The Historical Society of Pomona Valley

If you missed our post on Friday, here’s a friendly reminder that we’re reopening for tours! Please check www.pomonahistorical.org/events for more details.

Big news, history buffs! We are REOPENING the Casa Primera, the Palomares Adobe, and the Phillips Mansion for tours this June! Head over to our website at www.pomonahistorical.org/events to request a reservation.

Hello again, history buffs. So many folks enjoyed learning about Kathleen and Thomas Wing, so this week we’d like to share their parents’ immigration stories. Through them we can learn much about the history of Asian Americans, California, and immigration to the U.S. in general. Kathleen Kong’s parents immigrated to California from China in the late 19th and early 20th century, as did Thomas Wing’s. They came to America shortly after the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 forbade further immigration of Chinese laborers, and anti-Chinese sentiment was high. Their families faced prejudice and discrimination. They continued to work tirelessly, however, and gave their children and families social mobility. Read more on our blog at https://www.pomonahistorical.org//the-wing-family-s-ancest

In many cultures there is a celebration of light and hope and joy in the darkest part of the year. We decorate, we gather family together for a meal, and we give gifts. This year I took no shortcuts in decorating the yard or decorating the tree. I am going to wrap packages instead of using gift bags and I am making real bows to boot. I am even sending Christmas cards for the first time in 30 years. I am determined to make my own island of normal, even though no family will be... visiting, and I won’t be cooking for a big group. So this December my wish for you is that you and yours celebrate this holiday whether it is Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or a quiet day in your own island of normal so that we can enter 2021 with the strength and the focus to make things better. Enjoy some holiday pics from our archive. Sincerely, Deborah A. Clifford, President Historical Society of Pomona Valley

Thank you to La Nueva Voz, Pomona for documenting this historic moment: the first COVID-19 vaccine at Pomona Valley Hospital & Medical Center! It’s easy to think of history as static and distant. History is made with each passing moment. We are living through a momentous period in history; future historians will study our experiences. Books will be written, documentaries filmed. It’s important to document our experiences now so future generations can learn from us.

HSPV is 104 plus years of stories of the people who settled this land, raised their families, and made a living. Every story has at its center the very real people of Pomona living their lives and making our history. There is Jack Ford, big man on campus’ at Pomona High School in 1915, who joined the Army to serve in WWI and did not return. There are the dreamers like Francisco Palomares, Cyrus Burdick, and Patrick Tonner who dreamed of starting a real town and becoming ric...h. In 1918, Sheriff Slanker was so feared by local miscreants that they turned themselves in once they knew he was looking for them. There are the stories of the singers and dancers of Padua Hills who made Pomona their home. There is the story of a Japanese cowboy and an African American astronaut. We have survived the Great Depression, several recessions, World Wars, two pandemics, and all the ups and downs of the 20th century. Our goal is to get to our 106th anniversary in 2022 and celebrate it. For that we need your help. We now know that nearly half of all small non-profits like HSPV will not survive to reopen. Make sure that the Historical Society of Pomona Valley is not one of them. We are resilient here in Pomona and some would even say tough. The Historical Society is not going to give up easily. But we need your help. Please find whatever room in your budget you can to help us continue finding and telling our stories. Please click "Donate" and invest in Pomona's history and future. -Deborah Clifford, President *Facebook pays all the processing fees for you, so 100% of your donation goes directly to the nonprofit.

It is with deep sadness that I share that long time member, writer, and supporter of HSPV Bob Smith has passed away. He was born in Los Angeles in September of 1930. He married Gwen Shockley in Pomona in 1952 and is survived by two sons and four grandchildren. He was a retired teacher of Art and Photography at Chaffey College, as well as a graphic artist known for his drawings of Claremont buildings. He wrote several books including Redefining the Inland Valley: Illustrated History and Driving Tours and The Seven Lost Ranchos of Our Inland Valley: A Coloring Book and Local History. His kindness, his sense of humor, and his stories will all be missed. Deborah Clifford, HSPV President

Hey, history buffs! We have big news: we've just opened our gift shop online at http://pomonahistorical.org/shop.html We have HSPV merch (like our new Rancho San Jose t-shirts) and tons of California and Pomona Valley history books, and we'll be adding even more this week!

This Giving Tuesday and holiday season, please consider helping HSPV protect and share Pomona Valley history!

We still have room in tomorrow's FREE webinar on the amazing restoration of this painting from Rancho San Jose. Ever noticed all the things named "Vejar" in the area? This came out of Ricardo Vejar's chapel!

