History of our house.


Below you will view who has lived on our house and when. This is as much as we have found so far.
As we locate more we will add the information. If you want to know what changes or improvements
click on this link to read about that subject.

Our house was built in 1907 or 1908. There is a copy of a building permit for 1908 approving the
connection of the house to the sewer line in the alley way. The name on th permit was Robert
Lloyd. The address of our house was 209 N. Almond Street. The name of the street changed in to
209 Fairmount Blvd. I do not know when that change happened. In 1930 the address changed
again to 2961 as the city renumbered all of the streets.

The house was put on the city sewer line in 1908. Permit was issued to the owner, Robert W. Lloyd
on Oct. 29th, 1908 for the address of 209 North Almond. Permit number 1503. Robert W. Lloyd
was a bookkeeper. This information was obtained from the City Directory dated 1909, and 1910.
Further research is being done on this information. More information found in the County of
Riverside records. This was researched by Archivist/Records Analyst Melissa Hernandez. She is,
simply put, wonderful.

The city records show the property was part of the Lewis Villa Tract. Our purposes at present don't
lend us to do research any earlier. William Reinhuber owned the property in 1907. The land value
was 110.00 with no improvements. In 1908 Robert W. Ward is shown to be the owner. Value is still
at 110.00 for the land. He made the 1st improvement as the value for property showing value as
675.00 for improvements and 125.00 for the land. There seems to be a name change in 1913 to
Robert W. Lloyd, who is now showing as the owner.  Note the above information showing the house
being attached to the sewer in 1908. Also the conflict with information below where the census for
1910 shows the owner as being John C. Neblett. (Dates of information being gathered may be the
issue for some conflicts.)

Special note:
Almond Street was changed to Fairmount Blvd., about 1912 or 1913 as per the County of Riverside.

County records continue to show different information. In 1915 Melinda Martin owned the house
until 1920 where an additional owner is showing as Ora McDougall. Note that Ora McDougall was
the neighbor next door and the wife of Stanley R. McDougall. Stanley was the local blacksmith who
had a shop was in the downtown area.

John C. Neblett, who was born in Tennessee about 1882 and his wife Adaljae M., who was born in
California in about 1889 is shown to be living in our house according to the 1910 census. The
census also lists John as owning the house.

In 1908, 1909 and 1910 the local telephone directories show John C. Neblett living at 455 N.
Almond just up the street from our house going towards the park. (During this time the address
went up going away from 1st street in either direction. Our address is going north from 1st street. If
you went south on Almond into downtown the numbers went up.  The directory of 1911 lists John as
residing at 209 N. Almond. John was a driver for the Newberry-Parker Co.

The Newberry-Parker Co., was a grocery company who had 3 stores located in Riverside. One was
located at 891 Main Street, another at 400 8th and a 3rd store at the intersection of Van Buren and
Magnolia. John became a Solicitor for the same company according to the directory of 1910. The
addresses would now correspond to 3891 Main, 3400 8th and I don't have the address for the one
on Van Buren and Magnolia.

City Directory of Riverside was combined for 1918 and 1919. In this directory it shows that J. Boyd
McDougall and his wife Lucy were living in the house.  J. Boyd was a Deputy County Tax Collector.

Research done by First American Title Company shows:
Melinda Martin Grant Deed to Michael Kring and his wife Alvina on 12-06-1919
Some other transactions I am not able to read took place between the above date and 03-26-1921
when CH Lewis sold the house to John Courdures.

Information directly from the county shows the following:
In the year 1919 the records show Melinda Martin owned the property, land value 250.00 and
improvements 670.00. In 1920 the property was owned by both Melinda Martin and Ora McDougall
with the same values. In 1921 M. Krieg took possession and the improvements raised to 700.00.
The following year 1922 John CouDoures is shown owning the property with a land value of 250.00
and improvements valued at 700.00.

A car salesman, Joseph C. Jones, born in Kentucky in about 1890, his wife Agnes, born in Kansas
about 1895 and their daughter Isabelle who was 5 years old, born in California, lived in the house
in 1920 per the 1920 census. Mr. Jones did not own the house. There were many car lots on
Market Street. Many of them are now gone or are in the process of leaving as there is a
tremendous amount of renovation taking place on Market Street from 1st to 5th, starting in early
2007.

County records show a transaction by Grant Deed on July 8th 1922 from John Courdures to LA
Venable and MB Venable, as Joint Tenants. LA Venable was a contractor from what information I
have been able to gather. He built several homes in Riverside according to city records.

In 1923 Frank W. Knight, his wife Marion along with John R. McWilliams and his wife Leila rented
the home. John was a bookkeeper for Sperry Flour Co.

LA Venable sold the house to JA Venable and Cora Venable 05-16-1923.

John A. Venable, (born 2-15-1901 in Ohio, died 7-13-1956 in Riverside) and his wife, Cora N.
Venable lived in the house in May 1925. John was a clerk at 325 Main Street. Later John became a
local contractor. His company was called J. A. Venable Construction Company. (See bottom of
page for the list of known homes that he built.) His contractor stamp is in the cement walkway in the
back yard of the house. Click here to see a photo of both concrete stamps.  

