County Past
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Riverside County, California

Historic newspapers, landmarks, and county history layers for genealogists and local historians.

—newspaper titles
—digitized titles
104historic places
—earliest paper
1893formed
2,418,185pop. 2020
37cemeteries
—CW battlefields

At a glance

Summary

The National Register of Historic Places includes 104 listed properties in the county, first listed in 1971; 2 are also National Historic Landmarks. Most listings are in or near Palm Springs, Riverside, Corona.

Summary generated automatically from the source data on this page.

Newspapers

Library of Congress

Newspaper directory data for California is not yet loaded on this site. Browse Riverside titles at the Library of Congress.

National Register of Historic Places

NPS NRHP

67 of 104 listings mapped; some locations are restricted by NPS to protect sensitive sites.

104 listed properties
PropertyCityTypeListed
Administration Building, Sherman InstituteRiversideBuilding1980
Alexander, Dr. Franz, HousePalm SpringsBuilding2016
All Souls Universalist ChurchRiversideBuilding1978
Andreas CanyonPalm SpringsDistrict1973
Archeological Sites CA-RIV-504 and CA-RIV-773BlytheSite2003
Arlington Branch Library and Fire HallRiversideBuilding1993
Armory HallLake ElsinoreBuilding1992
Barker DamTwentynine PalmsStructure1975
Bates, Miles C., HousePalm DesertBuilding2018
Bel Vista HousePalm SpringsBuilding2020
Bel Vista House at 1150 N. Calle RolphPalm SpringsBuilding2024
Blythe IntagliosBlytheDistrict1975
Buttercup Farms PictographPerrisDistrict1976
Cabot's Old Indian Pueblo MuseumDesert Hot SpringsBuilding2012
Carey HousePalm SpringsBuilding2015
Carnegie, Andrew, LibraryCoronaBuilding1977
Childs, William, HouseRiversideBuilding1999
ChinatownRiversideSite1990
Coachella Valley Fish TrapsValerieSite1972
Coachella Valley Savings No. 1Palm SpringsBuilding2016
Coachella Valley Savings No. 2Palm SpringsBuilding2016
Community Settlement HouseRiversideBuilding2017
Corn SpringsDesert CenterSite1998
Corona Foothill RanchCoronaDistrict2025
Corona High SchoolCoronaBuilding2005
Crescent BathhouseLake ElsinoreBuilding1975
Desert Bel Air Showcase HouseIndian WellsBuilding2026
Desert Golf CoursePalm SpringsDistrict2020
Desert Queen MineTwentynine PalmsDistrict1976
Donaldson FuturoIdyllwildBuilding2021
Edris HousePalm SpringsBuilding2016
Elrod, Arthur, HousePalm SpringsBuilding2016
Estudillo MansionSan JacintoBuilding2001
Evergreen CemeteryRiversideBuilding2023
Federal Post OfficeRiversideBuilding1978
Fire Station No. 1Palm SpringsBuilding2015
First Church of Christ, ScientistPalm SpringsBuilding2016
First Church of Christ, ScientistRiversideBuilding1992
First Congregational Church of RiversideRiversideBuilding1997
Frey House IIPalm SpringsBuilding2015
Galleano WineryMira LomaDistrict2003
Garbani, Rocco, HomesteadWinchesterDistrict1999
Gilman RanchBanningDistrict1977
Grand Boulevard Historic DistrictCoronaDistrict2011
Hamrick HousePalm SpringsBuilding2016
Harada House NHLRiversideBuilding1977
Heritage HouseRiversideBuilding1973
Jefferson, Thomas, Elementary SchoolCoronaBuilding2017
Jensen, Cornelius, RanchRubidouxBuilding1979
Kenaston HouseRancho MirageBuilding2016
Kocher-Samson BuildingPalm SpringsBuilding2015
Koerner HousePalm SpringsBuilding2016
Krisel Tract Home, 1882 S. Caliente Road (APN 511032005-9)Palm Springs, Agua Caliente Indian ReservationBuilding2019
Lake Norconian ClubNorcoDistrict2000
Lederer, Gus, SiteDesert CenterSite2003
Loewy HousePalm SpringsBuilding2015
Luiseno Ancestral Origin LandscapeTemeculaDistrict2014
March Field Historic DistrictRiversideDistrict1994
Martinez Canyon RockhouseNorth Palm SpringsBuilding1999
Martinez Historical DistrictTorres-Martinez Indian ReservationDistrict1973
Masonic TempleRiversideBuilding1980
McCoy Spring Archeological SiteBlytheSite1982
Miller, Grace Lewis, HousePalm SpringsBuilding2020
Mission Court BungalowsRiversideDistrict1993
Mission Inn NHLRiversideBuilding1971
Mount San Jacinto State Park Historic DistrictIdyllwildDistrict2013
Murrieta Creek Archeological AreaTemeculaDistrict1973
North Chuckwalla Mountain Quarry DistrictDesert CenterDistrict1981
North Chuckwalla Mountains Petroglyph District Ca-Riv 1383Desert CenterDistrict1981
North Shore Yacht ClubMeccaBuilding2015
O'Donnell, Thomas, HousePalm SpringsBuilding2011
Old YWCA BuildingRiversideBuilding1982
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Mountain StationIdyllwildBuilding2016
Palm Springs City HallPalm SpringsBuilding2015
Palm Springs Desert MuseumPalm SpringsBuilding2016
Palm Springs Municipal Airport TerminalPalm SpringsBuilding2021
Palm Springs Tramway Valley StationPalm SpringsBuilding2015
Palm Springs Unified School District Educational Administrative CenterPalm SpringsBuilding2016
Pearlman Mountain CabinIdyllwildBuilding2016
Perris DepotPerrisBuilding1994
Plaza TheatrePalm SpringsBuilding2025
Riverside Municipal Auditorium and Soldier's Memorial BuildingRiversideBuilding1978
Riverside-Arlington Heights Fruit ExchangeRiversideBuilding1980
Riviera GardensPalm SpringsDistrict2021
Ryan House and Lost Horse WellTwentynine PalmsDistrict1975
San Pedro, Los Angeles, & Salt Lake RR DepotRiversideBuilding1977
San Timoteo Canyon SchoolhouseRedlandsBuilding2001
SandcliffPalm SpringsDistrict2025
Santa Fe Federal Savings and Loan AssociationPalm SpringsBuilding2016
Sieroty HousePalm SpringsBuilding2015
Simon's, M. H., Undertaking ChapelRiversideBuilding1980
Sinatra, Frank, HousePalm SpringsBuilding2016
Smith, Maurice, and Dinah Shore HousePalm SpringsBuilding2019
Southern HotelPerrisBuilding1992
Sutherland Fruit CompanyRiversideBuilding1986
Tahquitz CanyonPalm SpringsSite1972
Tramway Gas StationPalm SpringsBuilding2015
Trujillo AdobeRiversideSite2025
University Heights Junior High SchoolRiversideBuilding1993
Victoria AvenueRiversideSite2000
Wexler HousePalm SpringsBuilding2019
Williams, E. Stewart and Mari, HousePalm SpringsBuilding2016
Wolf Store and Vail Ranch HeadquartersTemeculaDistrict2023
Woman's Improvement Club ClubhouseCoronaBuilding1988

