History of Victor Garrison
Victor Allen Garrison was born October 5, 1911 in Gettysburg, Potter County South Dakota. He was the son of Sherman Arthur and Anne (Knott) Garrison.
He lost his mother and an 18 month old brother in the Flu Epidemic of 1918. Victor, who was seven years old at the time, and his sister, Vesta, five, were taken to live with their grandmother, Victoria Garrison, in Sioux City, Iowa. Victor's father disappeared at that time.
Victor remained with his grandmother until he was 12 and was then taken to live with his uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. John Knott in Lebanon, South Dakota where his uncle operated a cattle ranch.
In July 1931, Victor’s sister, Vesta, moved to California and made her home with her uncle and aunt, Al and Freda (Rail) Knott in Temecula.
In 1933, at the age of 22, Vic left the cattle ranch and sought his fortune in California, staying with his uncle, Al Knott, who operated a garage in Temecula. For a time Vic worked for the McSweeny Brothers in the potato farming and later worked full
time in his uncle's garage where he gained valuable experience in automotive repair work.
In 1935, Victor returned to South Dakota for eight months to visit relatives and friends. It is possible that during this visit he met Arlean Anderson in a ditch off a South Dakota road.
“I was with my brother and another of his friends and our car slid into a ditch,” Arlean explained. “Victor came by in his car to see what happened and that’s how we met.”
In October 1938, he went into partnership with Dale Cutlip and rented the Murrieta Machine Shop. A year later, Victor bought out Cutlip’s interests and became the sole operator of the shop. In 1939, Arlean, Victor’s fiancée, moved from South Dakota to California.
On Easter Sunday, March 24, 1940, Victor Garrison married Arlean Anderson in the living room of the Historic Garrison home. They had two daughters, Yvonne and Donna.
When America entered World War II, Victor reported to the draft board. He did not pass the physical exam because of his heart and returned to the shop. During the war it was impossible to get machinery parts for farm implements. Victor made replacement
parts at the shop for the farmers.
The Murrieta Volunteer Fire Department was formed in April 1947. Victor donated land in order to build a fire station. He was named Assistant Fire Chief and served the community for eleven years. He then retired from service due to his heart condition and passed the position to Marvin Curran.
In April 1956, the Murrieta Valley Town Hall Association was formed. Victor was named vice president. The purpose of the Association was to establish a new location for the town hall. For many years the Murrieta Grammar School’s auditorium had served as town hall, but the state deemed it unfit due to current building code standards. Mrs. Inez Hunt came forward in June and offered to donate her home and five-acres for the new town hall.
The Murrieta Chamber of Commerce was established in October 1959. Victor served as president for one term and as a director for the Chamber. The Chamber office was located at the Murrieta Machine Shop.
The Murrieta County Water District was formed in 1963. Victor served as a director for many years. The valley’s water table had dropped due to drought and the local horse farms that had drilled deeper wells than the residents. Water sources had to
be located and then distributed through out the town.
Victor was an aviation enthusiast and joined the Murrieta Valley Flying Club in 1937. The club was active for about a year. Then the club was revived in 1965 and Victor was a member. The club flew planes out of the Yoder Air Park on Los Alamos Road. Victor was elected president of the club in 1967.
Victor ran the Murrieta Machine Shop until his death on December 26, 1974. Members of the Murrieta Valley Flying Club were named his pallbearers at his funeral. He was laid to rest in the Laurel Cemetery in Murrieta.
Victor Garrison had volunteered his time and served the community for over 34 years. He served for the Murrieta Fire Department to protect the community and its property. He served on multiple boards in order to solve problems and meet the needs of
the community. He was a husband, a father, and a grandfather, and friend to all those that met him. We are grateful for all that he accomplished for the growth and development of Murrieta.
History of Arlean Garrison
Arlean Violet Anderson was born on December 21, 1915 in Potter County, South Dakota. She was the daughter of John and Ella (Asboll) Anderson.
In 1939, Arlean moved from South Dakota to California to be with her fiancé, Victor Garrison. She made her home with Mr. and Mrs. Eldon Knott and began working at the Murrieta Hot Springs Resort. On Easter Sunday, March 24, 1940, Arlean married Victor in the living room of the Historic Garrison home. They had two daughters, Yvonne and Donna.
Arlean was an active member of the Murrieta Parent-Teachers’ Club. She served as vice president in 1951 to 1952 and president 1952 to 1953. She continued to be active in the PTA and again served as vice president in 1960 to 1961. She was also a member
of the Elsinore High School PTA. In March 1966, Arlean received an honorary lifetime membership from the Elsinore PTA for her outstanding work over the years.
Arlean wrote the weekly Murrieta news column for the local newspapers for many years. She also wrote the first Murrieta history book, My Children’s Home in 1963.
The Murrieta Volunteer Fire Department was formed in 1946. The Garrison family donated land behind the machine shop for a fire station. The station was completed and dedicated in April 1947. Arlean was a member of the Woman’ Auxiliary for the Fire Department. Women supported the men and assisted in organizing, preparing and serving food at the Annual Firemen’s BBQ.
In September 1956, Arlean enrolled in the Elsinore Evening High School in order to complete her education. “She had attended high school in Gettysburg, South Dakota and Champaign, Illinois, but the necessity of earning a living during the Depression kept
her from continuing her studies.” (June 20, 1957, ELP)
When she came to Murrieta, she got married and had her children. When her daughters were old enough, Arlean was able to attend night classes to finish her education. She graduated in June 1957.
The Murrieta Ground Observer Corps post was activated on September 17, 1954. A meeting was held at the Murrieta fire station on C Street behind Victor Garrison’s machine shop. Arlean Garrison was appointed the post supervisor. Murrieta residents
were asked to volunteer two or more hours of their time each week to watch the skies overhead.
