top of page
Murrieta Historical Timeline
1797,
Father Juan Norberto de Santiago enters the valley
June 13, 1798,
Mission San Luis Rey de Francia
is established
visitoceanside.org
September 16, 1810,
Mexican War for independence begins
September 27, 1821,
Mexican Independence
tshaonline.org
1834-1836,
California Missions closed
1844,
Rancho Pauba established
December 14, 1844,
Temecula Rancho established
1845,
Rancho Little Temecula Established
1846-1848,
Mexican American War
1848,
Gold discovered at
Sutter Mill, California
1846,
Santa Rosa Rancho established
Daniel B., Yelp
February 18, 1850,
San Diego County is established
September 9, 1850,
California becomes the 31st state
1857-1861,
Overland Butterfield Stage
ParksCa.gov
April 22, 1859,
Temecula Post Office Established
temeculaca.gov
1873,
Domingo Pujol,
Francisco Sanjurjo, Juan and Ezequiel Murrieta purchase the Temecula
and Pauba Ranchos
1873,
Juan Murrieta moves 7,000 sheep from Northern California into the Temecula Valley
temeculavalleymuseum.org
1876,
Juan Murrieta Marries Adele Golsh
findagrave.com
ancestors.familysearch.org
April 26, 1882,
Juan Murrieta granted the Railroad
a right away across the
Temecula Rancho
1880,
The Southern California Railroad was chartered
Old Town Temecula Walking Tours
September 13, 1883,
The first passenger train from
San Diego to San Bernardino
E. Hale Curran
1884,
Juan Murrieta sells 14,500 acres of Rancho Temecula to Temecula Land and Water Company.
1884-1885,
President M.L. Wilks constructs the Fountain House located on Clay St.
1885,
Murrieta Post Office is established
E. Hale Curran
October 28, 1885,
Murrieta Grammar School Opens
E. Hale Curran
1886,
Hutchinson & Brown establish a dairy farm on the Murrieta Reserve
1886,
The Murrieta Cemetery is established. Mable M. Hending is reported as the first burial.
September 11, 1887,
The Murrieta Methodist Episcopal Church is dedicated
1886,
Juan Murrieta and family move to Los Angeles
1888,
Town of Linda Rosa was established
E. Hale Curran
1891,
The Tarwater General Store Opens
E. Hale Curran
February 1891,
Railroad washes out in
Santa Margarita Canyon
May 9, 1893,
Riverside County is formed
1893,
Henry Sykes purchases the
Fountain House
E. Hale Curran
January 27, 1898,
Murrieta Post Office moved
to the train depot
December 25, 1899,
A 6.5 earthquake struck in San Jacinto
April 11, 1900,
Emma Hale Skyes was born.
She was later know as E. Hale Curran
1902,
Fredrick "Fritz" Guenther purchases the Murrieta Hot Springs
E. Hale Curran
mhsretreats.com
1907,
Mrs. Katie E. Sleeper rents the
Fountain House
1909,
A.K. Small & Co. General Store opens
1911,
Benjamin Tarwater opens
up a new store
E. Hale Curran
E. Hale Curran
1912,
Mrs. Sleeper purchases the
Fountain House.
1915,
The Inland Highway is paved from Elsinore to Temecula
1916,
Earnest Lakeman opens the
Lakeman Lunch Room
E. Hale Curran
April 21, 1918,
6.8 San Jacinto Earthquake
E. Hale Curran
November 1918,
Murrieta Valley Grain Elevator is built
1919,
The Murrieta Grammar School is taken down
1920,
The second Murrieta Grammar School is opened
E. Hale Curran
E. Hale Curran
1921,
Mrs. Sleeper dies and E. Hale Curran inherits the Fountain House
The Holiness Church burns to
the ground
E. Hale Curran
1922,
Frank Burnham purchases the A.K. Small General Store and renames it the Burnham Store
1924,
Postmaster Oliver W. Miller corrects the spelling of Murrieta from "Murrietta"
June 1924,
Murrieta Town Hall burns to the ground
December 1924,
Henry Eilers purchases the Lakeman Lunch Room and renames it
Henry's Place
E. Hale Curran
March 14, 1928,
Murrieta Post Office moved to the Burnham Store
November 24, 1929,
The Episcopal Church is dedicated
E. Hale Curran
1934,
Murrieta Woman's Club Clubhouse built
March 18, 1935,
The last train leaves
Murrieta Train Depot
E. Hale Curran
1939,
Benjamin Tarwater dies and the Tarwater stores closes
Find A Grave
July 1, 1940,
The Murrieta Post Office building is opened off Washington and C Street
E. Hale Curran
April 1947,
Murrieta Volunteer Fire Department
is formed
E. Hale Curran
April 1948,
The first annual Fireman's BBQ is held to help fund the department
E. Hale Curran
1955,
Highway 395 is realighed through Menifee Valley
March 1956,
The Murrieta Town Hall Association is formed
E. Hale Curran
1956,
State officials close the Murrieta Grammar School
July 1, 1956,
Frank Burnham sells the store to
Mel Miller
1957,
Hunt Memorial Park is established
Murrieta Historical Society
September 2, 1958,
The third Murrieta Grammar School opens on Adams Ave and B Street
(now Murrieta Elementary School)
1962,
The Burnham Store is moved to the former Tarwater Store
E. Hale Curran
April 10, 1963,
The Murrieta Methodist Church burns to the ground
E. Hale Curran
April 24, 1966,
Murrieta Fire Department opens up Station 1 on Juniper Street
E. Hale Curran
January 1970,
The Guenther Family sells the Murrieta Hot Springs Resort
January 3, 1977,
Three Lakes Judicial District formed in Perris and Murrieta court discontinued
1980,
Murrieta's population hits 2,200
May 14, 1981,
Ground is broken for the new
Town Hall
1983,
The Murrieta Valley Grain Elevator stops operations
December 1985,
A new post office building opens on Washington Ave
Murrieta247.com
July 1985,
Murrieta Chamber hosts the Centennial Parade down Washington Ave.
Bezanson Family
1988,
Murrieta Cityhood campaign begins
1990,
Murrieta's population reaches 19,101
(a 768% increase in 10 years)
Murrieta Valley High School breaks ground off Washington Ave
.jpg)
Murrieta Historical Society
July 1, 1991,
Murrieta becomes a city
Murrieta Valley Unified School District
Murrieta Historical Society
1992,
The Murrieta Police Department forms
Murrieta Police Department
September 7, 1993,
Murrieta Fire Protection District becomes part of the City of Murrieta
1993,
Murrieta Creek floods the
Historic district
1995,
Calvary Chapel purchases the Murrieta Hot Springs Resort
.jpg)
Murrieta Historical Society
Calvary Chapel
1998,
The Murrieta Public Library is established off of I-215 and Los Alamos
Friends of the Murrieta Library
June 28, 1999,
E. Hale Curran dies
2000,
Murrieta population reaches 52,036
Murrieta Valley Unified School District
2003,
City of Murrieta acquires the former Town Hall Building
E. Hale Curran
April 2019,
The Murrieta Valley
Historical Society forms
Murrieta Historical Society
2019,
The Murrieta Museum Opens
Murrieta Historical Society
bottom of page