The October/November 2024 issue of the Riversider Magazine
Scan the QR code to discover your next adventure in Riverside:
The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa’s Festival of Lights
Día de los Muertos isn’t just an event; it’s a celebration of culture, community, and spirit. Each November, Riverside hosts its Día de los Muertos celebration, a community-driven festival that highlights Riverside’s deep cultural roots. This celebration, organized by Cosme Cordova and numerous local artists and community leaders, fills the streets of Downtown’s Arts & Culture District with tradition and heritage. The event features traditional music, beautifully crafted colorful altars, and captivating dance performances, all paying homage to the Mexican tradition of honoring loved ones who have passed.
Just as the seasons seamlessly transition, so does Riverside. Come mid-November, the region’s iconic holiday spectacle will come alive for the next six weeks! The legendary Mission Inn Hotel & Spa’s Festival of Lights will bring millions of twinkling lights, an ice-skating rink, seasonal treats, and live music for all to enjoy.
We invite you to mark your calendars and experience Riverside’s cultural traditions and holiday magic this season.
Inland Exposures
Full moon rising over the court house.
Photo by Julian Jolliffe
A view from inside the Mission Inn's catacombs.
Photo by Julian Jolliffe
Blumenthal & Moore, Inland Southern California’s pre-eminent criminal defense firm, is devoted exclusively to the defense of the accused.
The firm’s trial-tested attorneys handle a range of criminal matters, from simple to complex. They are often retained in difficult cases, and defend people from all walks of the community.
In every case, the client benefits from a team approach. By combining their expertise, the attorneys at Blumenthal & Moore bring more than 100 years of legal experience to every case, providing each client with the best possible defense.
Virginia Blumenthal, Jeff Moore, Brent Romney and Heather Green all contribute unique strengths and perspectives, along with thorough knowledge of the court system in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Mr. Moore and Mr. Romney are tough former prosecutors who put their experience to work in defending cases, while Ms. Green has a passion for defending those with mental health disorders – prioritizing justice for everyone, regardless of mental health status.
Founding attorney Virginia Blumenthal, known for opening the first female-owned law firm in the region, has been named one of the Top 100 trial lawyers in the United States by the National Trial Lawyers. Over time, she has received a long list of awards for her courtroom excellence and volunteer service in the community.
Most recently, Ms. Blumenthal was named Best Lawyer in the Inland Empire by Inland Empire Magazine (2024); received a Champions for Justice Award from the Fair Housing Council of Riverside County (2023); received the Civil Rights Law Giant Award from the Riverside County NAACP Youth Council (2023); and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Corona Chamber of Commerce (2023).
Also in 2023, the team at Blumenthal & Moore received the Small Business Eagle Award from the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce – an honor that reflects a culture of excellence, experience and nearly five decades of commitment to clients.
(951) 682-5110
3993 Market Street
Riverside, CA 92501
blumenthallawoffices.com
Love Letter to Riverside
We’re thrilled to present the unveiling of the infamous Mission Inn catacombs. This issue has made one of our life-long dreams of exploring the mysterious underground tunnels come true! Most Riversiders have heard the various tales of the catacombs crisscrossing under the streets of downtown Riverside. Our writer, Philp Falcone, delves deep within the history behind this subterranean wonder and debunks many of the long standing myths surrounding why the tunnels were built and where they might lead to.
This also gave us another opportunity to summon our very own mistress of the dark and previous cover girl, Jessica Acosta AKA @jeks951_, to help us bring the catacombs back to life. The stunning portraits taken of her are simply chilling! It was such a tremendous gift for us to be able to explore and document this hallowed ground. Even more phenomenal is that we found real ghostly evidence of a spirit dwelling within the tunnels with our SLS camera. You will be absolutely amazed!
We are very happy to be a part of the third annual Planes-N-Treats trick-or-treat celebration
brought to you by the Riverside Airport Cafe. Be sure to read our article that shares all about this unique family event. Definitely stop by our Riversider booth and we will see you all on October 19. There will be over 30 decorated planes on the tarmac with pilots handing out candy for the kiddos. It is such a fun time, and every year it is bigger and better!
If you can believe it, Halloween is just around the corner. Also coming soon is the massive Riverside Day of the Dead Festival located downtown. This year, it’s so big they had to make it a two day event on November 2-3. Stop by our Riversider booth and you might just meet our covergirl Jessica Acosta!
This is our favorite time of year to be in RIverside and the weather hopefully cools down and ushers in the spooky season. Have fun and stay safe out there!
We had fun working again with our Riversider cover model Jessica Acosta in the Mission Inn's catacombs.
Kaitlin Bilhartz, Patricia Lock Dawson, Philip Falcone, Jeremy Leyva, Shane Clark, Evelyn Cordner, Jack Amarillas, The Standerfer Family, Amber Lussier, Leslee Gaul, H. Vincent Moses, PHD, Lucia Winsor, Riverside Museum, and all of our advertisers.
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Kimo Figueroa, Abijah Hensley Dedicated to the memory of Aaron Schmidt 1972-2022
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RIVERSIDE ART MUSEUM
Now on view: Andrew K. Thompson: The Pleasure of Being Wrong , Enrique Cortes: It’s Hot Out Here , Eve Wood: Mostly Birds (and a Few Humans), Kandy G Lopez: (In)visible Threads , Keliy AndersonStaley: Dueling Gestures in the Archive, The Human Interaction is a Beautiful Thing
Images from left to right: Kandy G Lopez, Marly & Luis (green) , 2022; Image Courtesy of the Artist and ACA Galler ies, New York; Enrique Cortes, it’s hot out here , 2024, image courtesy of the artist; Keliy Anderso n-Staley, Ghost Archive , 2024, image courtesy of the artist; Ciscostreetlenz, the human interaction is a beautiful thing , 2024, image courtesy of the artist; Andrew K. Tho mpson, Green, Pink, & Orange With Punctured Sky , 2024, image courtesy of the artist; Eve Wood, Raven in McQueen, 2023. Image Courtesy of the artist and Track 16, Los Angeles
Riverside's Finest Collette Lee
WORDS: KEN CRAWFORD PHOTO: ZACH CORDNER
You may not know Collette Lee , but if you’ve been around Riverside for a while you’ve seen the name. On signs, in front of thousands of houses over the last 35 years, Collette Lee, Windermere Tower Realty is ubiquitous. Collette founded Tower (now Windermere Tower) in 1989 out of a passion to help match families with their first homes. The company, now co-owned by her children Brent Lee and Lauren Sawyer, is one of the most wellregarded and successful brokerages in Riverside.
