Sunday, February 05, 2006

Traveling conditions/rail lines going to or near Riverside CA in mid 1880's

From: "Janice Covel" jcovel79@comcast.net

Mr. Bill Anderson (Railway Museum in Folsom) suggested that I contact you for information re: railroad traveling conditions in the mid 1880s and the trains that ran from Galesburg, Illinois to (or near) Riverside, Ca. I am writing about the life of Eugenia Fuller, a long-time teacher and administrator in Riverside, who arrived there 1885. She was a native of North Henderson-Galesburg and was a teacher and administrator there before traveling to California. I cannot do an authentic biography because there are many gaps of information about her life. How she got from Galesburg to Riverside by train is one of them . I need to know what lines were running at that time. At this point, I believe that she arrived in Colton, CA and traveled to Riverside by stage or buggy. Are there any early historical records of travelers' names and their destinations?

I am currently in the Sacramento/Elk Grove area. I have a second wind about finishing this book and will really appreciate any help you can give me.

—Janice Covel