Riverside, California
Riverside is the
county seat of
Riverside County, California,
United States. As of the 2000 census, the
city had a total
population of 255,166. The city is a focus city of the
Greater Los Angeles Area. A
July 1,
2004 Census estimate put the fast-growing city's population at 288,384, making it the largest city in the
Inland Empire Region and the 12th largest
municipality in the state of
California.
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 203.0
km² (78.4
mi²). 202.3 km² (78.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.7 km² (0.3 mi²) of it is
water. The total area is 0.36% water.
As of the
census of 2000, there were:
*255,166 people
*82,005 households
*58,141 families residing in the city.
The
population density was 1,261.5/km² (3,267.2/mi²). There were 85,974 housing units at an average density of 425.0/km² (1,100.8/mi²).
The racial makeup of the city was:
*59.32%
White*38.14%
Hispanic or
Latino of any race
*21.00% from
other races*7.41%
African American*5.68%
Asian*5.10% from two or more races.
*1.09%
Native American*0.39%
Pacific IslanderThere were 82,005 households out of which 39.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.3% were
married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.1% were non-families. 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.2% had someone living alone 65 or older. The average household size was 3.02 and average family size 3.54.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.1% under the age of 18, 12.9% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 97.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $41,646, and the median income for a family was $47,254. Males had a median income of $36,920 versus $28,328 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $17,882. About 11.7% of families and 15.8% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 18.9% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.
Riverside's
downtown area is known as the
"Mission Inn District", after the
Mission Inn, a
hotel that was modeled after the
missions left along the California coast by Franciscan friars in the
18th century. However, no missionaries of the era actually came as far inland as Riverside. After secularization of the missions, the land was designated Rancho Jurupa and was granted to Juan Bandini, who later divided the rancho into two parts and sold them to two Yankee-turned ranchéros, Benjamin D. "Benito" Wilson and Abel Stearns.
The city was founded in the the early 1870s by
John W. North, a staunch temperance-minded
abolitionist from
Tennessee, who had previously founded
Northfield, Minnesota. A few years after, the
navel orange was planted and found to be such a success that full-scale planting started. Riverside was
temperance minded (few saloons if any were allowed in Riverside proper), and
Republican. Investors from
England and
Canada transplanted traditions and activities adopted by prosperous citizens. As a result, the first
golf course and
polo field in
Southern California were built in Riverside.
|
Orange groves are giving way to development in modern Riverside. |
The first orange trees were planted in 1871, but the
citrus industry Riverside is famous for beginning two years later when
Eliza Tibbets received two
Brazilian navel orange trees sent to her by a friend at the
Department of Agriculture in
Washington. The trees thrived in the Southern California
climate and the navel orange industry grew rapidly. Within a few years, the successful cultivation of the newly discovered navel orange led to a California
Gold Rush of a different kind: the establishment of the citrus industry, which is commemorated in the landscapes and exhibits of the
California Citrus State Historic Park and the restored packing houses in the Downtown's Marketplace district. By
1882, there were more than half a million citrus trees in California, almost half of which were in Riverside. The development of refrigerated
railroad cars and innovative
irrigation systems established Riverside as the wealthiest city per capita by
1895.
As the city prospered, a small guest
hotel designed in the popular
Mission Revival style grew to become the world famous
Mission Inn, favored by
presidents,
royalty and
movie stars. Inside was housed a special chair made for the sizeable
President Taft. Postcards of lush orange
groves,
swimming pools and magnificent homes have attracted vacationers and entrepreneurs throughout the years. Many relocated to the warm, dry climate for reasons of health and to escape Eastern winters. Victoria Avenue with its landmark homes serves as a reminder of European investors who settled here.
In
1915 a
Japanese immigrant named
Jukichi Harada, proprietor for many years of a local restaurant, purchased a home in Riverside in the names of his American-born children in order to provide access for them to the public school system. Neighbors formed a committee and charged him with violating the
California Alien Land Law of 1913, which barred aliens ineligible for citizenship from owning land. The case,
The People of the State of California v. Jukichi Harada, became a test of the constitutionality of the law and progressed to the state Supreme Court, where the Haradas won. The Metropolitan Museum of Riverside now owns the house, which has been designated a
National Historic Landmark.
At the entrance to Riverside from the
60 freeway sits Fairmount Park. This extensive urban oasis was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead Jr. Slightly fraying around the edges, it still has a lovely, stocked pond, and many species of birds. Nearby, on private land, is the former site of Spring Rancheria, a
Cahuilla village.
Downtown Riverside used to boast one of the largest Chinatowns in California, but the last resident, Mr. Wong, died in the 1970s and the remaining (decrepit) buildings were razed. Extensive archaeological excavation took place in the 1980s, and many artifacts are housed at the (newly re-named) Metropolitan Museum across from the Mission Inn Hotel.
To the east of downtown is the originally named "Eastside" which grew out of a
colonia inhabited by Mexican immigrant workers in the Orange groves. That tradition continues today, with Oaxacan workers in the place of Spanish speakers. Michael Kearney, an anthropologist at University of California, Riverside, refers to this vast transnational labor space as "Oaxacalifornia."
Settlements of Japanese and Korean immigrants used to exist along the railroad tracks, which would fill with thousands of workers during the citrus harvest. None of these are left now, but the Santa Fe depot, like several others in the Inland Empire, has been restored to its turn-of-the-century glory.