Being a successful business woman would be enough to receive recognition. Real estate, however, is only a small part of what Collette does for our community. She is a dedicated giver, both financially and of her time and effort, to many causes and organizations in Riverside.
Collette is the fifth of eleven children. The daughter of a military man, they moved frequently and never had much money. This built a foundation of empathy. The ability to identify the needs of her family, community, and herself. When her family was stationed in England, she was exposed to ballet and classical music. Knowing her family had limited resources, she took on babysitting jobs to raise the $12 monthly tuition for her own lessons. This experience continues to motivate her. Collette has actively supported local arts programs, ensuring that underserved communities,
especially children, have access to cultural enrichment and creative opportunities.
In addition to her philanthropic work in the arts, Collette is involved in a variety of efforts that center around community and relationship building. She and her husband, Gary, have always prioritized giving back to the city that has supported them. Together, they focus on initiatives that edify the Riverside community, with a particular emphasis on supporting children and families.
Collette Lee owns a diverse portfolio of charitable work. She supports many organizations with her time and through donations. However, her dedication to charity goes beyond writing checks. She organizes employees at Windemere Tower to volunteer on community clean up days. Collette also holds advisory roles at several charities including the Assistance League, an incredible organization that assures children have the clothing they need to succeed at school.
Lee also works to gather donations for causes which she advocates. Currently in her sights is the Riverside Unified School District Foundation’s Tom Hunt Memorial Scholarship. Tom was a friend and school board member who recently passed away after a difficult battle with cancer. The Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to graduating students who are active in community service.
She’s a firm believer in the concept of social capital, the idea that strong relationships and community connections are the foundation of a thriving society. As she puts it, “Our goal and priority from the beginning of 1989 was to give back to the community that supports our business. Our passion is community and children and raising up our community! We stress social capital being the key to a thriving community.”
Collette is one of those people who seems to somehow have a few extra hours in her days. She and her husband recently left their longtime Hawarden Hills neighborhood and have taken on restoring a 1938 Craftsman home in Riverside’s historic Original Mile Square, blending her love for the community’s history with her dedication to preserving its cultural heritage.
Collette Lee has a resume that impresses on many levels. She is a founding broker, dedicated philanthropist, and advocate whose work has had a profound and durable impact on the Riverside community. Her philanthropy, fearless advocacy, and tenacious dedication to the causes she cares about have made her a respected and important figure in Riverside, where she continues to inspire others with her vision of a stronger community.
Downtowne Bookstore
Some risk takers charge ahead without fully understanding the potential consequences, driven by misplaced confidence. Others take risks with a foundation of competence, built on prior accomplishments and a clear vision for success. Dr. Jungmiwha Bullock brought her bona fides to town and took on the restoration of a beloved downtown institution that was in dire need of some love to survive.
When Dr. Bullock bought the Downtowne Bookstore, she knew it would be a challenge. The charm of the store was hidden beneath layers of dust and a collection of books that had filled the rare basement space to the point that it was inaccessible. She saw beyond the clutter and grime, envisioning what the store could become with the right attention and care.
Nestled behind the Mission Inn Annex, tucked away in a small alley, the location adds to the store’s character. The Downtowne Bookstore is an enduring player in the history of Riverside in one of the most historic districts in Southern California and a womanowned business the entire time.
From the moment she took ownership, Dr. Bullock set out to transform the space. She cleaned and restored both the upstairs and basement, turning the store into a community hub. The basement, previously neglected and underused, is now a fresh usable space. It functions as an organized back-stocked inventory space, an office, a place to have meetings including the many book clubs that have recently emerged at the shop, and even a podcast studio. It’s more than just a bookstore, it’s a creative and social center for the Riverside community.
“All customers can participate in any of Downtowne Bookstore’s cutting edge book clubs
hosted in the basement at no cost, they will soon be able to attend independent and local author signings, special events, and other programs announced year-round,” Dr. Bullock said. “The Downtowne Bookstore will soon announce a criteria to support local groups, organizations, and small businesses to host meetings, showcase their offerings, and test out new literary related products for a modest rental fee.”
Dr. Bullock isn’t stopping there. She’s committed to growing roots in Riverside and participating in the community. One of her most exciting plans is to establish an independent publishing house that will operate out of the bookstore. Her goal is to find and support local authors, with a focus on quality and substance. She wants to elevate talented, diverse, and unique voices and not just lean on the novelty of locality. This promotes her vision of the bookstore as a cultural cornerstone for Riverside.
Dr. Bullock has planted seeds in the basement of Downtowne Bookstore. Those seeds are starting to grow and soon we will see what starts downstairs grow branches up and into the city. Through her plans for events, publishing, and community building, she’s creating something that will continue to evolve along with Riverside.
WORDS: KEN CRAWFORD PHOTOS: ZACH CORDNER
Dr. Jungmiwha Bullock, owner
Book clubs now regularly meet in the newly-renovated basement.
Presented by Eastside Arthouse
Written by Chris Menezes
Photos by Juan Navarro
Blooming Eternally Within Ethereal yet physical, cosmic yet personal—Kirsten Kamstra’s art has eyes that stare right back at you, pulling you in, and pulling itself into you.
Through intricate patterns of line and stipple, combined with spiritual and naturalistic imagery, Kirsten’s work taps into something profoundly deep and spiritual. Her signature use of the eye (a window to the soul) serves as a muse for her work and the name of her business, EyeBloom Art.
