Newsletter: The Perristorian 2nd Quarter 2021
Here is the most recent news letter. Note: Page 5 has the latest information about the upcoming SILENT AUCTION to be held on Sunday, Sept. 19 starting at 4 pm at the Perris Santa Fe Depot Garden. If you would like to help by donating some item to be auctioned off during the event, please contact us at [email protected] or call at 951-956-9081. The last page has a membership form with the amount of dues that you could contribute to the Perris Valley Historical and Museum Association to help with our expenses and options for volunteering.
Articles from Archives:
1.) The Archives
2.) Southern California Flat Track Association
3.) History of the Motte Rimrock Reserve
4.) Santa Fe Station at Perris
5.) Perris Baseball circa 1905-1912
The Archives
The Bank of Perris building is the location of the Perris Valley Historical Museum's Archives. The building served for many years as a bank for the people of Perris and the surrounding valleys. It is now the location of many items of historical significance for the greater Perris area. More below these pictures!
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The Evolution of an Archive…the continuing story.
We pick up in 1947 when the bank was sold to Citizens National Trust & Saving Bank of Riverside. After a number of years, they closed their doors and the building was used for a time as a real estate office. Then, with the widening of Highway 74, in 1986, the city needed to make decisions about the fate of the bank building. They recognized the historic value of it, but to save it would mean jogging the road around it. Well, they made the decision not to tear it down but it took more years to find funding to do something with it.
In 2009, the city used money from their development impact fees to give the building its historic face lift. The sign was restored, the marble floors were recovered and enough was salvaged to use the original stone for the entryway, and the vault doors were renewed. At the cost of $500,000, it took 150 days to restore it to what it is today.
Beautiful!
Our friend Christina Perris, (great great granddaughter of Fred T. Perris, our founding father) took up the challenge in 2010 to transform the building into a working archive. Her strides were great. She created a “stacks” area for storage and processing, making ours an “open-view” system, giving patrons the rare opportunity to witness an archive at work. She designated the reception area as a place for researchers to work, and she used the vault as a “controlled environment” for items needing to be stored with strict controls on temperature and relative humidity.
But the story does not end there. In 2017 the fire suppression system malfunctioned resulting in damage to the floor, baseboards and some of the bricks. The city stepped in again to help us with repairs but shortly after, the fire suppression system malfunctioned again! The city, always there for us, repaired the then new floors and completed the further repairs.
2019 welcomed some new faces to the archive. Kathy Watson and Lorna Hulstrom have been selflessly working to clean and organize our treasures. It looks like new, inside and out, and is now open by appointment. As their work nears completion, we look forward to the day that we can operate with regular business hours, allowing our citizens the opportunity to use our archive as a research library, as intended.
We pick up in 1947 when the bank was sold to Citizens National Trust & Saving Bank of Riverside. After a number of years, they closed their doors and the building was used for a time as a real estate office. Then, with the widening of Highway 74, in 1986, the city needed to make decisions about the fate of the bank building. They recognized the historic value of it, but to save it would mean jogging the road around it. Well, they made the decision not to tear it down but it took more years to find funding to do something with it.
In 2009, the city used money from their development impact fees to give the building its historic face lift. The sign was restored, the marble floors were recovered and enough was salvaged to use the original stone for the entryway, and the vault doors were renewed. At the cost of $500,000, it took 150 days to restore it to what it is today.
Beautiful!
Our friend Christina Perris, (great great granddaughter of Fred T. Perris, our founding father) took up the challenge in 2010 to transform the building into a working archive. Her strides were great. She created a “stacks” area for storage and processing, making ours an “open-view” system, giving patrons the rare opportunity to witness an archive at work. She designated the reception area as a place for researchers to work, and she used the vault as a “controlled environment” for items needing to be stored with strict controls on temperature and relative humidity.
But the story does not end there. In 2017 the fire suppression system malfunctioned resulting in damage to the floor, baseboards and some of the bricks. The city stepped in again to help us with repairs but shortly after, the fire suppression system malfunctioned again! The city, always there for us, repaired the then new floors and completed the further repairs.
