Greet ‘Em with Oranges: Riverside’s Bold Welcome to the West

Over the years, the Riverside Chamber of Commerce has devised some exciting and unique promotions. One of the best had to be the “Greet ‘Em with Oranges” campaign in the mid-1920s. Conceived in late 1923, advertising committee chair C. G. Rouse described a plan to present passengers on the Los Angeles Limited trains of the Union Pacific Railroad with a beautiful orange with a Riverside sticker on it. Longtime secretary of the chamber, Meyer L. Schoenthal, conceived the program. The members of the chamber’s women’s auxiliary would supervise the venture. Any packing house or local shipper who gave over ten boxes of oranges was given a complimentary Chamber of Commerce membership for the year. 

The Los Angeles Limited was Union Pacific's flagship passenger train, carrying passengers from Chicago to Los Angeles from 1905 to 1954. Riverside wanted a share of this tourist and traveling passenger trade and another opportunity to advertise its prime crop of oranges. 

On Monday, January 14, young ladies dressed in Spanish costumes distributed an orange of the finest grade and a scenic postcard of the city to the Union Pacific train passengers. General Passenger Gent T. C. Peck arranged for the train to stop for 15 minutes at the Riverside station for special ceremonies. A group of musicians in Spanish garb played music for the passengers' entertainment. 

Soon, arrangements were made with the railroad for the train to stop long enough for the passengers to disembark and visit the California Mutual Packing House or the American Fruit Growers Packing House.

On Monday, January 21, the Riverside delegation of greeters made an additional presentation at 11:30 a.m. on a special Union Pacific train carrying 300 delegates from Montana to Los Angeles. Having left snow-covered Mountains behind, Riverside greeted these visitors with sunshine and delicious oranges. In addition, the Poly High School band, under the direction of Gustav Hilverkus, provided music for the occasion.

Newspapers nationwide covered the event and praised the Riverside Chamber of Commerce's unique efforts. For several weeks, 150 to 200 passengers were greeted with oranges daily. The campaign was pronounced one of the most successful advertising stunts ever produced by a city in California.  

After such far-reaching success, the chamber repeated the promotion in 1925. In early January, Schoenthal announced plans for Spanish-costumed girls to greet inbound Union Pacific trains with oranges at noon.  

The program kicked off on Saturday, January 24. For the opening day event, an arch measuring 24 feet wide and 22 feet high was erected over the tracks. The columns of the arches were decorated with cornucopias, out of which flowed oranges.  On the top of the arch was illustrated a basket of oranges with the words “The City Beautiful,” a popular description adopted by the city. The central portion on top proclaimed, “Riverside Welcomes You to California.”  The central panel through which the Union Pacific passenger train came through was a painting by D. S. Schwartz of oranges and orange groves with Mount Rubidoux in the background. When the UP train arrived, two men in overcoats and heavy garments stood in the front of the engine. After tearing through the painting, they discarded their heavy garments and stood in light clothes, signifying their arrival in the warmer climate of Southern California.

Camera crews from Pathe, International News, Fox, and Kinogram were present at the opening ceremonies to film the event. 

Schoenthal announced on Saturday, March 21, that after much favorable publicity, the program would end on that day for the year 1925. Two young ladies, Miss Verne Studebaker and Miss Geraldine Phillips, were rewarded for not missing a day during the event. 

For the opening day of the 1926 orange citrus season, the Chamber of Commerce erected a unique gateway to welcome the Union Pacific passenger trains coming through Riverside. Prior to the opening event on January 30, Schoenthal encouraged all Riversides to attend the initial day dressed in Spanish garb. Union Pacific Railroad promised to hold the train for 20 minutes at the Riverside station, so the twelve girls in Spanish dress might greet the passengers with oranges.  

On Saturday, January 30, almost 200 Riversiders gathered at the station to welcome the Union Pacific train from the east. Boy Scouts dressed in uniform helped the city police control the cord. Strolling troubadours in Spanish garb entertained the crowd and the train passengers. The Sherman Indian band played stirring songs. At the train's approach, someone shouted, “Here’s the train,” Miss Verna Studebaker and Miss Gertrude Phillips opened the gates so the train could travel through the gateway.  Local aviator Roman Warren even appeared in Spanish dress.

The 1926 “Greet ‘Em with Oranges” campaign ended on Saturday, March 13, after thousands of oranges had been distributed to easterners arriving from cold climates to sunny California.  Photographs, motion pictures, and articles spread the news of this unique welcome to people all over the United States.