“The eye has come to represent many
things for me—cycles, phases, the soul,” Kirsten explains. “It’s a way of looking into your inner self and growing from within.”
Kirsten’s journey into art started in high school. She played soccer, growing up in Colton, but always had creative outlets, from designing clothes to playing music. It wasn’t until her senior year, however—after a close friend passed away—that she turned to painting.
of self-discovery also saw her through a difficult relationship. “Finding out who I was allowed me to walk away from that relationship and become who I wanted to be,” Kirsten shares.
Opening herself to new opportunities, Kirsten joined The Artlands Creative in Redlands and Eastside Arthouse in Riverside, where she connected with a community of artists and was able to push her aesthetic with larger pieces. She also began doing hand-poked/ machine free tattoos, utilizing her penchant for stipple to bring a unique technique to the space with EyePoke Tattoos.
“It’s a way of looking into your inner self and growing from
This marked the beginning of Kirsten’s own self-discovery. Having lost her father at the age of seven, she always struggled with identity. “I didn’t really know my father well, and that left me feeling lost for a long time,” Kirsten shares.
For the next ten years, Kirsten focused on honing her craft, drawing inspiration from artists like Alex Grey and bands like Tool, A Perfect Circle and Pink Floyd. The deeper she planted herself into her art, the more she began to bloom. This time
within.”
Outside of art, Kirsten enjoys running and yoga. With an upcoming group show at The Cheech next year and community mixers at the Arthouse, she’s looking forward to continuing her journey of growth and creativity—ever blooming from within.
“My mission is to inspire others to follow their creative paths,” she says. “If you can create something that speaks to you and makes you proud, that’s all that matters.” Follow Kirsten @eyebloomart or visit Kirstenkamstra.com
Planes-N-Treats Riverside Airport Cafe
The unique concept for Planes-N-Treats came about in 2022 when Riverside Airport Cafe owner Leimamo Bishaw was kind of bored in her office and kept thinking about what she could do with the amazing tarmac and planes available to her. Also behind this idea of sharing the planes was her wanting to build community near the cafe. Leimamo thought about creating a free familyfriendly event and had the genius idea of using the planes to give out Halloween candy!
The first year blew up with over 3,000 kids coming to the event. Last year was incredible! Almost 8,000 people showed up at the Riverside Airport Cafe and waited for hours to see the planes, enjoy the vendors, and celebrate Halloween. The line for the planes was down the block, but the vibe was great and everybody seemed to have a lot of fun.
This year, the third annual Planes-N-Treats event on October 19 will be bigger and better. Wearing costumes is encouraged and, of course, the kids will get to walk up to the planes and get a treat. There will be over 30 planes on the tarmac! Be sure to look for the legendary WWII D Day Doll C-53 airplane among an array of interesting aircraft.
The event has been so popular that the City of Riverside is now partnering with the Riverside Airport Cafe. City Councilman Steven Robillard approached Leimamo directly and offered to help support the family event. They will be providing traffic control, as well as RPD police officers to help with public safety. This year, parking will be housed at Harvest Church with four shuttles
WORDS: ALONDRA FIGUEROA
PHOTOS: ZACH CORDNER
bringing people to and from the event, making it easier to access.
There will be over twenty food trucks and over 50 vendors selling all kinds of goodies and food for everyone to enjoy. There will also be a play area with bouncy houses and games for the little ones to have fun and burn some of that halloween candy energy off!
The back patio is for the adult ghouls and goblins. That’s where the twenty-one and up beer garden will be located for those who want to embibe. This year, DJ D Dizzle will be spinning great tunes and hosting in the garden so check it out if you dare! Budweiser will also be bringing a beer truck so be sure to keep an eye out for that.
The 99.1 FM street team and Evelyn Erives will be stationed at the head of the line hyping things up as you enter the tarmac. Riverside’s own Angel Baby will be the event host and, as always, keep everyone feeling all the good vibes.
The amount of hard work, effort, and time put into this event is incredible. We know it takes teamwork, community collaboration, and months to plan. The Miracles and Dreams Foundation will provide all of the trick-or-treat bags for the kiddos and help with managing the line for the planes. It’s all about helping each other out to create a fun time and those who know Leimamo know she wouldn’t have it any other way. She feels that giving back to the community that supports her is key to success. She’s done what others couldn’t even dream of…building and celebrating community
in an area of town that many of us have never ventured to.
Leimamo does it all with help from her friends, but just to give you an idea, she spent over $10,000 in candy alone and who knows how much more putting it all together to create this wonderful time for Riversiders to enjoy. We are also once again thrilled to be part of this awesome family event and will be hosting a booth. We’ll be selling
original Riversider merchandise, so be sure to come on by and show us your costume for a treat!
Planes-N-Treats at Riverside Airport Cafe October 19, 4-9pm Free admission!
For more information go to: @theriversideairportcafe riversideairportcafe.com
Community
Inland Empire LGBTQ+ Center
WORDS: ALONDRA FIGUEROA
PHOTOS: ZACH CORDNER
As a homegrown Riversider, I am beyond proud to highlight the opening of the Inland Empire LGBTQ+ Center. Riverside’s amazing new community hub can be found downtown on the corner of Brockton and University Avenues. It is an absolutely beautiful center that is focused on health and well-being, uplifting and building the LGBTQ+ community today and for future generations to come.
I had the privilege of meeting with the center’s co-founders and collaborators. It was truly through their collective vision, talents, and sheer will that this center came to fruition. The co-founders are all home grown Inland Empire natives that came together beautifully and what a powerhouse team they are!
Co-founder Gabriel Maldonado is the CEO of TruEvolution, the non-profit parent organization that created the Project Legacy campus that hosts the IE LGBTQ+ Center. They also provide other amazing programs dedicated to fighting for LGBTQ+ rights, justice, and advocacy for the prevention and elimination of HIV/AIDS. Gabe’s passion and genuine love for building community is fantastic!
It was through perseverance that co-founder and Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes helped take the center from a dream to reality by securing three million dollars in our state’s budget to support the project! As an openly lesbian Latina politician, she makes sure to advocate for the LGBTQ+ community in all of her work. Her professionalism, dedication, and advocacy are awe inspiring.
