The bells of Pomona
Is that an El Camino Real bell in downtown Pomona? It is. This Burton Frasher photo shows the northwest corner of Garey Avenue and Second Street in 1925. Dig the surprisingly modern bank facade.
The building, btw, was razed at some later point to widen Garey or build the underpass, but it would have stood just east of where Joey's BBQ is today.
Anyhow, the Auto Club sign on the bell directed motorists to San Bernardino, 31 miles, and to an unreadable place to the west, 24 miles.
Betty Peters, the Pomona Public Library's volunteer historian, found the photo and was amazed to see the bell, never realizing Pomona had had one.
You can read about the bells here and here.
In short, the original El Camino Real was a 600-mile Spanish trail that connected California's 21 missions. In 1906, a modern-day version of the road was established as one of the state's first highways. The route was marked by bells attached to shepherd's crooks. The Auto Club began maintaining the bells in the 1920s but eventually they began being stolen or vandalized.
In recent years, Caltrans has been putting up the bells again, mostly along Highway 101, as a nod to history. I find them quite charming.
Betty Peters wonders if anyone remembers Pomona bells or ones in other local cities. The route apparently went through Claremont as well.
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A journalist for more than two decades, David Allen has been writing a column for the Daily Bulletin since 1997 and blogging since 2007.He lives in Claremont.
E-mail David here or read columns here.
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At least through the '60s there was an El Camino Real bell on the south side of 6th Street, just west of College Ave. in Claremont.
[I suspect it's gone, but I'll have to check. That's in my 'hood. -- DA]
If memory serves me correctly, Upland had a similar bell at the intersection of 9th and Euclid, in the center median. I have a postcard showing it and when I find it, I will send it along to Betty.
El Camino Real bell? That's AWESOME. I wonder if there were any more? I wonder what happened to them.
Will you be covering the mayoral candidates in Pomona? I've read your article on the council's spending in 07-08 and have referenced it. Wonder if there's more coming from you.