small strip center at the western edge, the lot remains empty (one | two).

Nov. 2011 Update: Remodeling work has finished at the Arlington Avenue store. Besides the addition of a "Fresh Grocery" section, the store has been completely updated and reconfigured. And judging by these swanky ceiling lamps, someone at Target obviously understands the importance of design aesthetics. Also new is a Starbucks Coffee cafe area. View an updated photo gallery.

Related

• Facebook - Gemco-Memco Stores


• Flickr - Gemco and Memco


• YouTube - Gemco TV commercials: 1979 | 1982 | 1984 | @1985 | 1987


• Los Angeles Times - Lucky to Close Gemco, Sell Most Stores to Dayton Hudson (Oct. 1986) | Thousands Rush to 80 Stores: Bargain Hunters Jam Gemcos for Last Sale (Oct. 1986)


• RaincrossSquare.com - 'Under the squiggly roof' of The Treasury (May 2010) | From Treasury to Mervyn's to Kohl's (Oct. 2010)

Sources: City of Riverside, Los Angeles Times, WikiPedia, Groceteria.com

Photo Gallery: Riverside's Citrus Legacy

Two weeks back, we featured an item on the recent unveiling of a downtown statue honoring Riverside citrus pioneer Eliza L. Tibbets.

In the early 1870s, Eliza secured two small navel orange trees from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for test planting in Riverside. Originating as a mutation in Bahia, Brazil, these navel trees took well to Riverside's semi-arid climate, producing a sweet, succulent and seedless navel orange. California -- and in particular, Inland Southern California -- would never be the same.

The unveiling of the statue prompted us to dig through our image bank for photos associated with Riverside's citrus legacy. Of course, it also forced us to go out and take some new photos for items we didn't already have (and update some we did).

Though certainly not a complete collection of images related to Riverside's citrus past (nor does it include images from other local citrus-rich communities, namely Redlands, Corona and Upland), we feel the gallery still manages to show the wide-reaching importance the navel orange played in shaping both Riverside's landscape and its history -- a history that was dramatically changed with the arrival of two seemingly inconspicuous navel orange trees in 1873.

Photo Gallery: Riverside's Citrus Legacy

Related

• RaincrossSquare.com - Downtown statue honors Riverside citrus pioneer (Aug. 12)

Sources: "A Colony For California" (Tom Patterson), "Pursuing Eden - Matthew Gage: His Challenges, Conquests and Calamities" (Joan H. Hall), "A Citrus Legacy" (Joan H. Hall), "Adobes, Bungalows, and Mansions of Riverside, California Revisited" (Esther H. Klotz, Joan H. Hall), City of Riverside, The Press-Enterprise, Riverside Public Library

2011
Downtown pedestrian mall


2011
Eliza Lovell Tibbets


2011
Dedication plaque


2011
Pedestal
(Patricia P. Ortlieb is
Eliza's great-great granddaughter)


Eliza and Luther Tibbets


2001
State Historic Landmark


2008
Parent Navel
(w/ Eliza's historical marker)


2008
Eliza's marker


2009
Original location of trees
(w/ Luther's historical marker)


2009
Luther's marker


2011
Riverside orange grove

After 14 years of planning, a long-awaited statue honoring Riverside citrus pioneer Eliza Tibbets was unveiled last week in downtown.

Spearheaded by Kathryn Gage (a distant relative of Eliza through marriage) and created by artist/sculptor (and former Corona resident) Guy A. Wilson, the 11-foot statue rises above the outdoor pedestrian mall at Sixth Street near the Mission Inn. Entitled "Sower's Dream," it commemorates Eliza and her role in originating California's highly successful navel orange industry.

The 1,100 pound bronze statue depicts Eliza with outstretched arms and billowing dress. It is meant to portray a young Eliza as opposed to the older "Queen Victoria" Eliza most associate with Mrs. Tibbets' time living in Riverside.

Included on the statue are etchings of navel oranges and a replica of a "Woman's Relief Corps" medal, no doubt a nod to Eliza's women's suffrage activism. Several tiles surrounding the statue include the names of those who helped make it a reality. Planted nearby are two navel orange trees.

The statue honors not only Eliza the navel orange matriarch, but also Eliza the spiritualist, abolitionist and activist. Though quite impressive, our only real complaint is that its homage to Riverside's navel orange is maybe a bit too subtle and not instantly recognizable by casual passers-by. (Holding an orange in her outstretched hands may have easily done the trick.) Regardless, we give the statue a positive thumbs up.

For those not familiar with local history, Eliza (along with husband Luther) was a pioneer in California's multi-million dollar navel orange industry. In fact, if not for Eliza, Riverside -- and California in general -- certainly would have been much different.