The IE LGBTQ+ Center co-founders (L-R): TruEvolution CEO Gabriel Maldonado, State Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes and Jesse Melgar, Vice Chair of the CIELO fund.
“It takes a village with collective action to get things done,” Cervantes shared. “Since being elected into office and now in my eighth year, it has been my priority to really focus on our marginalized and under-resourced communities. I love what we have done here and will continue to do to support all community members.”
Co-founder Jesse Melgar is vice-chair for the Inland Empire Community Foundation (IECF) and founder of the CIELO fund whose mission is to
empower and invest in initiatives that serve the Latino community. Jesse was the first to reach out to the Riversider crew at a sweltering summer event and excitedly shared how proud he was of the IE LGBTQ+ Center that he and his partners had just unveiled. He wanted us to come check out the campus and see how wonderful it was for ourselves, naturally, we were thrilled to do so! When you arrive at the center, you can’t help but notice the fabulously renovated houses. At
The Riversider | October/November 2024
first glance, you may not realize that this is all part of the same TruEvolution Project Legacy Campus.
When the IE LGBTQ+ Center first opened a few months ago, sadly, it was faced with some vandalism. This is why the center is now much more secure and, to protect the safe space, you have to be let in through the front door. You are greeted by a receptionist to help point you in the right direction and check you in.
The center is unique in that there is meeting space available to book, and it houses office space for various uses. As you walk through the lobby, there is a nice cozy area where you can find community resources and see what’s going on at the center that day. On the day we went, there was a vaccine clinic and the lobby was filled with nurses and eager patients. We loved seeing their community outreach in action!
We were warmly welcomed by co-founder Jesse Melgar and began our tour of the Project
Legacy Campus. We cruised out the back door to their courtyard that can also be booked for events or gatherings. You can immediately see how impeccable and modern the campus looks and feels. This is despite the 100 year old neighboring area!
Gabriel joined us and showed us that directly across the courtyard is the small, but very impressive fitness center filled with brand new equipment for those ready to workout. The center’s focus in general is to support one’s total wellbeing, so naturally it is for all fitness levels and they do offer some group fitness classes.
TruEvolution’s housing development, Project Legacy, was created to address the immediate housing needs of vulnerable and underserved populations in Riverside. This is wonderful and you can tell it was a true labor of love. The five houses, or bungalows as they call them, surround the lovely courtyard that separates them a bit
from the larger campus to offer some privacy to residents. The campus is beautifully maintained; there’s also a community garden. The laundry and shower facilities are for checked-in visitors, not just residents!
The bungalows were completely renovated from top to bottom to create these amazing stateof-the-art houses while maintaining the historical look of the surrounding neighborhood. There are 48 beds total, all divided within the five residences. The transitional housing program is available to residents for up to twenty-four months. They get most of their referrals from the City of Riverside, Riverside County, Sober Living Facilities, and IEHP among others. They note that they are open to all, but focus on transitional age youth, seniors with chronic illness and disabilities, as well as those living with HIV. They are also partnering with UCR to provide support and housing for students experiencing housing insecurities.
Fitness Center
Project Legacy is proud to share that they have helped 29 residents transition to permanent supportive housing following their stay at their transitional housing. Wow! This is a huge accomplishment and we applaud the great work they are doing to support those who need it the most.
We were lucky to tour the James Baldwin house. The homes are very modern and the inside was configured for the best living situation possible by Director of Housing, Kurt Thomas. There are two full-sized refrigerators, specific individual cabinets with locks, and every public and common space area has cameras. Both on the campus and internally are covered by the camera system for added security. Each room is shared by two or three people, and they provide plenty of storage space like armoires that are specific to each person.
The Baldwin house has four bedrooms and three bathrooms. The entire property is high tech
and biometric! All of the exterior doors, as well as the bedrooms, are accessible by thumbprint. It allows them to monitor the campus and house activity twenty-four hours a day. They also have a facial recognition system built into the cameras, again, for safety due to some of the vandalism previously mentioned to keep track of visitors and residents alike.
The housing program has been endorsed and supported by the Downtown Neighborhood Association from the beginning, and they continue to be one of their biggest community partners. Their advocacy has helped TruEvolution bring this campus to life and be accepted into the local community.
This innovative community campus approach provides a safe and inclusive one-stop-shop for behavioral and mental health as they have bilingual therapists that provide individual therapy, as well
as support groups five days a week. There are also services and resources for everything from domestic violence and rape to living with HIV. If you would like to support the work done by the IE LGBTQ+ Center and TruEvolution, you can purchase tickets to their fundraising event, the TruGala, coming up on October 12.
We are so proud of the brilliant work done at the IE LGBTQ+ Center, Project Legacy, and TruEvolution and are grateful to them for their tireless effort to support and build community. That said, the IE LGBTQ+ Center is designed to be a safe space and resource for all residents of Riverside and surrounding communities. Don’t be shy, and stop by the center to say hi and access the many amenities they have to offer.
You can find even more information at truevolution.org
The IE LGBTQ+ Center recently hosted the Riverside Pride BBQ.
Inside the Baldwin House.
Mission Inn’s Catacombs Unveiled
The subterranean tunnels of Riverside’s National Historic Landmark hotel
Words: Philip Falcone
There is no greater Riverside folklore or legend than the Mission Inn catacombs. For over a century, these underground tunnels and passageways have captured the interests of tourists and locals alike. The topic of their construction, purpose, destination, evolution, and current state seemingly bubbles to the top of every October’s spooky cauldron, but this year—for the first time in a decade—the historic Mission Inn Hotel & Spa is creaking open the heavy metal-clad wooden doors to this subterrestrial labyrinth.
Let’s go back to the very beginning. The Mission Inn was constructed over the course of thirty years in four main phases, or wings. The first wing of the hotel, the Mission Wing, was completed in 1903— this is the U-shaped structure that surrounds you when entering the hotel’s front door. The vision for this first wing was to resemble a California Mission as that was the popular revival style of architecture at the turn of the 20th century.