According to the Telephone Directory, Riverside County, December 1933 the telephone number
for JA Venable was 1989-W. In the September 1941 version, called Riverside Telephone Directory,
the number was 1313. Both telephone directories were published by the Southern California
Telephone Company.

John A. Venable became a partner in the Riverside Hardware Company which was located on Main
and Ninth in downtown. The partners Ray C. McCellan and John A. Venable who bought the firm in
1940 from Southwest Hardware Company. The address for the Riverside Hardware Company in
1941, according to the directory cited above was 3630 8th street. The Riverside Hardware
Company closed in 1951.

An article found in our local newspaper, dated August 29, 1954 tells about the Riverside Hardware
Company reopening in a new concrete brick building located at 12th and Main. Crystal's Antiques
is currently occupying the building. The full text of both articles may be read by clicking this link.

1934 must have been a busy year at our house. 1934 marked on the side of the front steps. John
Venable must have poured the concrete steps and walkways around the house. His concrete
stamp was placed in 2 spots in the back yard. During that same time there may have been other
changes to the house.

Double French doors were placed in the wall of the dining room leading to the side of the house. A
bathroom was added between the 2 bedrooms. The entry to the front bedroom was changed to an
entry from the main room of th house. A closet was added to the front bedroom that extended into
the yard at the side of the house. I believe the floor heater was installed during this same time
frame. Also, a large single car garage was built.

We were told a story by a couple who used to live across the street at 2988. They said in the
1980's, a very big, 60 to 70 foot pine tree fell over into the street. We were told the top of the tree
landed between 2 parked cars all the way across the street. It is amazing there was no damage to
anything.

John died on July 13th, 1956 at 55 years, 6 months and 28 days. He died of a cerebral contusion
and laceration. His death was caused by being thrown or knocked from his horse while out for a
ride. Cora died on June 4th, 1942 at 45 years, 9 months and 19 days. John’s second wife was
Evelyn F. Venable. She worked at 12th Street Cleaners in 1953.

On 12-2-1947 William Carl Klouda B Thorp, Wisconsin and his wife Bonmilla Belle (Blansham)
Klouda bought our house. She was a clerk for Charles O. Reid and William was in the US Air Force.
They had a daughter, Betty Lou. William's service record shows he had received several
decorations and awards. World War Victory Medal; American Campaign Medal; Honorable Service
Lapel Button World War II; Good Conduct Medal Clasp w/2 Loops, Koren Service Medal; United
Nations Service Medal; National Defense Service Medal. His place of entry was Fort McArthur, CA
1945 and Edwards AFB, CA 1951. His place of separation was Muroc, CA 1948 and Whiteman
AFB, Sedalia, Mo 1955. He served 2 different terms, 9-14-1945 to 9-15-1948 at HQ and HQ Sq
2759th AFB, Muroc, CA 1945-1948 and from 19-16-1951 through 11-30-1955 stationed at 340th
FLD Maintron, SAC 1951-1955. William's service number was 6-830-763.

02-11-1955 Paul H. Bigeck and his wife Etta bought the house.

11-12-1975 Violet I. Porter and Lee A Porter bought the house through Quit Claim process. She
lived in Eugene Oregon. It is my belief the house was rented to many people for many years after
the Porters bought this property.

On 02-02-1976 Terrance J Payton and Susan R Payton became owners of the house. They rented
the house to many others.
08-03-1977 Phillip Osborn became the landlord and also rented the house out.
1984 - Vera Rangel is listed in the Telephone directory
1985 to 1987 - There is no information available at this time.
1988 - Carlos Mendez is listed in the Telephone directory
1989 – 1991 - There is no information available at this time.
May 22, 1991 - Frank and Patti Carpenter owned the home. Frank is a long time local roofer and
Patti is involved with teaching deaf children. They have 3 children.

When we moved in on November 26th, 2000 there were no trees in the front yard. There were and
still are 2 very large Mexican palm trees on the City Right-of-way strip at the street. Take note the
city does not own that land, we do. They just own the trees they have planted and as we own the
land, the obligation to take care of that little strip is ours.

We have since planted 4 trees in the front yard and 2 trees in the back yard. A Chinese Evergreen
Elm (not it's real name), a Chinese Hackberry, A Raywood and a started from seed Jacaranda.

Our neighbors next door, Stanley R. McDougall, Ora his wife and their daughter Elizabeth who went
by Betty.

1953 to 1958
John A. Venable lived at 8319 Magnolia Ave.
President of Riverside Hardware Company Tel # 9130-W
(There is an advertisement in the Buyers Guide on page 9 of the Riverside Directory.
Evelyn F. Venable (2nd wife) worked at 12th Street Cleaners.
To the left is our house in  July 2003, middle July 2004 and the right July 2008
Homes
John A. Venable Built
According
to City of Riverside
Historical Database
6244 Nogales in 1922
2830 Woodbine in 1923
4266 Homeward Court in 1927
3395 Franklin in 1928
2962 Chestnut in 1929
3034 Lemon in 1929
3036 Lemon in 1929
4934 Greenfield in 1937
3549 Madison in 1937
4290 Gardena in 1938
3026 Lemon in 1938
6259 Sterns in 1938
4654 Beatty in 1939
4694 Beatty in 1939
4934 Granada in 1940