2019 welcomed some new faces to the archive. Kathy Watson and Lorna Hulstrom have been selflessly working to clean and organize our treasures. It looks like new, inside and out, and is now open by appointment. As their work nears completion, we look forward to the day that we can operate with regular business hours, allowing our citizens the opportunity to use our archive as a research library, as intended.
Southern California Flat Track Association
Perris Raceway officially became a race track in 1957 and was the dream of Gerry and Grace Burton. Originally a TT scrambles track that hosted events from racing clubs throughout California. In the 1960's Perris made the big time and was featured on ABC's Wide World of Sports. There was also a parade down the main street in the town of Perris. Famous director Bruce Brown (On Any Sunday) even filmed at Perris.
The entire racing program was a family affair with the Burtons. Gerry did all the track building and prep. He started the races and groomed the track between races while wearinghis signature white attire which became a trademark. Grace could always be found at the front gate and later in the snack bar being the driving force of the whole show. Daughters Carylon and Darleen would handle scoring and arranging the heat boards.
Perris, located within the AMA's District 37 bounderies, hosted many weekend day events as attested to by the logos still seen on the rocks to this day. The events were so filled with entries that both Saturday and Sunday were needed to run a full program. 0-200cc on Saturday with 201-open bikes on Sunday. Not to forget the regular Saturday night races that were put on each and every week by Perris themselves.
Flash foreward to the 1980's when moto-cross came onto the scene and the TT scrambles began to fade as the up and coming racers switched to jumps instead of speed. Recollections by Jamey Blunt.
Gerry Burton
They start young!
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Grace Burton
A bike in the air!
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History of the Motte Rimrock Reserve
In the early 1960's when Charlie and Ottie Motte purchased several hundred acres known as the Rimrock Ranch in the area west of Perris, one of their intents was to maintain a major portion of this property in its natural state. In 1975 Charlie and Ottie gave their first of many gifts of land to the UC Reserve System. In fulfillment of their dreams, on April 11, 1981, 143 acres Known as the Motte Rimrock Reserve was dedicated to the University of California Natural Land and Water Reserve System. Over the years many more acres have been gifted to the UC Reserve System, to expand the reserve, including a house for use as an on-site headquarters and laboratory.
The Motte Reserve posses a rich archaeological history, including some of the best preserved pictographs in Southern California. Studies have shown this area was used for ceremonial purposes. The reserve also has numerous plants and animals native to this area and includes natural springs. Such reserves are vital to science and provides an area for studies of plant and animal life.
Charlie and Ottie's generosity and that of other Perris Valley residents, Dr. Ann Parker and Howard Schlundt's foresight will always remain a natural wonder and place of scientific discovery within the UC Reserve System. They have truly given the people of the area and the University of California Natural Reserve System a gift that will last forever.
The Motte Reserve posses a rich archaeological history, including some of the best preserved pictographs in Southern California. Studies have shown this area was used for ceremonial purposes. The reserve also has numerous plants and animals native to this area and includes natural springs. Such reserves are vital to science and provides an area for studies of plant and animal life.
Charlie and Ottie's generosity and that of other Perris Valley residents, Dr. Ann Parker and Howard Schlundt's foresight will always remain a natural wonder and place of scientific discovery within the UC Reserve System. They have truly given the people of the area and the University of California Natural Reserve System a gift that will last forever.
One of the rocks used to grind food for the people.
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Notice the rocks that give the Rimrock Reserve it's name.
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One of the pictographs in the reserve.
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Santa Fe Station at Perris
The Santa Fe Station at Perris has been abandoned by the Santa Fe Railroad for many years, but it's legacy lives on.
During December of 1881 California Southern Railroad Company began planning a route between San Bernardino and San Diego, the final portion of the transcontinental Route, from Topeka, Kansas to San Diego, California.
In August of 1882 the track was completed to Colton, not connected to San Bernardino until September of 1883.
With a one way fare being only $6.10 the first Transcontinental train from the east passed through Perris Station on November 15, 1885.
Perris Station wasn't officially a Santa Fe station until 1886. On April 1, of 1886 a ceremony was held and Perris became a Santa Fe station. In the year 1888 a branch line was extended to San Jacinto Valley from Winchester and Perris.
