History of Riverside, California
Artifacts found at White Sulphur Springs, as well as grain grinding holes in rocks south of Mount Rubidoux, provide evidence of the Native American activity.
[1] On March 20, 1774, Juan Bautista De Anza, leading an exploratory expedition to find a good land route from southern Mexico to Alta California, reached the area today known as Riverside.
He, and others in his contingent, described the area as a beautiful place fragrant with rosemary and other herbs, and having rich grasslands for their horses and cattle to graze.
[1] The routes taken by the two expeditions are believed to have followed a course from somewhere near Lake Perris, in current-day Moreno Valley, down the Box Springs grade near the 60/215 Highway interchange, and across Riverside in the direction of the Martha McLean – Anza Narrows park.
[5][6][7] In 1873 Eliza Tibbets convinced William Saunders,[Note 1] Superintendent of the fledgling Bureau of Agriculture, to make her a test grower for his new seedless oranges from Bahia, Brazil.
[13][Note 5] It is widely accepted that she took care of the two remaining trees using dishwater to keep them alive because the Tibbets lot was not connected to canal water.
[17] When the Washington navel orange was publicly displayed at a fair in 1879, the valuable commercial characteristics of the fruit, including their quality, shape, size, color, texture, and seedlessness, were immediately recognized.
[18][17][19] Tibbets' orange was also ideally suited to Riverside's semiarid weather, and its thick skin enabled it to be packed and shipped.
The commercial success of these early orchards soon led to a widespread interest in this variety, so that by 1900 it was the most extensively grown citrus fruit in California.
[31][17] The size, scale, and ingenuity of the irrigation structures in Riverside and surrounding area are considered one of the agricultural marvels of the age.
[34] In 1886 alone new citrus towns were laid out in Rialto, Fontana, Bloomington, Redlands, Terracina, Mound City (Loma Linda), Guasti and South Riverside, (Corona).
Citrus built the foundations of the region's economic modernization before the great flood of defense funds began in World War II.
[17] The study and efforts of pioneers in the development of the California citrus industry led to the invention of fumigation, of orchard heaters, and of many other methods of culture.
[35] Another illustration of the results of the success of the citrus industry in California was the organization of the growers into an exchange for the co-operative handling of their crop and its distribution.
Study of propagation culture handling, transportation and other phases of producing distributing and marketing the crop was largely responsible for advancements used not only with citrus but also in other fruit industries.
[41] A U. S. Department of Agriculture scientist helped growers to harness nature's biological wrath during the "decay crisis" of 1905–1907, when alarming proportions of fruit spoiled in transit, and wed the industry to the scientific expertise of the USDA.
[42] Growers, scientists, and workers transformed the natural and social landscape of California, turning it into a factory for the production of millions of oranges.
Originally located on the slope of Mount Rubidoux, the station[45] institutionalized the scientific expertise, support, and presence of the state's university and the federal government in the citrus industry, and brought quality control to the first link in the corporate agricultural chain.
[42] In a field department was created which provided member growers with scientific and practical horticultural advice and direction that ultimately led to huge gains in productivity.
Settlements of Japanese and Korean migrants[48] used to exist along the railroad tracks, which would fill with thousands of workers during the citrus harvest.
Dalip Singh Saund, the first Asian-born politician elected to the United States Congress (and the only Sikh-American), was voted into office in 1956 to represent a district that included Riverside.
A substantial community of Indian Americans including Sikhs and Punjabis lived in Riverside with the Inland Empire and the Colorado Desert regions (i.e. Imperial Valley) for nearly a century.
Races held at the Riverside International Raceway included Cal-Club (SCCA), Formula One, NASCAR, Can-Am, USAC, IMSA, IROC, and CART.
Today, a semi-pro collegiate team, the Inland Empire Rockets, plays some home games in Riverside and Moreno Valley.
