Frank B. Devine: Pioneer of Riverside's Citrus Packing Industry

Among the many early Riversiders involved in the citrus industry was Francis B. Devine (sometimes spelled DeVine). Devine was born in Rochester, New York, in 1848. He began his business career in Rochester before relocating to New York City in 1870. In 1887, he married Vinie Collier in Patterson, New Jersey. The couple moved to Southern California in 1884 and settled in Los Angeles. There, he worked as a director for the German Fruit Company.

The German Fruit Company established a branch in Riverside in 1885, and Francis Devine was appointed general manager. Two years later, Devine went out on his own and teamed with John Boyd to form the packing house firm of Boyd and Devine. They built a brick structure on the corner of Eighth and Pachappa Streets. They shipped raisins, oranges, dried fruit, and honey under the "Sunbeam" brand.

Francis and Vinie Devine moved into their newly designed Queen Anne-style home at 4475 Twelfth Street in June 1888. The house was designed by architect John C. Pelton, Jr., who was also the architect of the Hotel Rubidoux, the doomed hotel that a group of investors attempted to build at Mt. Rubidoux. The contractor for the house was H. A. Westbrook, who built numerous homes in Riverside. The cost of this spacious two-story house with an attic and a basement was $3,500. The main floor had a parlor, library, and dining room that, with a sliding door, could be opened into one large area. In the rear of the ground floor were a kitchen and a pantry. On the second floor, there were four bedrooms and a bathroom. The Devine house is Riverside Cultural Landmark #30.

John Boyd died unexpectedly in August 1891. Complications arose with Boyd's estate when it came to light that his wife in Riverside, Maggie Boyd, was not legally his wife. Unknown to everyone in Riverside, Boyd had left behind a wife and children in Canada, from whom he had never received a divorce. The Canadian family took the matter to court and won, as Eliza Ann Boyd was the legal widow of John Boyd. Maggie Boyd of Riverside was left with nothing. The firm of Boyd-Devine was reorganized, and the packinghouse became the F. B. DeVine Company.

By 1894, Frank J. Kincell was listed as a fruit buyer and manager for the firm and soon joined forces with Devine to form DeVine & Kincell, Fruit Brokers and Shippers. This partnership did not last long and was dissolved in September 1897. Frank Devine, as the senior partner, continued the business at the Eighth and Pachappa location.

Frank Devine was particularly concerned with the shipping of oranges. In addition to careful packing and handling of the fruit in the packinghouses, he felt that the orange growers also needed to be cautious in their instructions to their pickers. In an interview with a Riverside Daily Press reporter, Devine gave an object lesson to illustrate his point. He picked six oranges from one of his trees and brought them back to town. Three oranges he tossed into his buggy, and they rattled around as he drove back. The other three he carefully wrapped in his buggy robe. The three wrapped ones were perfectly sound and nicely colored a month later, while the other three were shriveled and scarred. Devine provided all his pickers with Woodward picking sacks to help preserve the citrus fruit.

The circumstances involving the Boyd estate dragged on for several years until, in February 1901, the packinghouse on Eighth Street was sold at a foreclosure sale against the Boyd estate. According to the city directories, Frank Devine continued to operate as a shipping agent, either from his home on Twelfth Street or from an office on Main Street. Devine continued in the citrus packing industry for the rest of his life.

Francis B. Devine died in his home on Twelfth Street on February 20, 1923, and was buried in Olivewood Cemetery. His wife, Vinie, survived him, living in their home on Twelfth Street until she died in May 1942. This prominent Riverside citrus man was active in the packing industry for 38 years.

Exploring Riverside’s Past is a compilation of the author's first 50 local history articles, written for the Raincross Gazette, from November 2021 through December 2025. The book is available from the author (gewnlw@outlook.com), at Muse Market in the Canyon Crest Shopping Center, or at the Mission Inn Foundation Gift Store at Sixth and Main.