Today is Native American Heritage Day. Today, we honor those who walked here before us and their descendants who remain an integral part of our community today. We’d like to share some of the most amazing items in our collections. These are called cog stones because they look like cogs or gears, but researchers aren’t sure what they were used for. Some have suggested that these were for ritual use, and others have suggested that they may have been used to weigh down fishing... nets. They often show evidence of remarkable craftsmanship and precision. These are dated from between 4000 and 1500BC and were created by Indigenous peoples who lived around what is now San Dimas. Cog stones like these have been found widely throughout Southern California, especially near the Santa Ana River. A bit of context can be helpful; the Egyptian pyramids of Giza were built around 2500 BC, so the folks who made these cog stones were contemporaries of the ancient Egyptians. That’s quite a history here!

We're glad to see that the historic Millard Sheets fountains in Downtown Pomona are being restored!

We are sold out! We keep a list of folks who are interested in Spadra, so we can let you know when we're giving tours. If you'd like to be added to that list, please send us a message.

It's thrilling to see Pomona (and world) history being made. Congratulations to Pomona native Navy Commander Victor Glover, who will be the first African American to live on the Space Station long term.

Edit: Our 2020 tours are officially sold out! Keep an eye on our page for more upcoming events. Hey history buffs! On *Wednesday morning* we'll open sales for our Spadra Cemetery tours on October 30 and October 31. Our Halloween tours are a little different this year to keep everyone safe. You can sign up for 30 minute slots to receive a private tour for a family group of up to 6 people for $60 plus Eventbrite fees.... Reservations and masks are REQUIRED. Don't forget comfortable shoes and a sense of adventure! Stay tuned for ticket details. **Please note that tickets are not on sale on our website yet. We will post here when tickets are available.

Love this photo from Jerry Menesez. Who here remembers smudge?

Hi folks! Some of you may have heard about a fire out near the Spadra Cemetery. We're letting you know here so you don't worry- everything is fine! The Los Angeles County Fire Department responded quickly and took care of it. We are so grateful for them! Spadra, the Phillips Mansion, and the Currier Mansion are all perfectly safe and sound.

Many of us can recall very clearly where we were 19 years ago today. Researchers call these vivid memories of important or emotionally charged events "flashbulb memories." Today, we reflect on where we were when we heard the news and how September 11, 2001 changed us and our nation, and we honor those who lost their lives. Where were you when you heard the news? What do you remember? https://www.history.com/topics/21st-century/9-11-attacks

Hey there, history buffs! Today would be Pomona Day at the Los Angeles County Fair. Check out some of these fabulous LA County Fair artifacts on loan to the Pomona Ebell Museum of History from community member Beauchamp Tran, and leave us a comment (or a few!) about your favorite Fair memories.

Hey, history buffs, hope everyone is staying cool! A sprinkler incident left a staff member soaked this afternoon here at the Ebell, reminding her of (intentionally) running through sprinklers and playing in pools. In that spirit, here’s a little something on the Ganesha Plunge. Built in 1915, the Ganesha Plunge was a popular spot for residents to cool off. In 1915, a community pool was no small feat, and the pool was a regular feature in contemporary news stories. Unfortunat...ely, for many years the pool was not always open to all residents; members of minority communities were permitted to swim once a week, after which the pool was drained and refilled. The pool was renovated in 1957 to accommodate a growing populace and then closed in 1984. It was demolished and the city built a new pool on the site in 1988. Do you have memories of the Plunge? How are you keeping cool this weekend? See more

The tower bell of the Purpose/ First Baptist church was just transferred to the Historical Society.

Hey, history buffs! Today on Found in Collections Friday, we have some of the more hair-raising objects from our collections. These wreaths are composed mainly of human hair! The practice of creating hair art has its roots (pardon the pun) in the 17th and 18th centuries, but became a popular mourning practice after Queen Victoria commissioned hair art and jewelry following the death of her husband Prince Albert in 1861. At least 8 pieces of jewelry were created from Prince Al...bert’s hair. While hair art is well known for its more morbid past, it was far more commonly used for family trees and as keepsakes for friends or loved ones. What do you think; would you care for a bracelet made from your sweetheart’s hair? #FoundInCollectionsFriday #HairySituation

Hey, history buffs! It's time for our last #FrostProtectionFriday. Many contemporary grove owners rely on grove fans for frost protection. In the past, smudge pots were the most (in)famous methods of frost protection, but growers used other techniques, as well. Legend has it that this even included firing artillery into the air to "break up the clouds," but that seems like a long shot to us. Check out these photos to learn more! We'd love to hear more from our followers. Wha...t's been your favorite part of #FrostProtectionFriday? What memories do you have of the citrus industry? Do any of you have citrus trees of your own? Please share! See more

It's time again for #FrostProtectionFriday! When Floyd D. Young issued his frost broadcasts, his most devoted listeners were school children. On frost nights many of them went to the groves to light rows of smudge pots. Smudge pots burned fuel like gasoline or kerosene to protect the groves, though there is some debate on whether the smoke or the heat saved the citrus. Those children were excused from school the next day, their sooty faces and clothes a small price to pay for saving the crop. Have any of our readers ever lit a smudge pot? Did you or your family work in citrus? Tell us your stories!