Then and now, San Dimas

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On the occasion of Fresh & Easy’s opening in San Dimas a few weeks ago (Feb. 23, to be precise), Gene Harvey sent me this vintage photo, circa New Year’s 1991, of himself and wife Judy atop their Canyon Theater sign on the same site. The Harveys (both doing well, I might add) were known for performing ballroom dance moves together prior to starting each film, hence the pose.

“If a picture were taken today from that exact vantage point (it is facing east) there is only ONE item that would still appear,” Gene says. “No, it’s not the Holy Name of Mary sanctuary in the background. Even that was later replaced with a new building. It is the yellow fire plug!”

I visited the place myself last weekend and confirmed Harvey’s assertion, shooting a photo on Bonita Avenue looking east toward San Dimas Canyon Road, highlighting the hydrant while working the store into the frame.

Concerning the older photo, Gene adds: “One note of trivia. On the car, the Canyon Theatre phone number is a reminder that the good ol’ 909 was once the 714.”

You can read more about the shopping center in a previous blog post with many entertaining comments.

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