Georgia Gordon Sercl - Arlington

This decorative, rare card reads, Greetings from Arlington, California. (Courtesy Steve Lech.)

Arlington, a city of modern, beautiful homes and hospitable people, is one of Southern Californias most attractive communities. Located on Magnolia Avenue, a noted scenic thoroughfare of the Southland at the western limit of Riverside, it has every advantage to offer. A plentiful supply of water and unexcelled climatic conditions adapt the district admirably to agricultural pursuits such as the citrus, walnut, alfalfa, poultry, and livestock industries. Ideally located 50 miles from Pacific beaches and approximately the same distance from downtown Los Angeles, Arlington is also within an hours drive from some of Southern Californias most noted mountain and desert resorts. San Diego lies 120 miles to the south.

This January 1909 map depicts the Davidson subdivision, located between Magnolia Avenue and Garfield Street in Arlington. Davidson Street is now Everest Avenue, with McKenzie the next street to the west. (Courtesy Mike Gordon.)

Peter Goethals, one of Arlingtons most successful men, made arrangements to create a new lumberyard and wholesale grain business. It operated in conjunction with the Arlington Supply Company about 1905.

In the 1870s, these trees were planted on the side of the road to be used as landmarks, as one could easily get lost in the back country. Eventually people came to know which trees stood at particular road intersections, making directions a lot easier to follow.

Born in England, William E. and Francis X. Pedley came to Arlington around 1890. Soon becoming local realtors and developers, they had an office on Magnolia Avenue in the heart of Arlington. At the time, the area was growing rapidly as many English people settled in town.

Magnolia Avenue and Van Buren Boulevard are shown here in the second decade of the 20th century. This area was called the McKenzie Block, with McKenzie and Pedley Real EstateLoan Insurance listed in the 1907 directory as situated on the corner. Lovely large shade trees provided a place for horses to rest while their owners were buying supplies or conducting business. Notice all the wires above for the trolley car. (Courtesy Steve Lech.)

Citizens Bank, known as Citizens National Trust and Savings Bank, served the town of Arlington from 1903 to 1953. It was located at the corner of Van Buren Boulevard and Magnolia Avenue; this photograph shows a view looking west down the block of Magnolia and other businesses around 1950. The building was replaced with a gas station in 1958.

In this 1910 image, both sides of Magnolia Avenue are lined with shade trees, and people are taking advantage of the leaf cover on a hot summer day. As Arlingtons main thoroughfare, Magnolia was a busy downtown area with streetcars and businesses. Three people relax by the streetcar, one with his bicycle. On the right is Mission Pharmacy. (Courtesy JoAnne Pease-Simpson.)

At the intersection of Magnolia Avenue and Van Buren Boulevard, a bus heads west on Magnolia in the 1940s. On the southwest side, Magnolia Drug is located in the Jenkins Building. Large, beautiful trees still line the street. Notice the large Arlington sign. (Courtesy JoAnne Pease-Simpson.)

By the 1940s, Magnolia Avenue was a well-established center of business in Arlington with lots of cars coming and going. The streets trees shaded the shopping day.

Arlington had two drugstores during the 1940s: Keystone Drug, on the southeast corner of Magnolia Avenue and Van Buren Boulevard, and Magnolia Drug, across the street on the southwest corner.

The Arlington-area telephone switchboard (seen below) opened in February 1926 with five employeesmostly women, much more suited by their temperament to work as operators. Jewel Johnson, a former employee of the phone company in Riverside, was appointed chief operator of the Arlington office and worked there until her retirement. Jasie Macquarrie also started in 1926. These two women and many others celebrated (above) 75 years of Women Operators. The firm was backlogged with requests for new telephones. The main switchboard was continuously lit up and jammed due to a lack of available numbers, so a new dial center was established on March 18, 1956, and replaced many operators. Fortunately, none of the operators lost their jobs; they were placed elsewhere within the company. (Courtesy Jim and Mary Belle Neufell Spaulding.)