The second wing, the Cloister Wing, was completed in 1909—this is found at the corner of Orange and 6th Streets. The vision for this wing was to be modeled after a European monastery, or religious structure which houses monks living under religious vows. Owner of the Mission Inn, Frank Miller, never intended for his hotel to be a religious building, rather, it was always the intention to simply mirror religious architecture.
An integral architectural element of any monastery is a cloister. A cloister is a square-shaped
"
The historic Mission Inn Hotel & Spa is creaking open the heavy metal-clad wooden doors to this subterrestrial labyrinth."
covered walkway which typically has a solid wall on one side of the walkway and an arched arcade on the other side that opens to a courtyard. Instead of a traditional cloister with a courtyard, Miller and his architect decided on a cloister walk— beneath his new Cloister Wing.
This series of narrow tunnels and passageways was made of board-form concrete and adorned with various styles of columns, arches, niches, and stained-glass windows. Over the years, spooky myths were likely reinforced by these architectural elements paired with the dim underground lighting that can be synonymous with eerie spaces.
Miller—an avid international traveler and serial buyer—had an exploding collection of artwork and statuary that needed a home for display at the Inn. The many niches and alcoves of the Cloister Walk became home to a couple hundred of these items. Following completion of this wing, hotel guests could wander the tunnels and appreciate the expansive
artifact collection. This museum-like space included displays of Asian, Native American, Spanish, and Christian motifs.
Some of the most popular displays in the Cloister Walk were also the most unusual. For example, the Pontifical Court, or Papal Court, included over a dozen life-sized wax figures depicting the pope and his numerous attendants. Miller purchased this wax collection in 1914 at the Panama Pacific Exposition in San Francisco. Some visitors to the Cloister Walk would even nab a piece of the wax figures as a souvenir—your imagination can run wild with what wax areas were most popular! Today, only the ceremonial clothing and a few body parts remain of this court.
For decades—through world wars—the Cloister Walk was a popular place for recreation and even small dinner parties. But as the hotel reached the mid-century and was no longer in the Miller family’s care, neglect began to set in along
JULIAN JOLLIFFE
The Pontifical Court of wax figures.
The site of the Nativity scene in the Cloister Walk, now and then.
These skeletons now reside in the Pontifical Court.
While photographing the catacombs, we used a Structured Light Sensor (SLS) camera that's capable of capturing spirit forms that can't be seen with the naked eye. We captured this human-like form hovering over us for about a minute before it disappeared in the Pontifical Court room.
with the damages of to-be-expected flooding, moisture, and vermin in a basement. Artifacts such as the venerable Henry Chapman Ford California Mission paintings that were arguably the spark that ignited the Mission Revival movement were severely damaged by water from ongoing moisture and occasional flooding in the Cloister Walk.
Due to poor subterranean conditions along with the rearranging and auctioning of various items, the Cloister Walk was steadily emptied from the 1950s to 1980s. During this period of neglect, many locals—especially mischievous high schoolers—made these tunnels their playgrounds after breaking into padlocked doors and sneaking past security guards. Many Riversiders today have stories similar to this of their own childhood. These exhilarating adventures below Riverside’s most iconic destination also added to the wild tales and folklore of the catacombs.
Catacomb folklore can be summarized to three popular questions that frequently arise. While often not rooted in truth, these tall tales are held close to the hearts of Riversiders. For informational purposes, here’s the truth—and one can do with it what they wish.
Are people buried in the catacombs?
No—or at least not to our knowledge. As previously explained, these tunnels were never intended to be called “catacombs.” Instead, they were always listed as the “Cloister Walk.”
Catacombs in Rome and Paris, for example, are underground galleries and rooms used for
centuries as burial chambers. The catacombs began to take place in the 2nd century and were not finished until the 5th century. Here, the skulls and bones of pagans, Jews, and the first Christians of Rome were buried and/or lined the walls and archways. The Cloister Walk became colloquially known as the catacombs despite from inception being art tunnels and not burial chambers.
Do the catacombs stretch all the way to Mt. Rubidoux?
This is perhaps the greatest Riverside lore that will seemingly never be vanquished. The Mission Inn catacombs do not route to Mt. Rubidoux. By the time the Cloister Walk was constructed in 1909, the majority of Downtown Riverside was established with tall buildings, roads, curbs, gutters, and streetlights.
To have human-sized underground tunnels stretch from the Mission Inn to Mt. Rubidoux would have been a great engineering and construction feat which would have required digging up roads and establishing deep trenches in Riverside’s hard ground for the mile to and up granite Mt. Rubidoux. Tunnel “entrances” people identify on Mt. Rubidoux are simply alcoves and dugout-style structures established throughout the years on the mountain for various purposes and do not lead beyond the mountain.
Another referral to a tunnel “entrance” in Evergreen Cemetery at the foothills of Mount Rubidoux is not a tunnel at all, rather, a three-arched stone
JULIAN
JOLLIFFE
receiving vault built into a slope in 1902 where bodies of the deceased were kept on ice before burial preparations were made. It is believed that during the pandemic of 1918, so many deaths occurred and cemeteries were not able to bury bodies at fast enough rates; therefore, they began using more ice to hold the growing number of bodies. This practice led to the Evergreen Cemetery receiving vaults later being referred to as the “icehouse.” In the 1920s, refrigeration was created and the icehouse was no longer used for its previous purpose. Today, it is used as storage.
However, tunnels do extend from the Mission Inn to neighboring buildings. Utility service tunnels providing heat and electricity radiated from the hotel in all nearby directions like spider legs stretching to the Loring Building, First Congregational Church, former City Hall, and the Museum of Riverside building.
Were the catacombs used to stash alcohol during prohibition?
Frank Miller was a devout prohibitionist who did not serve alcohol at his hotel—sans wine with dinner because that seemingly did not count as alcohol! While his era was notorious for trap doors and speakeasies, Miller was strait-laced and did
not utilize the Cloister Walk as a secret bar. No bars were established at the Inn until years after Miller’s death in 1934.