During the summer of 1957, Arlean was one of only three candidates chosen from California to attend a two-week training course for the Ground Observers Corps. The military flew her to Panama City, Florida where she studied at Tyndall Air Force Base.
The fourth anniversary of the post was celebrated on September 16, 1958. There were sixteen members on the roster at the time. A month later, Arlean announced that the post would be deactivated on January 31, 1959. During her four years of service,
Arlean had volunteered over 800 hours to watch the skies in order to keep Murrieta safe.
In October 1959, the Garrisons helped found the Murrieta Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber held the meetings in the Murrieta Town Hall. Arlean was elected vice president in 1976. In March 1978, Arlean was elected for one year as the Chamber’s first female president. After her term, she was then elected the secretary in March 1979. The Chamber office was located inside the Murrieta Machine Shop from 1985 to 1990. The reason was that Arlean was the telephone secretary for the Chamber. In 1990, the Chamber office moved to a storefront office at a new shopping center at the corner of Washington Avenue and Ivy Street.
The Laurel Cemetery’s office was located at the Murrieta Machine Shop. On March 7, 1974, Arlean formed the Murrieta Garden Club. The club brought members of the community together to learn and to promote gardening. Arlean’s love of gardening can be seen surrounding this home with a wide variety of flowers, plants, and trees. As club president, Arlean encouraged the members to beautify their properties through suggested plantings and gardening techniques.
In December 1976, Victor passed away. Arlean continued operating the machine shop for over thirty years. In April 1976, Arlean and her daughter, Donna, became the new managers of the Murrieta Machine Shop.
Arlean was honored for her achievements in Murrieta when she was included in the 13 th Volume of Who’s Who in California, 1981-1982.
In 1991, Murrieta became a city. There was concern that Murrieta’s historic structures and history would be lost in the new development. Arlean Garrison and Ayleen Gibbo formed the Citizens for Historic Murrieta. The group’s goal was to protect and preserve Murrieta’s history. A historic self-guided walking tour booklet was published identifying many of the historic structures and places in and around Murrieta.
The group worked to preserve ten acres of the original Murrieta town site. Pioneer Park was created with the goal of creating a historic village and museum dedicated to preserving and promoting Murrieta’s history.
Arlean had a model made of a museum she envisioned for Murrieta. At the Annual Fireman’s BBQ, she would sit at Town Hall and collect donations for a future museum. Today, the Murrieta Town Hall is now home to the Murrieta Museum.
Arlean’s historic group passed the torch to the Historic Downtown Murrieta Association in October 2013. The HDMA worked with business owners to preserve Murrieta’s history and to promote businesses in the Historic Downtown District. In 2016, the HDMA disbanded and passed the torch to the Murrieta Valley Historical Society.
On July 11, 2013, at age of 97, Arlean passed away in the Historic Garrison Home. She was laid to rest in the Laurel Cemetery in Murrieta next to her husband, Victor.
Arlean Garrison had volunteered her time and served the community for over 74 years. She served as post supervisor of the Ground Observers Corps ensuring that Murrieta skies were safe. She served on multiple boards in order to solve problems and meet the needs of the community. She was dedicated to the preservation and education of Murrieta’s local history. She was a wife, a mother, and a grandmother, and friend to all those that met her. We are grateful for all that she accomplished for the growth and
development of Murrieta.
History of the Garrison Home
The Historic Garrison home was built between 1937 and 1938 by Howard Embry, an employee at the Murrieta Machine shop. This beautiful home is a fine example of Provincial Revival architecture. The style inspired by manor houses and chateaux in
rural France. The style gained popularity after servicemen returned home from World War I.
This unique home resembles an eclectic French cottage with a steeply pitched roof covered in wood shingles. The house is rectangular shaped, one and one-half story, with a wood frame and a white stucco exterior. The steeply pitched front porch roof is
gabled with two square support columns. On the north façade there is a chimney and an arched roofed porch with French doors.
In 1938, Victor Garrison acquired the home and the Murrieta Machine Shop. On Easter Sunday, March 24, 1940, Victor Garrison married Arlean Anderson in the living room of this home.
Victor and Arlean raised two daughters in this home, Yvonne and Donna. The Garrison family became strong pillars of the community. They volunteered their time and resources to the growth and development of Murrieta.
The Garrison family donated land for the first fire station to be built in Murrieta. The structure can be seen behind the Murrieta Machine shop on C Street. Victor served as Assistant Fire Chief for the Murrieta Volunteer Fire Department.
Arlean wrote the weekly Murrieta news column for the local newspapers for many years. She wrote the first Murrieta history book, My Children’s Home in 1963. She was the supervisor for the Ground Observers Corps in the 1950s, a group of volunteers that watched the skies for enemy aircrafts.
In October 1959, the Garrisons helped found the Murrieta Chamber of Commerce. The Commerce office was located inside the Murrieta Machine Shop. In its first few years, the Chamber promoted the paving of Los Alamos Road from Jefferson
Avenue to the realigned Highway 395 (modern day Interstate 215). In September 1960, the Chamber sponsored a one day celebration for Murrieta’s 75th Anniversary. The Chamber also supported the establishment of the Murrieta Mutual Water Company.
On March 7, 1974, Arlean formed the Murrieta Garden Club. The club brought members of the community together to learn and to promote gardening. Arlean’s love of gardening can be seen surrounding this home with a wide variety of flowers, plants, and
trees. As club president, Arlean encouraged the members to beautify their properties through suggested plantings and gardening techniques.
Today, members of the Garrison family still call this place home. This home stands as a reminder of a family that loved this community and gave willingly to the growth and success of Murrieta. We are grateful for their many contributions to our great city.
