The Pond Brothers Return
Donald R Pond
The Plan!
For many years it has been my desire to return to where the Pond boys and their sister grew up and lived. That would be Upland, West Hollywood and West Los Angeles, California. After discussing it many times with Noreen and my brothers, brother Al (Bud) agreed to meet me there and we were to bring our wives. This was to be a three-day affair with one day devoted to each location. We decided to meet in Upland the first day. It did not work out for our brother Ed to meet us this time. We missed him.
Upland!
Upland was a very small town adjacent to Ontario in San Bernardino County. It is no longer a small town. However we were pleased to see that many of the old houses and buildings have been saved. The first stop and meeting place was at 419 3rd Avenue.
(For a larger view click on the picture of your choice)
This is where our grandparents lived. Grandfather Harry Nafius built the house around 1900 or so. Gramps was a carpenter as were Ed and I. This is where as kids we wondered why grandma Nafius always swept the dirt. The outside of the house from the street has been kept pretty much the same with the same charm it always had. We got a few pictures. Next door, where Mrs. Campbell lived, we encountered a pleasant young lady who explained to us who now owned the house. She was most excited to see someone who was born while living in that house (Don). Also to meet someone who had also lived in the house (Bud). Our mother was born there in 1905 and probably was actually born in the house and not in a hospital!
(For a larger view click on the picture of your choice)
Just up the street was the two-story apartment where Dad, Mom and I lived. I do not remember much about the apartment except I slept in the living room. Again we took my picture on the stairs. That is where we have a picture as a youngster, 3 or 4 years old and my Boston terrier puppies. That is where we had the lambs. We have many of pictures of that time! We checked out Aunt Dee's house, the Pond or Sedgwick house. We drove by the doctor's office where my tonsils were removed and the firehouse where the fire pole had such fascination for a young kid. Our family friend, Auntie Allen's house is still there. We can still visualize her running over with a dish she had prepared for us.
After a nice lunch we went to the school that Bud and Ruth attended. We also wanted to visit there because part of the school was the original Mount San Antonio Hospital that was built in 1907. It is still a beautiful campus. Although not now part of the campus the Hospital building is very well kept.
We visited the new San Antonio Hospital where I was born and where our mother had the emergency operation to remove a cancer that later took her life. Several of Bud and Ruth's children were born there as well. This hospital was built in 1923 and has been updated several times. It is a very modern facility now.
We had to check out the famous Van Ness Water Gardens where we purchased our Koi about 12 years ago. The water lilies and lotus are spectacular. We then checked out Ontario and drove by the High School our Mom attended. We then went to the cemetery where Grandpa and Grandma Nafius are buried. Our mom, Mary and two of her brothers, Ed and Cap are also buried there. All of the children died before their mom, Grandma Frances (DeSpain) Nafius.
We then went back to the motel, rested for a few minutes and then off to Fudruckers for the best hamburger and condiments in the world! That day in the parking lot there were many classic cars being shown by a local car club. Ed would have enjoyed that even more than we did.
West Hollywood!
Our visit to West Hollywood began with a stop at the Hollywood Cemetery located on Santa Monica Boulevard. This cemetery had been in a very run-down condition until just recently. Two friends bought it and are in the process of making it a showplace again. Many Hollywood stars and movie moguls are buried there. That is not why we stopped. Our Pond grandparents Lucy and Almon are buried there as well as uncle Donald and his wife Maythel. I had not been there since I was nine years old but I remembered where the burial ceremony was. There was a lake nearby and the kids, mostly our cousin Ardys and I caught minnows and pollywogs to take home. We drove right to it. They were very suspicious of us as this is now a great tourist attraction. When they found out we had ancestors buried there we were told that we were family and would not be charged for the tour, as are just the curious tourists.
(For a larger view click on the picture of your choice)
We drove further west on Santa Monica Boulevard to the only part of West Hollywood that had shopping in those days. The streetcar station and storage barn were there as well. All evidence of the streetcars are now gone. The street is being repaved as well as new sidewalks in front of the stores when our grandfather Almon Pond had his drug store and Uncle Frank Talbert had his bike shop. Sure I ate ice cream at the fountain and later worked in the bike shop repairing bicycles. Aunt Edith (aunt Babe) and Dorothy, dad's sisters, who lived in West Hollywood, worked in the drug store. Dad was a milk man for Edgemar Farms, mom worked as a telephone operator in Beverly Hills.
