ARTHUR Garretson’s original name was Gerritsen. The family came from Voorst in Gelderland. The man had tremendous energy and imagination. In California, he was hired by local entrepreneurs to build the town of Corona. Arthur, with the Dutch water expertise in his back pocket, made sure above all that the city would have access to drinking water.
He built the Grand Boulevard, a 2.8-mile long ring road, hence the name Corona. Three speed races were run on it. After that, things quieted down. Lucy Ball came to live here. Fender built his guitar factory there. And today also the Monster energy drink also comes from Corona. Mr. Gerritsen didn’t need any drink to boost his energy. In South Dakota, they named a town after him.
