California Citrus State Historic Park

In 1916, Jukichi Harada, a Japanese immigrant, fought the state of California for the right to own property in Riverside. Robyn Peterson, Riverside Metropolitan Museum director, shared the story of the Harada Family and the landmark court case that represented the issues of civil rights, immigration, assimilation and U.S. citizenship as part of the 2018 Local Content Vehicles Cities Tour : https://www.c-span.org/video/#

Have you ever wondered about all the palm trees we have in the park? Check out this video from Jennifer about the history of the palm tree in Riverside!

Check out this video on nearby Escondido, a once-major citrus producing area, providing oranges and lemons for the entire country: https://www.pbs.org//ken-kramers-about-san-diego-escondid/

Do you know which of our lemon varieties is the sweetest? Check out this video from Nick about the history of the Meyer Lemon!

In the late 1880s, up to 2,500 Chinese pioneers called Riverside Chinatown home. Today, this place is an archeological site, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Check out the video to learn more about this important historical and cultural resource in Riverside! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuH_Wx8-FqA

It all started with a souvenir from the past -- an Arcadian vision of a manicured citrus orchard set against snow-capped mountains, printed in color on a penny postcard, and on sale at a paper ephemera show in San Diego. Thirty-five years, numerous flea markets, and countless eBay searches later, David Boulé has assembled what's perhaps the largest single collection of materials related to the production and promotion of California oranges. California Citrus State Historic Park has benefited immensely from this collection, as we have photos and other materials from Mr. Boulé in our various exhibits throughout the park. Check out this short clip to learn more about his collection: https://www.kcet.org//monomania-la-david-boule-and-the-cal

Agave play an important role in our local landscape and history. Check out this video from Jennifer to learn more about evolution, natural selection, and genetic diversity while focusing on this unique plant we have in the park!

As you walk through the park or around your neighborhood, now is a great time to practice being a good nature observer. Stand still and quiet to see what you notice. What do you hear and smell? Can you see anything you would have missed normally? We hope you enjoy these snapshots of the park--can you guess where any of these were taken?

Theme studies are important documents prepared under the guidance of the National Park Service to provide a national historic context for specific topics in American history. This volume seeks to inspire more Americans to discover the stories of America’s Asian and Pacific Island heritage Designed to be inviting and inspirational, these essays are not intended to be encyclopedic or comprehensive. Instead, we hope to reach local historians, planners, elected officials, AAPI communities, and all Americans interested in linking power of place to the ideas, people, and movements that have been meaningful to American society. Check out Finding a Path Forward: Asian American Pacific Islander National Historic Landmarks Theme Study here: https://www.nps.gov/articles/series.htm

Check out this interesting interview by Patricia Escárcega of her mother, Maria Teresa Escárcega, about picking and packing citrus around the park, their family connection to the Bracero Program, and much, much more: https://www.latimes.com//tasting-notes-mothers-day-escarce

Built by Matthew Gage between 1885 and 1889, the Gage Canal is nearly 20 miles long and doubled the citrus-producing area of Riverside. Join Nick as he explores this important historical feature that still supplies water to local citrus groves like California Citrus State Historic Park today.