Left: James N. Keith in his cavalry uniform (1880s military style). The hat he is wearing is a field hat, patterned after the French during the Civil War. It is generally called a “cappe.” Right: James N. Keith, Jr., with one of the hobby trains.  

James N Keith

On October 7, 1887, after many years of scrimping and saving, the city of Riverside created its first fire department. The “city bought a hand reel, hook and ladder and a truck and placed them in a shed on the northeast corner of Eighth and Market. A sign,  ‘Riverside Fire Department’ was nailed above the […]