With these new facts and findings, an awareness—and perhaps a few corrections—of the infamous catacombs of the Mission Inn is established. But the fun of the folklore continues as each spooky season a heightened interest in the things that go bump in the night levels beneath this twisting castle-like fortress hotel is established.
The vision by Frank Miller to establish a meandering series of tunnels to display art and statuary was achieved for decades and while the Cloister Walk of 1909 is not the same as the Cloister Walk of 2024, the mystique and interest by the public in Riverside’s National Historic Landmark Mission Inn Hotel & Spa—and its tunnels—has never waned.
Looking for a fright this spooky season? For information on how you can tour the Mission Inn catacombs visit missioninn.com.
JULIAN
JOLLIFFE
JULIAN JOLLIFFE
The catacombs are decorated for this year's Halloween tours.
Historical Riverside
The Riversider | October/November 2024
The Return of Island Mountain Dosan Ahn Chang Ho, Cornelius Rumsey, and Riverside’s Quantum Entanglement Across the Pacific, 1904-2024
WORDS BY H. VINCENT MOSES, PHD
Korean Dosan Ahn Chang Ho in Riverside, 1904-1913
The great Korean freedom fighter, Dosan Ahn Chang Ho lived in Riverside from 1904-1913, and disappeared from local public memory immediately after the Great Freeze of 1913, which almost killed Riverside's navel orange enterprise, costing Dosan's Korean workers their jobs. Ahn moved his family
to Los Angeles, and the remainder of his Korean settlement broke up by 1918. In 1999, however, the missing Dosan made a miraculous return. This is the story of his return and of the establishment of unbreakable bonds between Riverside and the Republic of Korea Dosan first created through an unlikely collaboration with wealthy Riverside orange grower, Cornelius E. Rumsey.
Dosan Ahn Chang Ho’s life in Riverside remained unknown to the community from 1913, after the Great Freeze nearly destroyed the local navel orange industry, to 1999. Historians like me didn’t know he lived and worked among us, quietly laying the foundations for Korea’s fight for independence from the Empire of Japan. Most locals knew nothing about him then or that his
Anglo field crew chief with Dosan Ahn Chang Ho and his Korean picking crew in C. E. Rumsey's Alta Cresta Groves, c1905. Dosan stands third from the left next to the crew chief. Photo from The Korea Herald, "Visual History of Korea."
short stay in town permanently entangled Riverside and Korea with bonds of steel, bronze, and concrete.
During his brief tenure in Riverside, Dosan flew under the radar of the dominant Anglo community, known only to a few select orange growers, especially Cornelius E. Rumsey, wealthy grower and owner of Alta Cresta Groves and Packing House. Rumsey was a leader in the Calvary Presbyterian Church Mission School. He was also a humanitarian with a Wesleyan penchant for social perfectionism.
Ahn Chang Ho (1878-1938), known by his pen name Dosan (Island Mountain), and renowned among the Korean diaspora for his relentless advocacy for Korean independence from Japanese colonial rule and his dedication to social reform, Ahn Chang Ho’s legacy extends far beyond Korea. His contributions to the Korean immigrant community in the United States, particularly through his leadership in establishing the Korean
settlement Professor Edward Chang identified from Korean sources as Pachappa Camp in Riverside, are pivotal in understanding the early Korean American experience. Soon after meeting Ahn, Rumsey struck a bargain that changed the course of Korean history and bound Dosan forever to Riverside.
Dosan and Cornelius Rumsey: The First Entanglement
When Ahn Chang Ho arrived in Riverside in March 1904, he found Korean families and single male workers struggling to find jobs. Ahn had come south from San Francisco to assist his countrymen and find a stable job. By so doing, he hoped to complete his studies in English and democratic government. Instead, he discovered conditions that closely reflected the problems in Korea; Japanese labor contractors controlled all the jobs in the citrus orchards. Those contractors walled out the Korean workers.
Riverside, wealthy home of the Washington navel orange, attracted many immigrant workers, including Koreans, who were employed in the citrus industry. However, unlike many immigrant groups dispersed across various labor camps, the Koreans in Riverside, under Ahn’s leadership, formed a close-knit community in Pachappa Camp. By 1905, the settlement was replete with cottages and, by 1908, a bunkhouse/Community Center. Dosan’s village lay south of Fourteenth Street at Pachappa Avenue near the Alta Cresta Packing House belonging to Cornelius Earle Rumsey. This settlement provided housing, employment opportunities, and a cultural and political center for Korean immigrants.
Work was plentiful, but he had to find a way around the Japanese control of the labor market. Ahn impressed C. E. Rumsey. Dosan Ahn Chang Ho, a trained Confucian scholar, carried himself with the distinguished bearing of his noteworthy ancestor, Ahn Hyang. We know that with the encouragement of Rumsey, Ahn formed a Korean employment agency of his own. Dosan, or “Island Mountain,” as Ahn called himself, borrowed $1,500 from Mr. Rumsey to capitalize the agency and to pay for a dormitory building for the single Korean workers.
While in Riverside, Dosan convinced fellow village residents to attend English and Bible classes. C. E. Rumsey invited the Korean settlers to use his sizable craftsman house at 6700 Victoria Avenue for church services and English classes. A local Presbyterian pastor led the flock, and American Christians volunteered to assist with classes. In this way, Dosan's Korean improvement work in Riverside helped shape his future as the
C. E. Rumsey, c1905
Dosan with picker's bag and field box, Alta Cresta Groves, c1911. Courtesy Press Enterprise.
Historical Riverside
The Riversider | October/November 2024
spiritual leader of the Korean Independence Movement. He and his compatriots drew up plans for the movement, explicitly laying the groundwork for creating the Hung Sa Dahn (Young Korea Association) in 1913. The settlement site further confirmed Ahn’s connection to C. E. Rumsey, whose Alta Cresta Packinghouse lay nearby.
