Beginning Monday, Riverside County’s government archives will be available to access on-site without making a prior appointment, providing the public with greater opportunities for research going back well over a century to the county’s incorporation.
“These records tell the story of how Riverside County grew, how our communities developed and how county government evolved alongside them,” Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder Peter Aldana said. “Removing the appointment requirement makes it easier for residents, students, researchers and anyone interested in our history to explore these records and better understand the county we know today.”
Documents and other materials, most in bound book sets, will be available to view anytime between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays, except holidays, after Oct. 5, according to the Assessor-Clerk-Recorder’s Office.
The papers are housed at the Fitch County Archives on the second floor of the County Administrative Center, 4080 Lemon St., downtown Riverside.
“Its holdings include historical property ownership records, assessment rolls and maps, land patents and mining and water claims,” according to an agency statement. “Archives staff help visitors locate materials for historical, property and governmental research, making these records accessible to the broader community.”
Same-day service without an appointment was made possible, in part, as a result of the Archives’ relocation last year to the second-floor accommodations at the county headquarters, officials said. The materials were previously situated within space adjacent to the Office of the Registrar of Voters on Gateway Drive, along the boundary separating Riverside and Moreno Valley.
More information is available at www.rivcoacr.org/riversidecountyarchives, or by calling 951-486-7327.