At the intersection of Howard and 12th sits the last remnants of a formerly thriving African-American neighborhood -- The old Wiley Grocery store now houses the activities of 'Black' Elks club members. Nearby is the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a pilgrimage site complete with shrine. Built and destroyed three times, the current incarnation dates from the 1920s.
Riverside was the home of the
Riverside International Raceway, which has long been defunct.
Riverside is home to the
University of California, Riverside. The
University of California, Riverside, Botanic Gardens contains 40 acres (162,000 m²) of unusual plants, with four miles of walking trails. The city prides itself on its historic connection to the
navel orange, which was introduced to
North America from
Brazil by the first settlers to Riverside in
1873. Riverside is home to the one surviving Parent Navel Orange Tree, from which all American West Coast navel orange trees are descended.
The city of Riverside is served by several institutions of higher learning:
*
University of California, Riverside*
California Baptist University*
La Sierra University*
Riverside Community CollegeThe Riverside area is referred to as a "smog belt" because of its above-average level of air pollution. In a comparison by the National Campaign Against Dirty Air Power (2003), the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario area was found to be the most polluted region based on year-round soot measurements when compared to other U.S. cities. In fact, the New England Journal of Medicine (2004) published results from a longitudinal study comparing pollution in southern California communities with lung health in children. Not only did the authors find that Riverside pollution levels were amongst the highest, but they also found a significant correlation with "clinically important deficits in lung function [in children]," that is, Riverside air is so toxic that it can damage lungs in kids
. [NEJM 2004;351:1057-1067]
A General Plan for the city was prepared in the year 1994 and updated in 2004. This documentation set forth broad planning goals for the city and specifically included Housing, Transportation, Noise, Seismic safety, Natural resources and all other State of California mandated Elements.
Riverside is home of the historic
Mission Inn, the Historic Riverside County Courthouse (based on the Petit Palais in Paris, France), and the Fox Theater (where the first showing of
Gone with the Wind took place).
Also, it is the home of the World's Largest Paper Cup which is over three stories. There is a warehouse/manufacturing building right behind it. It is made of painted concrete.
Riverside is served by three major freeways, the
I-215, the
CA-60, and the
CA-91. These three freeways meet in north-eastern Riverside at the 60/91/215 interchange, which is currently going through a heavy reconstruction, due to be completed in late-2007.
The city contains two
Metrolink commuter rail stations, Riverside-Downtown and Riverside-La Sierra. Both are served by the Inland Empire-Orange County and 91 Lines, and the Downtown station is served by the Riverside Line on weekdays, and the San Bernardino Line on weekends.
Local bus service is provided by the
Riverside Transit Agency. Service is relatively limited, though this is common for the region. Recently, the agency proposed a new
Bus Rapid Transit route to travel along the current Route 1 from the University of California to Corona. The project was due in the summer of 2005, and as of writing is still stalled in the planning stages.
*
Dusty Baker, former professional baseball player for the
Los Angeles Dodgers among others. Current manager for the
Chicago Cubs*
Tim Ballengee, professional rodie
*
Travis Barker, drummer for the rock band
blink-182*
Barry Bonds, professional baseball player for the
San Francisco Giants*
Bobby Bonds, former professional baseball player for the
San Francisco Giants and the
Los Angeles Angels (among others)
*
Chris Claiborne, professional football player for the
St. Louis Rams*
Frank Corral, former
National Football League kicker, Los Angeles Rams
*
Allen Cunningham, professional
poker player
*
Alvin Davis, professional baseball player for the
Seattle Mariners*
Bubba Franks,
National Football League tight end
*
Barbara Hambly, novelist
*
Adam Kennedy, professional baseball player for the
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim*
Amy Lee, singer (
Evanescence)
*
Greg Laurie, evangelist; Pastor of the largest church in Riverside, Harvest Christian Fellowship.
*
Kellie Martin, actress
*
Terry Yee, former
National Basketball Association player for the
Toronto Raptors*
Cheryl Miller, sports commentator and former professional basketball player and coach
*
Reggie Miller, former
National Basketball Association player for the
Indiana Pacers*
Troy Percival, professional baseball player for the
Detroit Tigers*
Scarlett Pomers, actress (
Star Trek: Voyager,
Reba)
*
Skee-Lo, African-American West Coast rapper known for "I Wish".
*
Lloyd Warren Ravlin III, writer and international eccentricity
*
Lindsay Ridgeway, actress, (
Boy Meets World)
*
Patrick Seitz, voice actor, (
Bleach)
*
Alia Shawkat, actress, (
Arrested Development)
*
Susan Straight, novelist, National Book Award nominee
*
Sean D. Tucker, Aerobatic Air Show Pilot
*
Ed Grey, Former Atlanta Hawks Guard
*
Tracy Winn, Former Porn Star
*
Amber Rain, Porn Star
Riverside has six
sister cities, as designated by
Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI):
*
Cuautla, Morelos,
Mexico*
Ensenada,
Mexico*
Hyderabad,
India*
Jiangmen,
China*
Gangnam-gu,
South Korea*
Sendai,
Japan*
City of Riverside*
Riverside California*
Riverside City Data page
*[
1] Poly Seniors of 1914 to 1937
*
University of California, Riverside*
Inland Empire History