In 1873 (or 1875, the exact year is a bit unclear), she secured two small navel orange trees from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for test planting in Riverside (some had been previously -- and again later -- shipped to Florida, where they failed). Originating as a mutation in Bahia, Brazil, these navel trees took well to Riverside's semi-arid climate, producing a sweet, succulent and seedless navel orange. (It has been said that Eliza used dishwater to sustain the original trees during dry periods.)

With the first fruits shown to local residents in 1878, and much more widely in 1879 at Riverside's first formal Citrus Fair, this new citrus variety -- sometimes referred to as the "Riverside Navel" but officially known as the "Washington Navel" -- quickly became the star attraction. Its taste and texture was found to be far superior than the seeded Valencia variety grown in California's coastal areas, including nearby Orange County. (In general, Valencia's are used for juicing while navels are considered much tastier for eating.)

As word of Riverside's new thick-skinned and sun-kissed orange spread, local growers began requesting -- and obtaining -- budstock grafted straight from the Tibbets' two original trees (grafting was required due to the oranges' lack of seeds). As such, these "parent navel" trees eventually propagated California's entire navel orange industry, making them one of the most successful fruit introductions in U.S. history.

By 1882, there were more than half a million citrus trees in California, with nearly half planted in the Riverside area alone. Within a short time, a powerful growing/marketing cooperative (California Fruit Growers Exchange, later known as Sunkist) was born and advances in picking and packaging (FMC Corp.) combined with improvements in shipping (refrigerated rail cars) led to a second California "gold rush" of sorts. Soon, wealthy easterners began flocking to Inland Southern California, buying large tracts of land for groves and building impressive homes. As a result, Riverside was the richest city per capita in the U.S. in 1895.

Today, reminders of the city's citrus legacy are still present, two of which directly credit Eliza and Luther Tibbets. Interestingly, a late fracture in the Tibbets' family ended up creating two distinct historical markers, both with the same planting year of 1873, but each crediting either Eliza or Luther independently for the trees and their eventual success.

At any rate, the most significant of these two reminders is located at the corner of Magnolia and Arlington avenues where one of the two original parent navel orange trees still stands bearing fruit. Over the years, "grafting" budstock from it remained popular enough that the city eventually needed to protect the remaining parent navel by securing it behind a fence. A plaque placed here in 1920 credits Eliza.

The other significant item directly related to the parent navels is a tiny marker located at the corner of Central Avenue and Navel Court, near where the two trees originally stood at the former Tibbets' home (long since paved over). This marker, placed in 1935 by Luther's daughter Minnie Tibbets Mills, credits Luther.

Both parent navel trees were later replanted, one in 1902 at the fenced-off city corner previously mentioned and the other in 1903 (during a visit by President Theodore Roosevelt) to a courtyard inside the Mission Inn, where it died in 1921.

Elsewhere around Riverside are other reminders, including citrus exchange buildings (Arlington Heights / Sunkist | Riverside Navel Growers Assoc.), citrus packinghouses (Sutherland Fruit Co. | E.T. Wall), citrus machinery and shipping facilities, the Gage Canal irrigation system and large swaths of orange groves along Victoria and Dufferin avenues. And of course, there's the California Citrus State Historic Park, which includes a museum with interpretive exhibits, lush picnic areas, walking paths and working citrus groves.

And although several structures, such as the Mission Inn, Riverside County Courthouse and numerous homes, owe their opulence to the once mighty citrus industry, probably the most significant entity stemming from Riverside's citrus legacy is the University of California at Riverside (UCR) campus.

What began in 1907 as the Citrus Experiment Station (at the base* of Mount Rubidoux), eventually transformed into a general campus of the University of California system in 1959 (at the base* of Box Springs Mountain -- 3 miles to the east).

Today, UCR's "Citrus Variety Collection" is among the most extensive of its kind in the world. The campus, home to nearly 20,000 students, has greatly expanded beyond its initial focus of citrus research and plays a major role within Inland Southern California's economy.

And to think, it all began with two, seemingly inconspicuous navel orange trees planted in a fledgling Riverside garden by Eliza Lovell Tibbets.

Photo Gallery: Riverside's Citrus Legacy

Related

• Guy A. Wilson (sculptor)


• OregonLive.com - Guy Wilson finishes a sculpture of Eliza Tibbets


• History of the Parent Washington Navel Orange Tree (slideshow)


• UC Riverside - Campus History | Citrus Variety Collection | Washington Navel


• California Citrus State Historic Park - State Parks website | Citrus Park website


• Inland Orange Conservancy


• Creating an Orange Utopia: Eliza Lovell Tibbetts and the Birth of California's Citrus Industry

2011
Eliza Tibbets

2011
About Eliza

2011
'Sower's
Dream'

2011
Orange homage

2011
Shadow
figure

* Courtesy of UC Riverside

Sources: "A Colony For California" (Tom Patterson), City of Riverside, The Press-Enterprise, Riverside Public Library, "Riverside's Invisible Past" (Joan H. Hall), Sunkist, WikiPedia.