A Century Of Peace: Riverside Residents Celebrate Mt. Rubidoux Landmark

As a child, longtime Riverside resident John VanDenburgh began climbing Mt. Rubidoux and interacting with the small stone tower located near the top. 

“I lived at the base of Mt. Rubidoux when we moved to Riverside, so for me, it really was a respite,” VanDenburgh said. “If I was having a rough day or I just needed some time to reflect, I used to have some spots I would sit, and the Peace Tower was one of those.”

Decades later, VanDenburgh still walks up the city’s historic hill on an almost daily basis. He was also one of the approximately 45 residents who walked up Mt. Rubidoux December 13 to gather at the Frank A. Miller Testimonial Peace Tower and Friendship Bridge to celebrate its 100th anniversary. 

Attendees met at the base of the hill, where two hiking trails intersect, at 2 p.m. and walked up to the monument. The Friends of Mt. Rubidoux, a local organization dedicated to preserving the city’s historic hill, hosted the event. 

For over a mile, people chatted with one another about their memories walking up the hill and of the city. Once the group arrived, the attendees gathered around to watch members of the Friends reenact parts of the original dedication that took place a century ago at the bridge’s apex. 

Vandenburgh, who is also a member with Friends of Mt. Rubidoux, recited parts of the speech made by Stanford University President David Starr Jordan at the tower’s dedication. Councilmember Philip Falcone then read Miller’s speech to the group. 

“We love this bridge and peace monument,” Falcone recited. “It symbolizes the things we all believe in.” 

The tower and bridge were built in 1925 to honor Miller, the founder of what is now known as the Mission Inn Hotel and Spa, according to Glenn Wenzel, the organization’s president.

Miller was a leader in growing the city, and residents secretly gathered funds to build the monument while he was away on a six-month trip to Europe as a show of gratitude, he said. He also explained that it was named the Peace Tower in honor of Miller’s advocacy for unification among all people. 

Hang Nguyen, a volunteer tour guide for the Mission Inn Foundation, said that the Riverside Japanese Association was one of the largest contributors to the project and built a flower garden at its base.

“For years, they would carry water up there and tend to the garden so that it could beautify it even more,” Nguyen said.  

Wenzel said the Friends of Mt. Rubidoux held the event because they wanted to highlight the importance of the tower’s message of world peace and friendship while also marking its centennial. 

“As one who has researched extensively the history of Mt. Rubidoux, it really symbolizes that idea that we should be friends with each other, there should be peace among people and that we want to keep promoting that,” he said.

The Friends of Mt. Rubidoux ended the ceremony by singing Carrie Jacob Bond’s “The End of the Perfect Day,” which was also sung by the attendees at the dedication 100 years ago. 

Earlier this month, the Friends also released a book and opened an exhibit to commemorate the anniversary. The group is also hosting a photo and art contest. 

VanDenburgh said he was honored to be able to share the history with the city’s community.

“It was great to be able to share some of the words from that initial 100 years ago dedication ceremony,” VanDenburgh said.“It speaks to the community that is Riverside, and people coming together and wanting to celebrate not only what the mountain means, but specifically the Peace Tower means to them.”