2111 Bonita Avenue

OneWest Bank, located at the Northeast corner of Bonita Avenue and "D" Street since 2009, occupies an area that has known only two types of businesses since construction of a new service station began on the previously vacant lots in late 1934.

This photo was taken by Joseph B. Bixler in 1930 from the tower of the Church of the Brethren, looking West. This is the intersection of Fourth (now Bonita Avenue)  and "D" Streets.

This ad was part of a New Year's greeting from the Merchants and Business Men of  La Verne that appeared in the La Verne Leader on December 28, 1934. Apparently this was a preview of things to come because the following article appeared in the February 8, 1935 edition of the Leader:

The proprietors of this station were Dwight Shirk and Joe Roynon. Shirk had been the operator of Court Auto Service at 2023 Third Street since 1930 and Joe Roynon was the brother of J. Marion Roynon.

Dwight Shirk operated the station until 1945 when we read this item:

Ben Wells' Christmas greeting appeared in the Leader on Christmas Eve 1948.

This photo of Ben Wells' Service Station was taken by my aunt Eunice Kreps from her back yard at 2130 Fifth Street after a snow storm in January 1949.

Henry Marshall, a retired Standard Oil employee, gets his windshield cleaned by Ben Wells in the early 1950s. The Historical Society acquired this photo from Marshall's great granddaughter.

On January 22, 1953, Del Myer announced in the La Verne Leader that he was assuming the management of La Verne Chevron along with Ted Todd. Del is pictured here in a 1959 ad from the La Verne College Lambda yearbook.

By 1960 Lewis Smith had taken over the station. This is an ad from the 1960 Lambda.

Lewis Smith (R) and his brother Robert breaking down tires in this ad from the 1964 Bonita High School Echoes yearbook.

   I believe that Smith had the station through 1965 when he sold the business to John Johnson. The July 17, 1968 issue of the Leader contained a notice that Johnson was selling the business to Terry Lambert and escrow would close on August 8. I believe that Lambert was the last owner of the business. In a column of the December 24, 1970 issue of the Leader, an announcement was made that the Chevron station was being torn down.

   In the legal notices of the Leader dated December 16, 1971, we find that the La Verne Planning Commission will be considering an application for a Conditional Use Permit, submitted by First Federal Savings and Loan Association of San Gabriel for a relocatable structure to be used as a temporary office. It was to be located at "D" Street and Bonita Avenue, with an address of 2111 Bonita Avenue.

   Dwight Shirk still owned the property until it was sold to the savings and loan.

   Federal Savings and Loan Association of San Gabriel Valley held a House-Warming party at their temporary office March 13 through April 10, 1972.

This photo from the May 11, 1972 issue of the Leader shows the Savings and Loan temporary office at the bottom.

First Federal customers received this letter in May 2000.

The bank became IndyMac Federal Bank in July 2008.

On March 19, 2009 IndyMac Federal Bank became OneWest Bank.