Most Riversiders are familiar with the Frank A. Miller Mount Rubidoux Memorial Park, with the scenic views from Huntington Drive (the road up and down the mountain), as thousands of walkers trek up Mt. Rubidoux almost daily. On December 14, 1905, the Huntington Park Association was formed to develop Mount Rubidoux into a beautiful park. Among the association members were Henry Huntington, Charles Loring, John Reed, Cornelius Rumsey, and Frank A. Miller.
However, many are unaware that Mt. Rubidoux was not Miller’s first park, which he developed. That honor belongs to Chemawa Park.
In 1887, the Riverside and Arlington Railway was incorporated, with Miller as one of the officers and manager of operations. By 1899, the R & A had electrified the line and expanded its operations. Looking for entertainment excursions, especially for his guests at the Glenwood Mission Inn, and to increase ridership on the Riverside and Arlington, the electric railway line purchased 23 acres on Magnolia Avenue between Monroe and Jackson Streets…