Carlson Bark Park is named in honor of Carl J. Carlson, a prominent figure in Riverside County scouting, and was created from a space formed by a bridge move.
Photo from Santa Ana River Bridge, which opened June 1923, looking toward St. Francis Fountain. The road into Riverside curves to the left around the base of the mountain. (Author’s Collection)
Driving into Riverside from the west, the traveler crosses the Mission Bridge near the base of Mount Rubidoux. Almost immediately to the right is a small park of less than two acres. Today, that park is known as Carlson Bark Park. What is the story behind this miniature park?
The early bridges built over the Santa Ana River came from Rubidoux (today Jurupa Valley) and aimed at the base of Mount Rubidoux and at the St. Francis Fountain (built 1916).
Postcard of the Santa Ana River Bridge after the bridge was widened in 1932. The St. Francis Fountain is behind the Raincross Street Light. (Author’s Collection)
A flood control project that widened the usable portion of the river necessitated lengthening the bridge over the Santa Ana River. At that time, the bridge was moved slightly to the north, eliminating the curve of Buena Vista Drive around Mount Rubidoux's base before crossing over the river. The new bridge opened in 1958.
Photo of the two bridges spanning the Santa Ana River. (Author’s Collection)
Moving the new bridge's placement created a small triangle between the east approach of the old bridge and the new one. The contractor used the space to dump debris and fill in the area. A newspaper writer at the time speculated that it might be used to enlarge the small park area of Mount Rubidoux near the St. Francis Fountain. The bridge move had cut a corner off the old Boy Scout Camp, which former Mayor Samuel C. Evans Jr. had given to the scouts about 1930.
Ten years later, in 1968, the city did just that: it created a new park. They named the new park in honor of a man known as "Mr. Scouting of Riverside County – Carl J. Carlson. Carlson was commonly known to his friends as C. J.
Photo showing the location of Carlson Park (outlined in yellow. Across Mission Inn Avenue is Camp Evans, the old Boy Scout Camp (outlined in a dotted yellow line). Together, these two parts were originally from the old camp. The road into the park (under part of the yellow line) is the location of the original highway traversing around Mount Rubidoux and then across the river. The two Mission-style towers are still there, as seen in the photo. (Courtesy of Riverside Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department)
Carl J. Carlson was born in Sweden on April 20, 1879, the eldest of nine children. The family immigrated to the United States in 1881 and settled in Brockton, Massachusetts. At an early age, he worked in the shoe business while attending night school and taking correspondent courses in advertising, English, writing law, and music. On June 4, 1904, he married Mary Louise Reynolds in Brockton, Massachusetts. They had a son, Bela Keith, born on January 12, 1907.
In the winter of 1910, Carlson visited Riverside and was impressed with the city. He returned and settled in the city in 1914 and worked for the Riverside Daily Press as a reporter, rising to the position of Circulation Manager. Carlson remarried and had a daughter with his second wife, Leora Upp. Genevieve Carlson was born in Riverside on September 11, 1916. From 1918 to 1920, C. J. Carlson served as the Chief of police for Riverside, a significant career change. His final career change happened in 1920. He resigned as police chief and became the first executive director of the Riverside Community Council of Boy Scouts. Carlson had become active in the scouts in 1916 as a Scout Master. During this time, he obtained the site of Camp Emerson in Idyllwild as a Boy Scout Camp. C. J. served on the committee for the November 11, 1920, Armistice Day Sunset Service on Mount Rubidoux and supervised the raising of the flags by the Scouts.
Photo from the 1920 Armistice Day Sunset Service on November 11, 1920 (Author’s Collection) and Photo of C. J. Carlson (Riverside Community Book, 1954)
In 1923, Carlson moved to Long Beach to become the executive director of Region 12, which consisted of California, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and Hawaii. During these years, he helped establish another Boy Scout camp in Idyllwild, Camp Tahquitz. Another move occurred in 1938 when he moved to Chicago as regional director for Region 7, covering Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. In 1945, he returned to Region 12, retiring in 1948.
Upon retirement, he returned to Riverside, where he spent the rest of his life. He remained active as a volunteer in the Boy Scouts and other community organizations. During his life, he received the Silver Beaver and Silver Antelope Awards for his outstanding work with the Scouts.
On June 19, 1963, C. J. Carlson was named president emeritus of the Riverside Council., the first ever to receive this award. The next day, on June 20, he suffered a heart attack and died. He was buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Riverside.
In 1998, with the help of a group called “Dog People,” the city converted most of Carlson Park to a dog park. The “Dog People” raised over $7000 to cover the cost of the fence. Initially, the area was enclosed with a chain-link fence, picnic tables, and a water fountain. Today, Carlson Bark Park is located at 4727 Scout Lane, at the gateway to the city, after crossing the Santa Ana River at the base of Mount Rubidoux.
Glenn Wenzel is a board member of the Riverside Historical Society, the Friends of Mount Rubidoux and the Riverside County Heritage Association. He is the author of two books on Mount Rubidoux.
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