“Originally a 12-room adobe boarding house, the Mission Inn, a national historical site, has been the keystone of Downtown Riverside since 1876. In the late 1800’s wealthy easterners and Europeans flocked to Riverside in search of a warmer winter climate along with the desire to invest in the area’s profitable citrus industry. By the 1890’s Riverside was the richest city per capita in the United States. This consistent influx of tourists to Riverside made Frank Miller, the Master of the Inn, recognize the dire need for a grand resort hotel.
Frank Miller opened the first wing of his new hotel in 1903. The Mission wing was built in Mission-Revival style architecture and sought to incorporate different structural elements of the 21 California Missions. Mr. Miller went onto add three more wings to his hotel: the Cloister, Spanish, and completed it with the Rotunda wing in 1931.” Excerpted from the Mission Inn website.
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Mission Inn ca 1913
We decided to treat ourselves, after being on the road, to two days at the Mission Inn. I’ve been following the trail of my maternal great, great grandfather, but my father’s family also has a history in Riverside so I had a few items on my list for exploration.
My grandfather, Dr. James T. Barrett, came to Riverside in 1913 as a plant pathologist to work at the newly established Citrus Experiment Station for the University of California. With him came his wife and children. An amateur photographer, he took many photographs of the area.
Former Citrus Experiment Station, Now School of Business
My father and mother both attended Riverside Junior College and were married in Riverside; the original building of the junior college, where they met, still stands.
Riverside Junior College now Community College
Sherry Barrett Falter, whom I had corresponded with about genealogy on the Internet, took us to lunch at the Mission Inn, and the following morning graciously drove me all over the city as I tried to find the buildings on my list. Of course none of the family homes still exist, having been replaced by commercial buildings or other new construction. I never could have found my way around without her help.
Even though it rained for two days we had a wonderful, restful stay in Riverside, and I enjoyed seeing the landmarks I'd heard so much about from my parents and grandparents.
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