The Anchorage Park Inn: Riverside’s Winter Escape, Now a Memory

By the 1880s, Riverside became known as a place to escape the cold winters of the Midwest and East. Promotional materials, including postcards, touted the warm climate and the ripening oranges versus the freezing snow.

Places for these winter visitors sprung up, one being the Glenwood Cottages, the predecessor to the Mission Inn.  Managed by the Miller family, the first paid guest was Albert White in November 1876.  Another family, just outside of the original mile square, soon converted and enlarged their home over the years to become a winter retreat for those wishing to escape the cold.  The house belonged to Ebenezer Griffith Brown, one of Riverside’s early founders and settlers.

Brown purchased 104 acres about a half mile north of the town along Colton Avenue (today La Cadena Drive).  The property was bordered by Colton Ave. on the west, Russell on the north, Kansas Avenue on the east, and Blaine St. on the south. The Upper Canal, built by the Southern California Colony Association, ran through Brown’s property and furnished the water he needed for this home. He soon planted oranges and other trees on this acreage. Brown’s daughter, Sarah, wrote that her father had “sent for a barrel of Tahiti oranges from San Francisco, and Mr. Boyd brought them out from Los Angeles. The seeds were planted, and we waited nine and ten years for them to come in.”

In 1874, Brown was appointed justice of the peace and re-elected twice, serving until 1890. From then on, he was almost always referred to as Judge Brown.

By 1881, Judge Brown’s home was listed among the more noted private residences in Riverside. The two-story frame house was built at the cost of $2500.

The orange groves on the property of The Anchorage were not just for the enjoyment of the visitors but were a marketable enterprise. In the spring of 1893, several Riverside citrus men banded together and formed the Riverside Fruit Exchange. Judge Brown was one of these men. Others were A. J. Twogood, Matthew Gage, and Stephen Henderson Herrick.

Judge E. G. Brown died on September 8, 1894, and his estate was passed on to his son, Lyman V. W. Brown, and daughter, Sarah Brown. 

A large event at the Anchorage occurred on December 19, 1902.  Miss Sarah Brown, the daughter of the late Judge E. G. Brown, married Dr. James Waterman of Brooklyn, New York, the son of the late Robert Waterman, former governor of California. The wedding ceremony occurred at her brother’s home, L. V. W. Brown. Only family and close friends were in attendance. After the ceremony, the newly married couple were transported to the Anchorage Inn for the reception.  Over twelve hundred invitations were sent out for this more lavish celebration, and over three hundred people were expected to attend.  All the rooms were decorated in pink and green. Presiding over the large cut glass punch bowl was Mrs. Robert Lee Bettner, from another well-known Riverside family. The couple took up residence in Brooklyn. Thus, the daughter Sarah no longer had a direct connection to the affairs of the inn.

Meanwhile, the son, Lyman Brown, was heavily involved in many Riverside business and civic activities.  An early endeavor of his was the Riverside Essential Oil and Perfumery company. The younger Brown started this venture by growing the plants on the Anchorage property between the rows of orange and lemon groves. He expanded the family citrus groves beyond the original property, including around Crestmore Hill near the cement plant. Some of the orange label brands he produced were Cerrito, Swastika, Mahala, and Sunset, often fetching the highest prices.  In 1910, he bought the Sunny Mountain Packing Company in Highgrove and renamed it the L. V. W. Brown Packing House.

The Press Printing Company 1904 published a beautiful portfolio of Riverside views to advertise the city to eastern friends. Thirty-some pages pictured Riverside scenes that would catch the attention of prospective visitors.  One full page was a collage of views of the Anchorage Inn, demonstrating the inn’s importance to the city of Riverside. In 1913, Phinney’s Printery of Riverside produced a more extensive souvenir booklet. Again, the collage of the four photos of the Anchorage Inn and grounds was prominent in this booklet.

