In February 1975, Soroptimist International of Riverside president, Virginia Moore, appointed a Bicentennial Committee to create a Bicentennial project for the club. The committee consulted the city's Bicentennial chairman, Roy Staylor, who presented a number of ideas including a History Walk.
The committee decided on a History Walk to be placed in the Forest of Lights Plaza in Raincross Square where the Ben H. Lewis Hall was under construction. On March 3, 1975, the club accepted the committee's recommendation.
The committee consulted with Mayor Ben H. Lewis and the Riverside Bicentennial Commission who enthusiastically endorsed the project. Preliminary inquiries were made of Tom Patterson, author of "Landmarks of Riverside" and "A Colony for California," Robert E. Brown, of Brown and Rawdon, architects for the Ben H. Lewis Hall, and Don Hagen owner of the Riverside Monumental Company.
Mr. Patterson agreed to donate his services to the community project for the research and text for a descriptive booklet, Bob Brown to prepare the design of the walk and to work with the city's Raincross Square Coordinator, Herb Barnett, and the contractor, Del Webb Corporation, in preparing the eighteen inch round spaces before the cement was poured in the plaza and Don Hagen for his expertise on the selection of the best material for the stones and to provide the finished stones at a nominal cost.
On November 17, 1975, the club's new president, Rocky Pollitz, appeared before the Municipal Arts Commission for approval of this project. It was unanimous that space be made available in the Forest of Lights Plaza and that the final drawings be submitted for the Commission's approval. On February 3, 1976, Mayor Ben H. Lewis submitted a report of this project to the City Council.
Everything was progressing beautifully except the project did not have an artist. It was asking a great deal of someone to donate services for such an extensive project. However, on April 2, 1976, Bette Fauth, Assistant Professor of the Art Department of Riverside City College, was approached and agreed to undertake the art work. She was excited about the idea and the challenge.
On June 21, 1976, President Rocky Pollitz again made a presentation to the Municipal Arts Commission. The first drawing and the rough idea for the other twenty-nine drawings were approved.
The next hurdle was to print a booklet describing the history of each stone. In helping Bette Fauth with the research on Stone Number 23, Mr. Frank Lewis of A. M. Lewis, Inc., became interested in the project. He offered his services as photographer and A. M. Lewis, Inc. agreed to print the first five hundred copies of the History Walk booklet.
On Tuesday, December 7, 1976, the completed History Walk was dedicated and presented to the City of Riverside. The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony was performed by three Soroptimist International of Riverside presidents: Virginia Moore 1973-75, Rocky Pollitz 1975-76 and Elissa Fruciano 1976-77.
On April 10, 1998, in recognition of the 50th Anniversary of the chartering of Soroptimist International of Riverside, the History Walk was re-dedicated and once again presented to the City of Riverside.
When the Convention Center was being renovated in 2012, as part of the demolition process, the City of Riverside removed the bronze stones from the Forest of Lights Plaza and put them into storage. With multiple failed attempts at re-installation, they sat in storage for 13 years.
But now, the job has finally been completed and the History Walk is at last re-installed in the sidewalk along Main Street between 10th and 12th by the historic Riverside County Courthouse. Additionally, in 2025, two new stones have also been added, one for the Riverside National Cemetery and one for California Baptist University for a total of 32 bronze stones.
A rededication ceremony will take place in December 2025 in recognition of the 49th anniversary of Soroptimist International of Riverside's original dedication of the Bicentennial History Walk to the City of Riverside.
The Soroptimist Rose Garden is also located in front of the Riverside County Courthouse. When you visit the History Walk, don't hesitate to view the beautiful roses in the garden that was donated to the County of Riverside by Riverside County Sororoptimist clubs in 1998 in a service project spearheaded by Soroptimist International of Riverside.
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