Riverside Public Library
Local History Collections
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The Library has been collecting Local History materials since the 1890s and has a very extensive local history holdings with original materials dating from the 1870s. The collection includes:
- Topics: Resources on many aspects of Riverside County history, including: early history, Indians of Inland Southern California, Spanish and Mexican land grants, citrus and date industries, natural history and local wildlife, government, biography, and bibliography.
- Over 5000 catalogued books and other printed resources. Be sure to search our catalog.
- More than 600 historical maps
- More than 4,000 historical photographs and postcards
- A very large local history pamphlet and clipping collection
- Special historical collections such as citrus labels, menus, postcards, music scores, high school and college annuals
- Local government publications
- Local periodicals and newspapers as well as periodicals of regional interest, including The Press-Enterprise, Inland Empire Magazine, Southern California Quarterly, Journal of the Riverside Historical Society, The Citrograph, and Desert Magazine.
- City and County Directories dating from 1889 to 1969. Criss-Cross directories dating from 1971 to present. Telephone directories from 1911 to the present.
- Finding aids to a variety of collections, including an index to Tom Patterson's "Out of the County's Past" column, indices to local newspapers, a special editions index, as well as indices to books and finding aids for archival and manuscript collections.
- American Association of University Women Records
- Architectural drawings
- Anthony, Sharon, Camp Haan Papers
- Burlingame, Russell C., Tibbetts Family Papers (no finding aid available)
- Camp Anza Collection
- Carpelan, Dr. Marian C. Papers
- Chase, Ethan Allen Scrapbooks
- Citrus Label Collection | Description and Finding Aid | Online Collection
- Condit, Ira J., Papers
- Connelly, Charles F. Collection
- Darling, Mary Elizabeth, Scrapbooks
- De Anza Days Scrapbooks (no finding aid available)
- Dunbar, Dorothy Collection of Landscape Architecture Plans
- Field, Avery Edwin, Panoramic Photographs
- Food Machinery Corporation Photographs
- Founding Documents of Riverside
- Friends of the Mission Inn Scrapbooks (no finding aid available)
- Henderson, W.T., Scrapbooks
- Ida Leona Mine Plans
- Lawton, Harry, Chinatown Papers
- Loring Opera House and Theatre Program Collection
- Madame Inez McCune Williamson and Virginia Lee Williamson collection (processing)
- Miller, Wallace J.: Watercolors and Pen and Ink Collection |
Description and Finding Aid | Online Collection - Music Teachers' Association of California, Riverside Branch, Records (no finding aid available)
- Nightingale Club Records
- Northcott Murders: James Jeffrey Paul’s Research Materials
- Out-door Esthetic Committee Minutes
- Postcard Collection
- Purington, Adair, and Winder Records
- Purkart, Josef, Collection of Architectural Drawings
- Reed, John Henry, Photograph Collection
- Riverside Blue Ribbon Groves Records
- Riverside Chamber of Commerce Records
- Riverside County Medical Association Records (no finding aid available)
- Riverside Junior Woman's Club Records
- Riverside Lawn Bowling Club Records (no finding aid available)
- Riverside Library Service School Records
- Riverside Mutual Building & Loan Association Records (no finding aid available)
- Riverside Navel Growers' Association Records
- Riverside Public Library Archives (no finding aid available)
- Riverside Public Library Photograph Collection
- Riverside Public Schools Records
- Riverside Symphony Orchestra Program Collection
- Riverside Symphony Orchestra Scrapbooks
- Riverside Veterans' History Project
- Riverside Woman's Club Records
- Riverside Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) Records (no finding aid available)
- Roe, James H., Manuscript
- Rubidoux Building Company Records
- Shades of Riverside Collection
- Warren Historical Scrapbook
- Water Company Collections
- Welch, Richard, Ledgers
- Wozencraft Abstract Company Indices
Viewing our collections is by appointment only, please call 951-826-5301 to make an appointment.
Viewing our collections is by appointment only, please call 951-826-5301 to make an appointment.
Viewing our collections is by appointment only, please call 951-826-5301 to make an appointment.
For more information, contact the Local History Specialist Ruth McCormick at [email protected]
Processed collections in the Riverside Public Library's Local History Archives
Click on the links below for further details about a particular collection, including finding aids.