(For a larger view click on the picture of your choice)
Most all of the houses the Pond, Naylor and Talbert families had lived in were still there.
The apartment house where Donna and Bud were born was there, as well as the house next door, where uncle Frank and aunt Babe lived after they abandoned the living quarters at the bike shop. The apartment where the picture of our mom and four aunts was taken is still there. The house where grandma Sedgwick fell and broke her arm, when she was 90 years old, is still there. The house we lived in as I started kindergarten and the next house much further away. Still there! The house at the triangle where grandma and grandpa lived just before he died, still there! The grammar school, K-8, still there. Clark Avenue is now San Vicente Boulevard. The house where we lived and that Bud remembers at 915 Clark Avenue is now an apartment building. Most every thing is as we remembered it. Yes the occupants of the stores have changed but the buildings are much the same. It was a most interesting day and we were pleased to be able to find so many of the places that we had lived were still there. Remember folks. This is the heart of Western Los Angeles, adjacent to Beverly Hills. Some one in the planning department had the foresight and the ability to save these buildings. How much longer they can last is the question we ask now. We did get to see it before it was gone!
West Los Angeles!
Next day was our West Los Angeles and University High School day. The president of the Alumni Association is only there for a part of the day on Mondays so we had to get there early to get the latest alumni information and permission to roam the campus. We did get our passes and Bud was to meet with Barbara, a classmate of his, to talk about their upcoming reunion. While they did that Noreen and I looked over the entire campus. While there are some very new buildings, and the original building still looks good, the campus and inside of the building looks like it has had no care since WWII. This was probably the most beautiful campus in the entire Los Angeles School District. Natural springs and ponds and well kept grounds. This is what I have in mind when they show and speak of intercity schools in New York City. Depressing! If you went to University Hi-School in West Los Angeles do yourself a favor and just remember it as it was!
To save the day we drove around the area where we spent our youth. The church we attended is gone. Most of the area is now apartment buildings. Many of the houses are still the same in the neighborhood where we lived from 1938 until we moved on. Dad still lived in the house until his death. We drove around the area pointing out who used to live in each house. Bud remembering some and I some others. We were wondering what had happened to them all and how we could get in touch with them. We drove by the huge park where we went swimming every summer. Where we watched the softball games and just hung out. It is a great neighborhood park to this day.
On the way to the Santa Monica Pier and the big event at the Merry-go-Round we had to stop at a deli in Santa Monica for some lox and bagels. On the way back we had to stop at this bakery for some napoleons and coffee. We bought some other weight producing goodies as well.
(For a larger view click on the picture of your choice)
We found a place to park quite near the pier and joined the tourists from all over the world walking to see the surfers, the fishermen, the entertainers, the penny arcade, the tattoo artists, and the eateries. It was all just fantastic. The pier had all been redone and it was just a pleasant walk to the end almost to the breakwater that now is mostly washed away. A kids carnival and the Merry-go-Round are in good repair. The building that houses the Merry-go-Round is newly painted and perfectly maintained. Of course the MGR is too. And you know what? A ride is only 25 cents for kids and 50 cents for adults! That is a big surprise and it sure is fantastic for the kids and us adults that spent a lot of time there as kids. We rode and took pictures and told Merry-go-Round stories. Bud is particularly proud of an accomplishment over his older brother when he was about 8 years old. He got the best of Don that day! We laugh at that Merry-go-Round story every time we get together.
After such a full day we were completely bushed and ready to get some rest before heading back to our homes the next day. This was everything that I had hoped for in the trip. There are a few more pictures that I must go take after the sidewalk is completed in front of the Osage Pharmacy, Grandpa Pond's drug store and Uncle Frank's bike shop. I am looking forward to it!
DRP August 2000.......
My brother Al reached for the ultimate brass ring in 2002 and will not be joining us for the next trip. Only in our hearts. This page is a reminder to not let your inclinations go by without some action. We were so fortunate that we followed through with ours. Of course this page is dedicted to my brother Al, or Bud, as his family knew him.
DRP December 2002.......
Before you go (This link is apparently not working)
check out this
Merry-go-round
page
Apparently this is no longer a working link! Sorry. If anyone can let me know where it is now or can direct me to another I will be forever grateful. I will try to direct you to a web site that has carousels for sale if I can find one. However here is a picture of the actual carousel on the Santa Monica Pier!
Don's Home
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DeSpain
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Nafius
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Pond
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Sedgwick
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Bangust
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Email Don
