History of McCall Park
McCall Park, or more properly, McCall Memorial Park, is named for former 5th District Supervisor Fred McCall, whose long life included many varied positions within Riverside County.
Born and raised in Missouri and Colorado, McCall and his family came to the Menifee Valley in 1925, where Fred McCall began a large-scale ranch and agricultural operation. On his ranch, he grew experimental grains, sugar beets, and a number of other items that were grown for seeds. All of this he did in close cooperation with both the County Agricultural Commissioner. During World War II, he was a member of the Rationing Board in Perris, to which people would go if they needed something that was rationed. After the war, McCall was appointed to the Riverside County Planning Commission and oversaw much of the development of the county’s zoning maps and ordinances.
On January 3, 1955, McCall took over the Supervisor’s seat for the 5th District, a position he would hold until his death on December 25, 1963. During his tenure, he continued to work towards the implementation of the county’s zoning ordinances, was influential in bringing Del Webb’s Sun City development to the area (McCall Boulevard in Sun City is named for Fred McCall), and was a big supporter of one of the most-recognized attractions in the desert, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.
The park that bears McCall’s name originally was established as a prison camp named the Industrial Road Camp at Mountain Center. Inmates here would have helped to maintain the roads into and out of the Idyllwild area. In November 1956, the area was redesignated by the Board of Supervisors as a public campground, and renamed Mountain Center Park. This park was quite popular for a while. However, 8 years later, members of equestrian clubs in the Hemet area approached the Board asking to rename the park in honor of Fred McCall. Throughout his life, McCall had been an avid horseman and had worked tirelessly to assist equestrian groups. The Hemet-San Jacinto Riders Group asked the Board to rename Mountain Center Park as the Fred McCall Horseman’s Camp. They agreed with the idea of naming the park for McCall, but instead chose the name McCall Memorial Park on January 13, 1964. Since that time, McCall Memorial Park has been a favorite of equestrian groups from all over the county.
by Steve Lech
