A few weeks ago, Anthony Solorzano, in his series exploring Riverside through the eyes of a transplant, wrote an insightful article on Riverside’s Hunt Park and what he observes while running there. The article raised a question for me: What is the history behind this park I often drive past? When I was younger, I even played softball there in a church league.
Early in 1954, the City Council and the parks board discussed the need for a new park to better serve the Arlington area. Arlington Park was near the intersection of Van Buren and Magnolia, but residents and the Arlington Chamber of Commerce wanted a second park.
After months of study, the council in May 1954 endorsed the site recommended by the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Planning Commission. Riverside purchased the 15-acre tract at the corner of Jackson Street and Garfield Street for $30,000 from the Kenneth Russell family of Los Angeles. The site had 600 feet of frontage along Jackson and extended 990 feet back to Sherman Drive…