Riverside City History
Olden Days

In 1803 Lewis and Clark passed through the area that would later be called Riverside. As Europeans moved west, many hunters and trappers were drawn to the area because of the abundant wildlife.

By the middle of the 19th century, German immigrants began to immigrate to Missouri and Kansas. One such family of homesteaders, the Brenners, settled in the Line Creek Valley and on nearby "Brenner Ridge." The Brenners cleared land and became successful farmers of the rich bottomlands.

In 1849 the California gold rush began and Saint Louis, Independence, Westport and Saint Joseph became bustling preparation points for settlers and gold-seekers heading to California, earning Missouri the nickname "Gateway to the West."

More and more pioneers discovered the verdant valleys and wooded bluffs of Riverside and decided to put down roots. Many of these family names can still be found on Riverside mailboxes and businesses even today: Burrichter, Filger, Groh, Hartman, Hasenjager, Huckett, Keller, Klamm, Leimkuehler, Linder, Miller, Pixley, Renner, Rogers, Russ and Spalding.

Because of the Missouri's strategic location linking the Northern and Southern states, many important Civil War battles occurred in Missouri. The Civil War hit the area hard with three recorded “bushwhacker” raids. However, only one family moved permanently from the area.

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