Isabella Ross
Like her sister Annie, Isabella Ross helped care for early Riversiders. She was a founder of the Community Settlement Association with Mrs. Arthur N. Wheelock, the wife of Riverside’s school superintendent at the time.
Founded in 1911, the organization was created to address the welfare of thousands of people migrating to Riverside from Mexico to work in the citrus industry. Its initial mission was to help immigrants “settle” into Riverside, but its work has evolved to helping all those in need in the Eastside. The Community Settlement Association has focused on family wellness, education, civic engagement, cultural awareness and strengthening the community for more than 100 years.
In her obituary, Isabella Ross is described as “… a woman of beautiful character. Her work among the poor and the needy in Riverside during her association with the Settlement House made her hundreds of friends who loved her dearly. She was a woman of sterling qualities.”