Lessons from Picking Oranges
Dosan taught his fellow workers to practice discipline as they picked oranges. He learned from Mr. Rumsey that citrus fruit had to be carefully handled to avoid decay due to bruises, clipper cuts, and fingernail punctures. Dosan used this information to train his
fellow workers to be patient, focused, and diligent. To pick one orange with care in an American orchard will help our country, he told them. In so doing, they would be more productive and make more money to save and support the Independence Movement.
The establishment of Pachappa Camp profoundly impacted the Korean American identity. It provided a space where Korean immigrants could maintain their cultural traditions while adapting to life in the United States. The camp fostered a sense of community and mutual support among its residents, which was crucial in a time when racism and economic hardship were common challenges for immigrants.
“There and Back Again:” Island Mountain Returns to Riverside, 1999
In late 1999, John Lee of The Korea Times, Southern California branch, came to Riverside Municipal Museum to present the Dosan story. Around the same time, John introduced me to Myung “Mike” Hong and the newly formed Dosan Ahn Chang Ho Memorial Foundation. Dr. Hong, owner of Duracoat Products, heir to the Joseph L. Hunter paint coating process, and his colleagues intended to place a monument to Dosan in the downtown mall. November 11, 2000, with John’s help, we opened an exhibition at the Riverside Municipal Museum entitled Patriot Dosan Ahn Chang Ho to forecast the coming of the monument on the mall.
Preparation for the exhibition led me to the location of the original Korean settlement, where Ahn had made a “perfect Dosan republic.” The Museum’s 1908 hard copy of the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps of Riverside pinpointed the location on Pachappa (Cottage) Avenue south of 14th Street. I eagerly showed John Lee and Mike Hong the area on the 1908 maps. At the time, I didn’t know the formal name of the settlement was Pachappa Camp. Professor Edward Chang and his students at UCR unearthed the name while researching the settlement in Korean language sources and newspapers around 2020-21. For the comprehensive history of the settlement, see Professor Chang’s book, Pachappa Camp, 2021.
On August 11, 2001, the Dosan Ahn Chang Ho Memorial Foundation staged a formal dedication ceremony to complete the monument on the Downtown Mall. Korean dignitaries, including Dr.
Susan Ahn Cuddy (Dosan's daughter) in blue jacket next to Dr. Myung "Mike" Hong at the Dosan monument, August 11, 2001. Photo courtesy of John Lee of The Korea Times.
The Dosan monument is located on the downtown Main Street Mall.
Dosan's Korean National Association convention at Pachappa Camp, Riverside, c1911. Photo taken outside the Community Center/Bunk House, built with Rumsey's $1500 loan.
“To pick one orange with care will help our country.”
— Dosan Ahn Chang Ho
Kang, former Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea, and the sitting Minister of Labor, among several other notables, attended the ceremony, bringing Korean World Television, The Korea Times, Los Angeles Times , and additional media representatives to town to cover the event. John Lee and I were picked to act as co-master of ceremonies.
Today, the Dosan Ahn Chang Ho Memorial stands at the intersection of University Avenue and Main Street downtown as an international marker of his presence in Riverside for those very short but significant few years. Look around this monument, and you can see the story unfold.
At the same time, Riverside International Relations Council and the City of Riverside Mayor’s Office signed a formal Sister City agreement with Gangnam-Gu, Seoul, the Republic of Korea, officially linking our two cities and further solidifying the trans-Pacific entanglement first generated by Dosan Ahn Chang Ho’s early stint in town as a humble orange picker—or so people thought.
Third Entanglement Point: The
Dosan Ahn Chang Ho Museum at
Citrus Park
Not satisfied with just the Dosan Monument downtown, The Dosan Ahn Chang Ho Memorial Foundation announced its intent to complete a new museum dedicated to Dosan’s work in America and Korea. The museum will be situated east of California Citrus State Historic Park off Van Buren Boulevard. The Center will serve as a multi-purpose museum dedicated to preserving and presenting Dosan’s legacy and impact on Riverside.
Aligned with Dosan’s life and teachings, the Memorial Hall will also function as a community and cultural hub, uniting Riverside's diverse communities to celebrate a shared heritage. This project aspires to be a cultural landmark in Riverside, fostering connections across all races and generations beyond the Korean American communities. Mayor Lock-Dawson and the City Council have given the Foundation their blessing, and the project has passed the site selection phase and is now working on architectural plans for the building and grounds.
Rejoice, Riversiders! The Dosan Museum will draw thousands of Korean visitors worldwide, adding to Riverside’s claim as The City of Arts and Innovation. It will add another attraction reminiscent of the Cheech and another bond between Riverside and Korea. Island Mountain has returned!
Illustrations of the new Dosan Museum Plan by Professor Young Seop Lee, AIA and John Simpson, M. Arch ’25 / California Baptist University. courtesy of Professor Lee.
CURATED VINTAGE MARKETPLACE
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Raincross District
3583 Market Street
3770 Orange Street (951) 458-8555
@raincross_district raincrossdistrict.com
* ONE OF A KIND VINTAGE GOODS *MAKERS MARKET *NEXT TO THE FOOD LAB!
OPEN 7 DAYS TWO LOCATIONS! Visit our Instagram for hours and promotions
One Night Only– Come purchase photography prints & work by some of the finest local photographers!
Great Holiday Gift Ideas! Penrose Records DJ’s Spinning Vinyl Classic Custom Hot Rods & Lowriders THE RIVERSIDER PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW Thursday, December 5th from 5-9pm
MUSEUM OF RIVERSIDE CELEBRATES
100th Anniversary Gala
December 12, 2024 | 5:30 – 10:00 p.m.
Ticketed Event | Riverside Municipal Auditorium, 3485 Mission Inn Avenue, Riverside, CA
A night to remember with dancing, mingling, and celebrating the Museum of Riverside’s 100th birthday! Purchase tickets today through the QR Code below, or for more information contact cdowning@riversideca.gov.
Victorian
Christmas Open House
Scan the QR Code for details on all 100 events
Victorian Christmas Open House
December 8 | 12:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Heritage House
8193 Magnolia Avenue, Riverside, CA
Celebrate the holiday season in true Victorian style at our annual Christmas Open House, featuring festive holiday decor, live music, warm cider, cookies, and a special visit from Father Christmas.