Heavy storms washed out the lines continually in Temecula Gorge in 1892. Service to San Diego was cut off and Perris Station was retired as a stop on the Transcontinental route.
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Perris Baseball Circa 1905-1912
Perris Team (circa 1905-1910)
The Perris Baseball Photos are a local reflection of what was going on in southern California and in many other areas of the country between the late 1880's until World War one. The game was becoming popular and people wanted to watch and in many cases participate.
As you can imagine the organization of leagues was nebulous with teams forming and disappearing in short order. Frequently a place to play determined the life span of a team. Some of the teams were strictly amateur, others semi-pro where at least one player was paid to play and professional where players were paid and usually had a sponsor to pay the bills.
The California League functioned off and on from 1887 till 1910 and the California State League from 1910 to 1929 that had assorted teams from around the state. The Southern California Trolley League in 1910 and the Southern California League in 1907 till 1913 were short-lived leagues that tried to match up teams from the community teams of the southland. Some of the colorful nicknames that were used during this time frame were Grays, Raisin Growers, Clam-diggers, Dudes, Pioneers, Wasps, Prune Pickers, Sand Crabs, and Hayseeds.
Amongst these teams were the teams from the smallest towns that probably lacked the larger sponsorships and easier travel options. These teams were limited to playing the closest towns nearby. Most players probably played for the fun of the game but amongst them were players with more skill that dreamed to play at a higher level and eventually to make it to the major leagues.
The first photo shows the Perris team (circa 1905-1910) with one of these dreamers who achieved his dream. The members from front to back are: Jimmie Noonan (mascot), Albert Trujillo, Salio Trujillo, Chester Cuttler, Don Knowles, Frank Trujillo, Odie Beam, Elmer Rieger, Peter Pauly, and Ralph Ingraham.
From an oral interview with Norman Hughes (a long time Perris Valley resident) in March 2004 a glimpse was given of some members of these teams. Norman remembered the names of three players. They were Elmer Rieger, Jimmy Kincannon and Albert Trujillo who were all pitchers. Norman reported that Albert was ambidextrous and won both games of a double header. He pitched one game right handed and the other game left-handed. Norman also recalled that Elmer Rieger played in the Major Leagues for the Chicago White Sox for 16 years. Norman did admit that this was before his time and he did not know the Rieger family personally.
The player who achieved his dream to play in the major leagues was Elmer Rieger. He was a pitcher and was invited to play for a team from Los Angeles (Morans) in the Southern California League. On February 24, 1907 Elmer Started a game against the Anaheim Oil Wells. He lost a 4-1 decision. The starting pitcher for the Oil Wells was a pitcher named Walter Johnson. On August 2 of that year Walter Johnson debuted with Washington of the American League and became one of the most legendary pitchers of all time in the major leagues.
Major league records do not support Norman's recollection that Elmer played for the Chicago White Sox. Elmer became a member of the Saint Louis Cardinals in 1910 and, so far, is the only player born in Perris (Feb. 25, 1889) to play in the major leagues. He was primarily used as a relief pitcher but did start a game against the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday, April 24, 1910 at Palace of the Fans in Cincinnati. The Cardinals lost 10-6. Rieger was one of about ten rookies on the team that finished 63-90 and finished seventh in the league. Major league records indicate that he retired at the end of the season although the 1920 census indicated that he was still a baseball player.
Later Perris Teams became more organized as later pictures indicate by their matching uniforms and shoes. The second photo shows some of the same players and new ones. Not all players are identified. from the left: unknown mascot, unknown, unknown, unknown, Bert Stewart, Roy Reynolds, Frank Trujillo, Llewellyn Bentley, unknown, Salio Trujillo, unknown. The third photo shows the same team in a more relaxed pose. One of the stories about this team is that to show their confidence in their ability to win a games they would tell the other teams that they would walk home if they lost. It is said that they had to walk home from Temecula on one occasion.
The final photo is one of the home crowds the Perris team would play before during this era.
Later Perris team with uniforms: unknown mascot, unknown, unknown, unknown, Bert Stewart, Roy Renolds, Frank Trujillo, Llewenllyn Bently, unknown, Salio Trujillo, unknown.
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ThePerris team in a more relaxed pose.
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The crowd at a Perris baseball home game.