Too busy to manage the Anchorage Inn, the inn and its park were leased to various managers over the following decades, mainly as a winter resort. In 1905, Harvey S. Denison arrived in Riverside with his family to run the Anchorage Park Inn. He remained at the Anchorage until he retired in 1919.

Under the tutelage of Denison, the Anchorage Inn continued to improve and prosper.  Ads appeared in the local papers promoting “A Winter Home in an Orange Grove THE ANCHORAGE.” Another ad stated: “One mile from Public Library. All trains from Salt Lake and Southern Pacific railway stop on our grounds. Three minutes from Market Street, fare five cents.”

At the beginning of the 1910 winter season, the local paper stated that this home in an orange grove proved delightful for visitors seeking rest and cessation from the passing cares of busy lives.  Some returning guests had made the Anchorage Inn their winter retreat for over twenty years. Many were escaping the cold winters of northern climates, with almost a third coming south from British Columbia. The Anchorage was mainly a winter resort. Ads stated that the Anchorage Park was open from December to May. In a large ad in 1907 with a collage of pictures, the establishment was described as:

It is not a hotel in the strict sense of the word. It certainly is not a boarding house. It is perhaps best described as a winter home for people of exclusive and refined tastes. The Anchorage is conducted during the winter only and caters to a trade that is particularly its own. It is charmingly located in an orange grove, and the spacious grounds, harmonious furnishings, and splendid menu have proven most attractive to several people of culture and refinement who have a number of reoccurring years made The Anchorage their winter home.

In 1907, the facility was enlarged and improved to accommodate more guests by the following season. At some point, bungalows were added. Those in these units had their meals in the main building and could use the living and smoking rooms. What did the guests do to entertain themselves? There was a croquet court, paths, and other activities. 

Active in Riverside’s political life, Lyman Brown was elected mayor of the city. He took office at 10 a.m. on January 2, 1922. Twelve hours later, he died in an automobile accident in Upland while returning from Los Angeles. Having served the shortest mayoral term in history, he left behind his wife and two daughters, Charlotte and Barbara. The L. V. W. Brown Estate was set up to handle its holdings, including the Anchorage Park Inn.

Various managers operated the Anchorage Inn over the years, but the clientele changed. Fewer winter visitors came, so the emphasis was placed on locale people for dining and parties.

An attempt to run an establishment on the site was made by Mrs. E. W. Miller, also known as Mrs. Betty Davis, in late 1932.  According to the few newspaper articles, she and others ran a roadhouse called the “Southern Club” on the property of the Anchorage Inn.  On November 3, the place was raided by Sheriff Carl Rayburn and Chief of Police Nestor Brule and padlocked. The defendants were charged with the sale of whisky and gambling. The club was described as “well patronized.” The report also stated, “The officers have the names of several prominent young men of San Bernardino and Riverside, who were seen frequently at the club.” This short-lived venture ended in court.

During the following years, the building remained empty and slowly deteriorated. Away from downtown and with most of its acreage sold off, the Anchorage Park Inn could no longer attract enough boarders. 

A sad day in the history of Riverside occurred in June 1935.  The L.V.N Brown estate sold the Anchorage Inn to the Globe Wrecking and Lumber Company.  The company tore down the structure. From June 17 through August 19, Globe Lumber and Wrecking ran an ad titled “Now Wrecking Anchorage Inn Hotel.” They advertised 75,000 feet of good used lumber, sash and doors, bathtubs, toilets, lavatories, pipe and fittings, hardwood flooring, and bricks for sale. Buyers were encouraged to come early for a good choice. 

The only visible component on the property today is the canal, which still runs through the area. The old inn was torn down, and the orange groves were removed and replaced with development. The I-215, 60, and 91 Interchange looms over the upper corner of the property. Russell Street and La Cadena no longer connect. This wonderful winter retreat for Riverside visitors is just a distant memory.

For more information, read the article “The Anchorage Park Inn” in the December 2019 issue of the Riverside Historical Society Journal.