Source: National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Property links open NRHP nomination files at the National Archives.

County formation

Newberry AHCB

Riverside was formed in 1893 (1893-05-02) from both SAN BERNARDINO, San Diego.

RIVERSIDE created from both SAN BERNARDINO and SAN DIEGO. Act passed 11 March 1893; referendum for or against creation of new county held 2 May 1893.

Source: Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

Population by decade

Census

Riverside County population from 1900 to 2020 (Census historical series).

2.4M1.2M18k19001920196020002020
19001920194019501960198020002020
17,89750,297105,524170,046306,191663,1661,545,3872,418,185

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau historical county population (Forstall 1790–1990) and public-domain / CC0 county population series through 2020.

National Park Service sites nearby

NPS

Park units within about 40 km of the county centroid (from NPS Public POIs; no API key).

SiteTypeDist.
Joshua Tree National ParkPark unit32.6 km

Source: NPS National Datasets / Public POIs. The NPS Developer API requires a free key and was not used.

Cemeteries & historical places

USGS GNIS

37 cemeteries and 5 historical populated places (ghost towns / former settlements) recorded in USGS GNIS for this county.

Cemeteries — 37 of 37 listed
NameLatLon
Bergman Family Cemetery33.44831-116.89124
Cahuilla Cemetery33.53935-116.74533
Coachella Valley Public Cemetery33.66888-116.21827
Corona Sunnyslope Cemetery33.86853-117.54739
Desert Lawn Memorial Park33.95668-117.02114
Desert Memorial Park33.81833-116.44175
Elsinore Valley Cemetery33.69412-117.3428
Evergreen Memorial Park and Mausoleum33.97953-117.3866
Forest Lawn Memorial Park33.81548-116.44249
Hope Lutheran Church Columbarium33.71532-116.37282
Jane Augustine Patencio Cemetery33.82219-116.53406
Laurel Cemetery33.54225-117.22198
Louis Wolf Tombstone33.4644-117.11997
Manker Family Cemetery33.66889-117.24511
Martinez Cemetery33.5605-116.15311
Morongo Tribal Cemetery33.96057-116.82585
Morongo Tribal Cemetery33.95408-116.81986
Mountain View Cemetery33.94376-116.98087
Olivewood Memorial Park33.95327-117.38029
Palo Verde Cemetery33.63083-114.60074
Perris Valley Cemetery33.79453-117.22558
Pierce Brothers Crestlawn Memorial Park33.95268-117.51973
Radec Cemetery33.46487-116.91344
Riverside National Cemetery33.88465-117.27599
Ryan Ranch Cemetery33.98364-116.14989
Saint Boniface Indian School Cemetery33.93933-116.88882
Saint Margaret's Episcopal Church Columbarium33.70323-116.39805
Saint Mary's Catholic Cemetery33.96121-116.82445
San Gorgonio Memorial Park33.94945-116.88219
San Jacinto Valley Cemetery33.76031-116.96131
Sherman Indian School Cemetery33.87886-117.50402
Stewart Sunnyslope Cemetery33.91946-116.96502
Temecula Massacre Cemetery33.48162-117.09073
Temecula Public Cemetery33.49159-117.14146
Toro Cemetery33.58821-116.23106
Welwood Murray Cemetery33.83061-116.5527
Wildomar Cemetery33.60608-117.27555
Historical populated places — 5 of 5
NameLatLon
Auld33.58614-117.06142
Caleb33.53669-116.015
Myoma33.75141-116.27834
Rannells33.48919-114.70885
Tosco33.69224-114.60246

Source: USGS Geographic Names Information System (public domain). Cemeteries from the 2021 NationalFile archive; historical places from GNIS HistoricalFeatures topical extract.

Historical markers

HMdb link

Marker text and photos from the Historical Marker Database (HMdb) are not embedded here. HMdb allows non-commercial reuse with attribution, but commercial/compensated use needs written permission; this is a commercial site, so we only link out.

Search HMdb for Riverside County, California

Terms: hmdb.org/copyright.asp. Linking is encouraged by HMdb.