Special to The Desert Sun

Voters approved the creation of the county of Riverside in 1893 from portions of San Bernardino and San Diego counties, and just like that, the Coachella Valley and Palm Springs were within the newly established borders.

Riverside was center of the new county. It was an agricultural powerhouse. The first navel orange trees had arrived in 1873, just twenty years before, transforming the area. Endless groves of citrus not only produced oranges for shipment far and wide but attracted tourists. Orange crate shipping labels were gorgeous little works of art that promoted their product and the glorious orange groves worth traveling to see.

By the early 20th century, the orange business was thriving and covered much of Southern California. John Henry Reed, a retired s

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