Roaring Riverside
of the 1920s
RoaringRiverside:Fashionsofthe1920s
On view through January 26, 2025
Heritage House
8193 Magnolia Avenue, Riverside, CA
Step back in time with a stunning collection of 1920s dresses that Riverside women wore throughout the decade! Scan the QR code to book your free tour.
A Festival of life
Saturday, Nov. 2nd from 11:00 am-9 pm Sunday, Nov. 3rd, from 11:00 am -6 pm.
Dia de los muertos, Day of the Dead returns for a free weekend of culture with live music, local bands, street performances, outstanding food, face painting, rows of colorful merchandise, ne art, and traditional ofrendas. San Diego’s Low Rider display and kids crafts area add to this unparalleled vibrant street scene.
SPECIAL APPEARANCE by Grupo Marca Registrada Sunday, November 3rd Presented by Estrella Jalisco
The Gaslamp in Downtown San Diego on 5th and G Street
Dining: Canyon Crest
Hangar 24 Taproom & Restaurant
The Canyon Crest Towne Centre has been a family-friendly destination for dining, shopping, and entertainment since it opened in 1979. Many Riverside residents remember it as a popular weekend hangout in the 90’s for teenagers to walk around, go to the movies, and play video games at the Pizza Hut.
“I used to come here for AYSO soccer parties when I was a kid. I’d go to the dollar movies in the summer,” Chris Cook, Hangar 24 CEO, recalled with a nostalgic grin. A recent addition to the Towne Centre is the Hangar 24 Taproom & Restaurant.
Chris Cook and his brother, Ben, who founded Hangar 24 in 2008, are proud Riverside natives and graduates from Poly High School. Ben’s love for craft brewing began at an early age.
“He would make his own beer and bring it whenever we’d hang out. We called it ‘Ben Beer,’” Chris recalled. “It was a passion for him. He loved the science behind it and being able to make something for people to enjoy, and he just got really good at it”.
Along with brewing, Ben Cook also had a passion for aviation. He and his pilot buddies
would meet up at Redlands Municipal Airport’s Hangar 24, where they spent afternoons debriefing over cold homebrews. It was there that Ben had the idea to open his own craft brewery in honor of his friends’ favorite hangout, and soon after, Hangar 24 Redlands was born.
The business has since expanded to include locations in Lake Havasu, Irvine, and most recently Riverside, but a significant difference between its Redlands home is that the Riverside Taproom offers an in-house food menu, as well as a full bar and wine list.
“We’re really focused on quality,” Chris Cook explained. “We use only premium ingredients, and our head chef is phenomenal.” From the bacon wrapped H24 Corn Dawgs and Chipotle Shrimp Tacos to the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich, Hangar 24’s menu does not disappoint.
The Taproom also offers 18-20 beers on tap, including H24 favorites like Orange Wheat and the Betty IPA, as well as a featured guest tap which rotates each month. Guests can also enjoy limited releases and seasonal beers like the Chocolate Bomber Porter and Oktoberfest Amber Lager.
After a year of construction, the Riverside
location opened its doors over Labor Day Weekend, where guests were met with a complete overhaul of the existing space. “We decided to start from scratch and really put our heart and soul into this place.” Chris Cook explained.
Complete with a hand painted mural of the iconic Orange Wheat beer label that started it all, a restored WWII airplane propeller, and various memorabilia on loan from March Air Force Base, the Hangar 24 Taproom offers a welcoming experience from a casual lunch break to an exciting weekend of live entertainment. Their attention to detail and commitment to quality gives promise that it will undoubtedly live up to the long legacy of local restaurants and businesses who have proudly made the Canyon Crest Towne Centre their home.
Riversider
WORDS: MANO MIRANDÉ
PHOTOS: ZACH CORDNER
Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich
H24 Corn Dawgs
Bar & Restaurant Guide
The Riversider | October/November 2024
AMERICAN (NEW)
Bushfire Kitchen
5225 Canyon Crest Dr Ste 92 (951) 534-0697
Pixels Bar And Eatery 3535 University Ave (951) 683-7957
ProAbition Whiskey Lounge & Kitchen
3597 Main St (951) 222-2110
The Rustik Fork Eatery 1355 E Alessandro Blvd Ste 101 (951) 656-3555
The Salted Pig
3750 Main St Ste 103 (951) 742-5664
Yard House
3775 Tyler St (951) 688-9273
BAKERIES/DONUTS
American Donuts
3355 Iowa Ave (951) 329-3238
Baguette Bakery & Café
767 W Blaine St B (951) 788-5300
Baker’s Dozen Donuts
6100 Magnolia Ave (951) 369-0198
Beignet Spot
4019 Market St (951) 224-9830
Better-Be Donuts Café 1015 E Alessandro Blvd (951) 653-0166
Fall is the ideal time to prepare your home for the colder months ahead, making it more energy-efficient and reducing your utility bills. At Riverside Public Utilities, we’re committed to helping you with a variety of rebates and incentives designed to keep you comfortable and your costs down throughout the season.
Whether you’re looking to upgrade your heating system, improve your home’s insulation, or invest in the latest smart home technology, we have the rebate for you.
For more information on RPU rebates and ways to save, visit:
Postcards From Yesterday
JULIAN
JOLLIFFE
Mission Inn's Cloister Walk, 1915
Teddy Swims
Everything But Therapy Tour 2024
Saturday, October 19
The Cult - 8424 With Special Guests Patriarchy
Tuesday, October 1
Dear Heart
Featuring Sharon Cuneta & Gabby Concepcion
Saturday, October 26
Penn & Teller
Friday, December 6
Chuy Lizarraga y su Banda Tierra Sinaloense
Friday, October 11
America Saturday, November 23
David Gray Past & Present Tour
Saturday, February 15
Masters of Illusion Saturday, January 4 Air Supply 50th Anniversary Celebration Sunday, February 16
