It was Sept. 25, 1910, and Logan Nettle, 22, was visiting his brother Royal, 25, in Wineville, where Royal owned a grocery store and was postmaster for that little community.
Wineville was in today’s city of Jurupa Valley and later became known as Mira Loma. When J.A. Roberts, of Los Angeles, drove into Wineville that evening, the Nettles decided to take advantage of the opportunity that fate had provided. They asked Mr. Roberts if they could have a ride to Riverside and he agreed. Logan hopped in the front seat and Royal climbed in the back. Also in the back seat was another young man who was only identified by his last name of Steward. He also was from Wineville.
Off they went on their adventure, getting to ride in one of those new-fangled cars and getting to visit the big city of Riverside. All went well until they got to the bridge that crossed the Santa Ana River from West Riverside into Riverside.
At that time, the bridge was farther to the south than it is today. When cars crossed over the bridge from west to east they had to make a fairly sharp left turn to go around the base of Mount Rubidoux before connecting with Seventh Street (today’s Mission Inn Avenue). At that time, the shoulder of Mount Rubidoux had not been cut down like it is today and, after that sharp left turn, cars had to climb over the shoulder of the mountain as well.
As Roberts started up the incline, Logan warned Roberts that he was going too fast. Roberts ignored the warning and the wheels of the car began to skid as they went up the grade. Roberts lost control of the car and it crashed onto the rocks alongside the road. One of its front wheels was crumpled “like paper,” according to the Riverside Enterprise. The other front wheel was dished. The fenders were bent and other minor parts were twisted.
Logan was painfully cut across the cheek by broken glass. Royal was thrown out of the back seat and suffered a severe bruise on the back of his head. The other young man in the back seat was thrown out as well and suffered a lacerated elbow. The driver was also injured, although the local papers did not say what his injuries were.
Passersby helped the four men to the Rubidoux water pumping plant. A doctor was called and, when he arrived, he immediately brought them to Riverside, presumably for treatment of their injuries. The Nettle brother’s father came in from Highgrove, where he was a vineyard superintendent, and picked his sons up to take them home. The Nettle boys certainly had an adventure, just not the kind they were probably expecting!
Happily, Logan and Royal did not seem to suffer any lasting effects from the accident. Logan married two years later and he and his wife had two children. He died in 1964 at age 76. Royal was married the same year the accident happened. He and his wife did not have any children, but he lived a long life and died at the ripe old age of 80 in 1965.
If you have an idea for a future Back in the Day column about a local historic person, place or event, contact Steve Lech and Kim Jarrell Johnson at [email protected].
