The herald., 1894-01-01
breeds and white people had settled

breeds and white people had settled
along The creek
Such was still the condition OF what 10
now Riverside county, in August, 1870,
when the first steps were taken toward
the formation of the Riverside colony
1t WAS not a very encouraging scene
which greeted the eyes of those settIefs
as they stood upon the cite OF what 3
Hew the beautiful city os Riverside, e.
der the full blaze OF an August sun. Ain
around them was an arid plain dotted
with cactus and brush, few cotton
wood, willow and other trees marking
the course OF the river bed. The grand
panorama OF mountains WAS there, as 1t
is today, and with the eye OF faith those
intrepid pioneers saw smiling orchards
and vineyards where the gophers and
iackrabbits disported themselves and
lizards basked lazily in the sun. Not
one of them, though, in his widest
dreams, could have pictured the trans
formation which 23 years have wrought.
In this case truth has, indeed, proved
stranger than fiction.
The site OF Riverside was lonely
spot, in 1870. The nearest railroad was
at Spadra, in Los Angeles county, 80
miles away. Los Angeles itself was q
small town OF less than 5000 population.
San Bernardino wss q small Mormon
settlement, and San Diego-then in
embryo was inaccessible. Besides
these drawbacks there were many diff
culties to contend with. The was no
fence law, and Spanish cattle gave much
trouble. Grasshoppers overran every
thing and gophers were hard to get rid
of. Water to irrigate the earliest trees
and vines was hauled from Spring
brook, on the Santa Ana river at cost
of 25 cents barrel. But the men who
founded Riverside were not easily dis
couraged. They were ''stayers."
To return to the inception of the
colony, which really marks the birth of
what has now become Riverside county.
The late j. W. North, native of New
York, who had been q Judge in Nevada
and Minnesota and had come to Oslifor-
mia from Tennessee. was the protector of
the Riverside enterprise. He was a man
of great natural ability. Several sites
in Southern California were inspected
By nm and the other gentlemen who
afterwards formed the Southern Califor-
mia Colony association. 1t was thought
at one time that the San Pasqusl ranch
whsre Pasadena now stands, would be
purchased. but the water supply was
not considered sufficient.
1t was on the 25th or 26th of August,
1870, that DR.. X. D. Shugsrt, DR.. j. P.
Greves of Milwaukee, Mr.. Stewart OF
San Bernardino, and Mr.. Luther of San
Francisco drove from San Bernardino to
the land where Riverside now stands.
Judge North was in Los Angeles ON the
night of September 18th, in the back
room of the Los Angeles postoffice, then
10, oh ~ -fos. ~
pers were passed which conveyed 7555
acres of land at 81 per acre from the
Silk Center association to the Southern
California Colony association. Theee
lands comprised portions of the Jurupa
rancho, Spanish grant, the Abel
Stearns tract and 500 acres of govern
ment lands.
The Silk Center association had been
established short time previously by
Frenchman named Provo, for the pur-
pose of planting mulberry treee
and raising silkworms. Provo died,
and as he was the only man in
the association who understood the
business the matter was dropped.
At the frss meeting of the colony as
eociation on Dscember IA, 1870, j. w.
North was e1sdted president and general
agent, DIR. J. B. Greves secretary and
DIR. K. D. Shugsrt treasurer. The mem
bers of the association, at the time of
the purchase, were J. W. North, O. N.
FELTON, (now United States senator), who
had been a schoolmate of Judge North,
| DR.. j. P. Greves, Dy. Sanford Eastman,
DIR. X. d. shugart and Captain John
Broadhurst. OF these Dir. Shugart is the
only one now living at Riverside. Those
who came here with the members
of the colony association from the east,
and etill live in Riverside, are Messrs.
| L. @. Waite, d. @. and A. j. Twogood,
L. @. Tibbets and E. G. Brown. The
members of the Silk Center association
who stayed in with the new organiza-
tion were Captain Clark, Messrs. T. A.
Carey, J. W. Cover and = Hamilton of
Los Angeles, and J. A. Stewart, J. W
Linville and = Pine Of San Bernardino.
| DIR. Brink of Los Angeles. also mem.
ber of the silk association. was bought
out and did not join the colony.
The first fruit trees planted in River
side were Get out by DR.. Shugart, with
the assistance of L. G. Waite, on March
l, 1871. They were planted on block g.,
range 3, city of Riverside. Settlers came
in from all quarters, but the growth at
first was very slow. 1t was not until
| hUOub . uOAcA yonAp SHO uhuu pioSt Oun
became marked, and some slight fore
taste was afforded of what Riverside
was ultimately to become. Even then,
one small, ungraded school, one small
church and single country store were
sufficient to minister to the spiritual
| and physical wants of the settlers.
At the start lands were sold at from
$25 to $50 an acre, with the privilege of
using water. On March 10, 1877, the
Colony association sold all of its prop
| erty to the Riverside Land and Irriga-
tion company.
The progress of Riverside during the
past 10 years belongs to recent history.
Many fourishing colonies have been
started since the first orange tree was
planted in Riverside. Theae have had
all the advantages Of Riverside's exper-
ience and of facilities which have since
been introduced, but none of them have
surpassed it.
DODD s. O'HARA.